Unity Trust Bank reports record £1 billion social impact lending

Unity Trust Bank, which supports organisations to deliver positive social impact around the UK, has reported a record level of lending in its annual results for 2023. Exceeding £1 billion for the first time in its 40-year history, almost half of Unity’s financing last year (45.3%) went into areas of high deprivation.

Research shows donations to the homeless reach a new low

Find out about social enterprise Beam’s 131,370 Reasons to Act Now campaign to help support individuals and families experiencing homelessness to find safe and stable homes. Only 4% of Brits gave money to the homeless in 2023, according to the latest research by Beam, the social impact start-up supporting homeless people and refugees. Rates of … Continued

Can social enterprise revitalise purpose?

By June O’Sullivan, CEO of London Early Years Foundation I have a vested interest in reviewing this book Vitalising Purpose: The Power of the Social Enterprise Difference in Public Services as I wrote a chapter! But really, I was interested to read the 17 essays from people who are running social enterprises or supporting them … Continued

Saluting our sisters: Black women talk social enterprise 

Social enterprises, by their very nature, have social change embedded into their mission statement. This presents a clear opportunity to address issues of racial, cultural and professional inequality through the lens of business.  We spoke to Black women inspiring change through their purpose-led approach, highlighting this Black History Month’s apt theme “saluting our sisters”.  Soul … Continued