It’s all go, go ,go!
It’s a conundrum of the world that I work in that nothing much happens for months at a time, then everything happens at once, with deadlines flying about in all directions. It is like that at the moment: there are loads of things going on all at once. The good news is that they are positive and exciting and the result of the consistent lobbying we have been doing since the launch of our Money for Change campaign at the House of Commons last year.
Last week, an entrepreneur financed by a CDFI won the prestigious Barclays Trading Places Award: a national award recognising the achievements of entrepreneurs who have overcome major barriers to build their businesses. Richard Cartwright of Newcastle Books was homeless for 10 years; before and during this time, he saw an opportunity to sell second hand books online. He built a computer, accessed a loan from a CDFI and the rest is history: you can see his story here. Congratulations to Richard and his well deserved award, we wish him every success in the future. His story is a real testament to what CDFIs do and why they do it.
This week, the cdfa and members were invited by the Policy Unit at Number 10 Downing Street to discuss their work and how they are delivering the Big Society agenda and how they can further help the government with creating jobs and grow SMEs. It was a constructive and helpful meeting which laid the ground for CDFIs harnessing the opportunities created by the government. Great news!
Next week, we launch Inside Out, our state of the sector report. It is packed with information on trends, issues, funding sources, performance and markets. It’s a must for everyone interested in financing people, businesses, charities and social enterprises that can’t access bank finance. It will take place at 2pm on 13th December at HSBC in Canary Wharf. You are invited to
come along and bring any colleagues who would be interested. Please book your free place at [email protected] See you there!
Bernie Morgan
Chief Executive, cdfa