20th May 2024: New figures reveal 14% jump to £287m lent to under-served businesses, social enterprises and households in 2023, creating 6,571 jobs and 3,829 enterprises and saving people £29m in interest. The UK’s not-for-profit, ‘community development’… Continue reading
News
New £62m fund for small business lending is backed by Lloyds Bank in milestone for CDFI sector
4th March 2024: Lloyds Bank is the lead investor in the new, £62m Community Investment Enterprise Fund (CIEF), launched to help small businesses across England and Wales access finance to support local jobs and economic activity. CIEF… Continue reading
Podcast: Financing social enterprises and the local multiplier effect with Resonance and Raised In
Katalin Juhasz and Ollie Pollard join us today to show how impact alignment between investors and social enterprises makes a difference to communities and businesses – plus what traditional city institutions can learn from social investors.… Continue reading
Better and cheaper than expensive loans or illegal money lenders, what are community lenders?
When the unexpected happens and we need a little bit to tide us over, community lenders put your wellbeing first. Getting a loan isn’t always easy – especially if it’s only for a small amount, or… Continue reading
Tender for an Evaluation of First Loss Funding to CDFIs
23 October 2023: Responsible Finance has received funding from City Bridge Foundation to pilot a London-based risk cover or “first loss” fund pilot with three consumer-lending community development finance institutions (CDFIs). Three participating CDFIs (Fair Finance,… Continue reading
More Londoners to avoid high-cost lenders thanks to support for community lenders
16 October 2023: More than 10,000 Londoners will be able to avoid high-cost credit or illegal lenders, and save hundreds of pounds in interest on vital small loans, thanks to new funding from City Bridge Foundation.… Continue reading
2023 Member Day – Workshops and Speakers
Our 2023 Member Day is for everyone working in community development finance to learn, share best practice, and find new ways to boost access to finance for people, businesses and social enterprises. It has been designed… Continue reading
Seven proposals to boost SME finance sent to Treasury Select Committee
Responsible Finance has set out seven proposals to boost the availability of finance for fundable but under-served small businesses and break down barriers to economic growth. Our submission to the Treasury Select Committee’s Inquiry on SME… Continue reading
Podcast: Proving the impact of air quality interventions and low emission zones with data detective Kate Barnard
Low emission zones (LEZs and ULEZs) became a political battleground just after recording this new interview with Kate Barnard, founder and CEO of Enjoy The Air. But what does the public think? Can we prove the… Continue reading
Fair banking, good credit and collaboration: Niall Alexander, Fair4All Finance
An agreement brokered by a disadvantaged community with a mainstream bank two decades ago offers valuable insights to address financial exclusion today. Niall Alexander, a community worker “by trade” says the “groundswell” in addressing unfairness and… Continue reading