The funding, together with \u00a31 million from independent trust Power to Change, will establish Kindred as a social investment vehicle that aims to support the growth of the social economy in the Liverpool City Region.<\/p>\n
Socially trading organisations <\/b>\u2013 sometimes known as \u2018community businesses\u2019 – <\/b>are those companies that set out to deliver social benefits by trading commercially. They do not include more traditional charities who rely solely on donations or grant income, or those organisations who export profits from a locality.<\/p>\n
The sector employs 50,000 people, one in ten of the city region\u2019s workforce, with 1300 socially trading organisations generating \u00a32.9 billion per year for the city region economy.<\/p>\n
It is a particular strength of the city region and Building Back Better<\/b>, the economic recovery plan for the city region, clearly identifies that it has a clear and important role to play in generating growth while also helping to achieve a fairer and more inclusive economy.<\/p>\n
Since October 2019, the Combined Authority has been working with a founding team, including independent trust Power to Change, to develop Kindred as a new investment and development vehicle, owned and run by the sector, that will provide business support and funding to community businesses.<\/p>\n
After consulting with more than 150 socially trading organisations, Kindred was created earlier this year, and will be developed by and owned by the sector.<\/p>\n
And throughout the pandemic, Kindred has provided tailored, peer-to-peer business support for around 200 socially trading organisations across the city region, as the Combined Authority and Power to Change fast-tracked plans due to launch in the Autumn.<\/p>\n
Speaking about the funding, Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram said: \u201cOur region\u2019s social businesses are the often underappreciated engines of our economy, delivering economic and social value worth almost \u00a33bn every year.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur recovery has to be built from the bottom up \u2013 as a Combined Authority we can act as an enabler, but we do not have the monopoly on good ideas. Because of devolution, we are able to work alongside our socially trading sector to understand their needs and challenges and have been able to tailor our response around that.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe result is Kindred. Owned and managed by the sector, it will offer social investment and peer-to-peer support for other community businesses, with the aim of generating good growth whose benefit is felt most by the people at the heart of their communities.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe pandemic showed everyone how vital the socially trading sector is \u2013 we are determined to protect and grow it as part of our economic recovery plans. We cannot Build Back Better without building with our socially trading sector.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vidhya Alakeson CEO of Power to Change, strategic partner and co-investor in Kindred, said: \u201cKindred is a bold, innovative initiative that puts a vibrant social economy at the heart of the City Region\u2019s economic plan. Community businesses and other socially trading organisations are not a nice to have, they are an important contributor to a more inclusive economic recovery. By investing in Kindred, Liverpool City Region is spearheading a new approach that has the potential to reinvent local economic strategies across the country.\u201d<\/p>\n
Erika Rushton, Creative Economist, has been commissioned to deliver the set up and delivery of Kindred.\u00a0\u201cApproval for Kindred couldn\u2019t\u00a0have come at a better time, or a worse time,\u201d she says. \u201cDespite\u00a0improving\u00a0prosperity in the city region, the pandemic highlighted just how fragile our economy was and how reliant we had become on large organisations and long supply chains that couldn’t, or didn’t, respond to our everyday needs.<\/p>\n
“Socially-trading organisations stepped in and stepped up. Collectively they now offer Liverpool City Region the means of finding new purpose for redundant buildings, new roles for unemployed people, of reinvigorating our high streets and harnessing the inherent social entrepreneurialism that flows throughout the city region\u2019s heritage to deliver a kinder and more inclusive economy.<\/p>\n
\u201cKindred was designed by, is collectively\u00a0owned by, and will invest and reinvest in socially-trading organisations in the Liverpool City Region. I look forward to the day when Kindred and social trading is the norm.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ends<\/strong><\/p>\n Notes to editors<\/strong><\/p>\n Building Back Better includes further plans to support the city region\u2019s socially trading organisations through Kindred, which is a new approach as a locally-owned investment and support vehicle that will:<\/p>\n \u2022 Ensure appropriate funding is available to STOs at different stages in their life cycle;<\/p>\n \u2022 Deliver campaigns to initiate and grow peer networks to encourage and help STOs to grow;<\/p>\n \u2022 Enable and improve community asset transfers between the public and STO sectors.<\/p>\n About Power to Change<\/strong><\/p>\n Power to Change is the independent trust that supports community businesses in England.<\/p>\n Community businesses are locally rooted, community-led, trade for community benefit and make life better for local people. The sector owns assets worth \u00a3890m, and comprises 9,000 community businesses across England who employ 33,600 people. (Source: Community Business Market 2019)<\/p>\n From pubs to libraries; shops to bakeries; swimming pools to solar farms; community businesses are creating great products and services, providing employment and training and transforming lives. Power to Change received its endowment from the National Lottery Community Fund in 2015.<\/p>\n www.powertochange.org.uk @peoplesbiz<\/p>\n