Seb Elsworth to step down as CEO of Access
After more than a decade leading Access, Seb Elsworth will step down from his role as CEO later this year, as he prepares to take up a new position at the Queen Elizabeth Trust.
Seb has been part of Access since its creation in 2015, playing a key role in shaping the organisation’s growth and approach. Under his leadership, Access has expanded its resources, supported thousands of charities and social enterprises, and championed the use of blended finance and enterprise development to reach organisations often underserved by mainstream funding.
Neil Berry, Director of Programmes, will take on the role of interim CEO from September while trustees begin the process of recruiting a permanent successor.
Read more here
£1 million to support more equitable social investment
Access has announced £1 million of new funding to support work focused on improving equity within the social investment market.
The funding will support the Diversity Forum and the Equality Impact Investing Project, both of which aim to address structural barriers and encourage a more inclusive and representative investment ecosystem.
This work reflects a wider recognition that improving equity is essential to ensuring better outcomes across the sector, and that capital must flow more effectively to communities that have been historically underserved.
Find out more
Blended finance in action: what the latest data tells us
Our latest blog explores new Enterprise Level Data (ELD) and what it reveals about organisations supported through Access-funded programmes.
The analysis looks at how these organisations compare to the wider social investment market, providing insight into how blended finance can support different types of organisations and help broaden access to funding.
Understanding how capital is reaching or not reaching different parts of the sector remains a key part of ensuring that social investment continues to evolve in a way that works for all.
Read the blog here
Market development: helping to identify what the sector needs most
Access has launched a new consultation process for market development proposals that aim to benefit the wider social investment sector. Programme Officer, Rosie Neaman shares our thinking and sets out how the pilot consultation process will help us to better understand which proposals have the potential to benefit the wider market.
This approach aims to gather input from across the sector to help distinguish between ideas that are promising and those that are likely to have meaningful, system-wide impact. It reflects a commitment to more open and inclusive decision-making, particularly where funding is intended to benefit multiple organisations or the market as a whole.
We’re keen to hear from a wide range of organisations to help shape this work.
Learn more and share your views
SSE Social Investment Gateway Programme
A new programme led by the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) will deliver £2.2 million of funding and support to charities and social enterprises through the Social Investment Gateway Programme.
The programme will support around 75 organisations over the next two years, providing a combination of enterprise grants and capacity building support.
Find out more about the programme
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