2024 is flashing by before our eyes and the first half of the year has proved extremely busy – here’s an update on the latest Kindred news and projects.
This spring included the reopening of our money in April – £1m is available for Liverpool City Region-based socially-trading organisations. High demand saw us pause applications for money in mid-July, while we make sure each STO gets the appropriate support and care. It’s due to reopen this autumn, so keep an eye out for more details.
We’re also busy in St Helens, too, as our place-based work continues across the region. We’re working with St Helens Council to incubate social businesses, focusing on a first social cluster hub in the town. This will bring STOs together to collaborate and support each other in a block of connected buildings and outdoor spaces.
A similar cluster in Birkenhead has established itself since our early pre-Kindred pilot work there in 2016, and we’re formalising this with a working relationship with a local registered social landlord. In Knowsley, too, we’re making the case for a ‘Creativity and Care Economy’, with place-based workshops to support a growing cohort of women-led social businesses, following our Women in the Know programme last autumn.
Reinforcing this rich seam of our work, we joined our partners Capacity to present ‘Liverpool City Region in the Limelight’ in May at the Connect Fund’s ‘What Next’ Conference, to around 120 social investors and funders.
Work is also continuing on the Liverpool City Region Social Investment Pathfinder, where Kindred is one of eight partners. The Pathfinder will include:
- 0% concessionary fund
- Follow on commercial funds
- Community Assets/ Property
- A BlaST led fund (Pathway – see below)
- Public Service Innovation
- STO support
The BlaST network, which Kindred incubates, has partnered with Innervision, becoming one of just three Black-led teams nationally to secure a place on the Pathway Fund’s Pathways programme, supporting each team to raise £10m for investment in Black business. This programme sits within the Pathfinder, but with clear Black leadership.
And, of course, we continue to support social businesses across the region, as part of the UKSPF programme. Alongside partners Capacity and School for Social Entrepreneurs Northwest, we’re tackling a range of outcomes, from jobs created and the number of businesses supported to business growth, STO cluster growth, STO social innovations, public service innovations, membership and social movement growth, BlaST programme growth, development of property work, the pathfinder and development of a social impact framework for LCR.
As part of that programme, School for Social Entrepreneurs completed its ‘Maturing Markets’ trade up programme recruitment this quarter, supporting social organisations to develop their trading income; Capacity, meanwhile, focuses on the high growth end of the STO spectrum, creating a seamless, coordinated and thriving ecosystem of support across Liverpool City Region.
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