News from Access - including new analysis of data on Blended Finance

News in brief

• What’s really happening in blended finance? We’ve crunched the latest data to see who’s getting investment and how subsidy is working on the ground.
• Key Fund steps in – Taking on key programmes from GMCVO to ensure continuity of local support.
• Bradford’s first Shariah-compliant loan – A milestone for inclusive finance, supporting a community dentist meeting local needs.
• Library of Stuff wins big – Celebrating circular economy innovation with a regional award for impact and sustainability.
• Big money moves – £17m from SIB, £20m for community-led housing, and a new government advisory group on social investment.

This month at Access

Blended Finance in Action
We’ve taken a closer look at the latest data from enterprises supported through blended finance programmes – and it’s full of useful insight. From who’s receiving investment, to how subsidy is being used, and the different ways capital is helping organisations grow. It’s a good pulse-check on what’s working, where challenges remain, and how this type of finance is evolving in practice.
Take a look at the blog.
 
Spotlight on Oxford: A Visit from MP Anneliese Dodds
Access CEO Seb Elsworth joined colleagues from Sporting Capital and Better Society Capital to host Oxford MP Anneleise Dodds. The visit to Falcon Boat Club spurred a great conversation about social investment and how it's making a real difference in communities. Check out the post on LinkedIn.

Key Fund Takes the Baton
Key Fund has taken on management of GMCVO’s Access to Growth fund, Enterprising Communities Fund and Proper Good Investment Fund. The transfer aims to ensure that support continues to be delivered locally with a strong focus on social impact. Read more here. 

News from Local Access

A Lending First in Bradford
A milestone moment for Bradford’s Local Access Programme – they disbursed their very first Shariah-compliant loan back in February! It’s supporting a community dentist meeting a real local need. One to watch.

Bristol LAP published their impact report 
Bristol LAP has just published their latest Impact Report, highlighting all the amazing work happening on the ground. Loads of insight into what social investment is achieving in the city. Worth a read if you're curious about community-led change in action. 
 

Social Investment Stories 
Huge congrats to the Library of Stuff CIC for scooping the Social Enterprise Yorkshire and Humber Environmental Award! Their mission? Helping people borrow instead of buy, cutting waste and costs in the process. It's a brilliant example of circular economy thinking in action. Read more about their story. 

ICYMI: Scaling Up Retrofitting in the Non-Profit Sector
In case you missed it – we teamed up with the Centre for Sustainable Energy to publish a new roadmap for scaling up retrofitting services in the non-profit sector. It’s packed with practical insight and big-picture thinking on how we make buildings greener and communities stronger. Catch the update on LinkedIn.

Reasons to be cheerful

New £17m Fund from SIB
Social Investment Business has launched a new £17 million fund to support charities and community organisations. Even better, it's all about collaboration – new partnerships are at the heart of it. Get the scoop.
 
Government Focus on Social Investment
The government has launched a new Social Impact Investment Advisory Group. While it’s early days, it’s great to see this kind of attention being paid to the role investment can play in tackling big social challenges. More here.
 
£20m for Community-Led Housing
Big news from MHCLG and Resonance. A £20 million injection into the Resonance Community Developers initiative is expected to unlock £30 million more in new investment – and what’s more, it’s structured to recycle that full £50 million over time as community homes are built. Smart capital doing smart things. Here’s Daniel Brewer’s post with the details.
 
Dates for the diary
Good Finance Live is coming up! A brilliant chance to connect, learn and get under the hood of social investment – whether you’re just getting started or looking to take things to the next level. More info here.