Millions of families and businesses cannot access fair and affordable financial services. This results in families turning to high cost credit and often getting trapped into spirals debt. Businesses are unable to set up and grow, hampering economic growth.
Community financial service providers, such as responsible finance providers, Credit Unions and Social Finance Funds are filling this gap in supply. But more action is needed to support these organisations to expand and develop so they can meet the needs of families and businesses across the UK.
The Community Investment Coalition is a partnership of national organisations, campaigning to increase access to affordable finance for all communities.
CIC campaigns for:
- Increased transparency and public accountability of financial service providers to support consumer choice and allow effective intervention in under-served markets.
- Increasing diversity of providers and choice for consumers in the financial services sector, with more providers offering a wider range of fair and affordable products.
- More innovation in the financial services sector so that affordable financial products are delivered accessibly to all communities.
Our mission is to promote access to affordable finance for families, businesses and communities.
We do this by:
- collecting and sharing evidence and knowledge through research, conferences and dialogue;
- campaigning for a regulatory system which helps not hinders community investment;
- speaking with a unified voice on issues facing the sector;
- building the capacity of the Community Investment Sector through infrastructure and collaboration.
What is community investment?
Community Investment means providing credit and other financial services to families, businesses and other organisations who are not adequately served by the high street banks.
The coalition is a led by a partnership of:
Download CIC’s information leaflet or take a look around the CIC pages here to learn more.
The Community Investment Coalition is funded by contributions from its coalition partners and charitable donations. It has received funding from the Lankelly Chase Foundation and the Barrow Cadbury Trust.
