The founder of a Pontypridd charity which has supported hundreds of want-to-be entrepreneurs into self-employment has been named one of the most awe-inspiring women from across the UK. Karen Davies, chief executive of Pontypridd charity and… Continue reading
Archives for 2020
Year: 2020
Purple Shoots’ Karen one of UK’s most awe-inspiring business leaders
Karen Davies, CEO of Purple Shoots, is one of three inspirational and successful female social enterprise founders in the running for the Gaia Award in the NatWest everywoman Awards Continue reading
Responsible Finance Responds to BBB report ‘Alone Together: Entrepreneurship and Diversity in the UK’
Responsible Finance responds to new report from the British Business Bank and Oliver Wyman, Alone Together: Entrepreneurship and Diversity in the UK. “The Alone Together report into Entrepreneurship and diversity in the UK demonstrates that access to… Continue reading
Impact Investing and Responsible Finance – Opportunities and Addressing Challenges
How can community development finance institutions – locally based finance providers lending to businesses, social enterprises and people who cannot access mainstream finance – engage with impact investors operating at scale? Sarah Gordon, Chief Executive of The Impact Investing Institute, and Ed Siegel, Chief Executive of Charity Bank, discussed opportunites, perceptions and myth-busting in our webinar. Read more here with access to the video too. Continue reading
The i newspaper
Today’s i newspaper highlighted community development finance institutions, “social enterprises which provide credit to those who find it hard to access finance from mainstream lenders.” The article drew on data in our annual report – our… Continue reading
Post CBILS Guarantee: The Government Should Act Now to Ensure Businesses can Access Finance After 30 November
Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs) have been working tirelessly to support SMEs whose businesses have been disrupted by the COVID-19 outbreak. In April they stepped up their lending by 250% compared to the same period in… Continue reading
Levelling Up Our Communities: Response to Danny Kruger MP’s Report
‘To build back better’ we need a new economic and social model to replace the one that preceded the crisis. Because before the crisis hit, our communities were in trouble.’ Responsible Finance welcomes Danny Kruger MP’s… Continue reading
Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme Update – 30th August
As of 30th August 2020, CDFIs have approved £38.9 million of CBILS-backed loans for 518 small businesses and microenterprises.
Turning £30m into £89m for under-served businesses, CDFIs can help Build Back Better
The RF Fund was established in 2012 with two key objectives: to capitalise community development finance institutions (CDFIs) so they could lever further investment and scale up their economic and social impact; and to grow and support private-sector jobs and economic prosperity in places dependent on the public sector following the 2008 financial crisis. This Impact Report demonstrates it has achieved both objectives and exceeded the Government’s ambitious targets for businesses and jobs supported, while also unlocking millions of pounds of further private capital. Continue reading
Leicester Mercury / Leicestershire Live: recording studio boss Yasin is best in Britain
There’s a super profile of Yasin El Ashrafi, founder of a recording studio and music education business who was expelled from school at 15, spent 9 years “getting high” then turned his life around and launched… Continue reading