UK-based literary charity receives £45K in funding from Big Issue Invest

The Arkbound Foundation, a charity focused on widening access to literature and improving diversity within publishing, have received £45,000 in funding from Big Issue Invest, the investment arm of The Big Issue. The Arkbound Foundation is a UK-based charity with offices in Bristol and Glasgow. Founded in 2017, The Arkbound Foundation is the only independent charity in the UK that is concerned with improving accessibility and diversity within both publishing and journalism. The organisation runs projects that empower people from disadvantaged backgrounds and deprived communities to get their voices heard,…

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Major investors come on board to tackle inequality through Growth Impact Fund

Bank of America and Access – the Foundation for Social Investment have come on board as major backers of the upcoming Growth Impact Fund, a potential £25M social investment fund being developed by UnLtd, Big Issue Invest and Shift. The potential fund, which will only be available to professional investors, aims to tackle inequality and promote racial justice by being built around the needs of entrepreneurs historically locked out of social investment, as highlighted by the recent Adebowale Commission on Social Investment. The potential fund will offer flexible and patient…

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Big Issue Invest investment cements Village Underground as East London’s leading live music venue owner-operator

Big Issue Invest (BII) has committed to a significant new investment in VU X Earth Limited (“VU”), a social enterprise, and owner of the Village Underground and EartH Hackney live performance venues in London. The growth funding for planned capital expenditure will allow improvements to the EartH performance venues and additional refurbishment to be undertaken so that the business can establish the training workspace needed to train young people entering the industry. The funding will allow Village Underground and EartH to extend their reach to young talent through creative development…

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Big Issue Invest’s Power Up Scotland announces the eight social ventures chosen to receive £500,000 of investment

On Friday 29th October, Big Issue Invest (BII) announced the eight social ventures which have been chosen to receive support from the Big Issue Invest’s Power Up Scotland scheme.   Power Up Scotland is a lending scheme that offers investment, advice and support to early stage social ventures across Scotland. This year the scheme has been able to offer £500,000 worth of investment in total.   The eight social ventures which will receive support from the Big Issue Invest scheme are: Ayrshire Women’s Hub, Bikes For Refugees, Brave Strong Beautiful, Coffee + Clay, Common Ground Against Homelessness, Lochend Football Academy, MyPickle and Wee Seeds.   Big Issue Invest’s Power Up programme, launched in 2017, was opened to organisations across Scotland from July to September this year. The funding scheme aims to enable…

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Big Issue Invest Powers Up Scottish social ventures with £500,000 of investment

Applications for a lending scheme offering investment and support to 12 social enterprises with £500,000 worth of investment, will open for early-stage social ventures across Scotland have now opened. Big Issue Invest’s Power Up Scotland programme was first launched in November 2017 and has supported 19 social business to date with a total of close to £500,000. The programme is funded by partners, abrdn, University of Edinburgh, Experian, Places for People and the Scottish Government with legal support from Brodies LLP. Social Stories Club was one of the 19 social…

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