Investing in Social Enterprise
Tel: 0845 140 1400
Absolutely first class support and advice from Key Fund. Superb back up, professional and friendly attitude... sets the standard
Keith Angel - Wavelength Arts CIC Ltd
Having the Key Fund in Yorkshire has helped address disadvantage and discrimination in a practical and lasting way.
Sam Keighley - ABL, Bradford
The Key Fund has been instrumental in our development. We started as one thing, but now we deliver many different services
Steven Mundin - Higher Rhythm
The Key fund has been instrumental in supporting the growth and development of our setting over the last 10 years
Carol Hill - Cawthorne Children's Centre
Without the Key Fund support, we'd be finished. They've handed us at least two 'get out of jail' cards. I can't praise them enough
Steve Palmer - Barnsley Community Build
High Growth Small Firms are key to job creation in North West
Latest Regional Labour Market Statistics show that although North West unemployment for the last quarter (8%) is slightly above the national average of 7.8%, that there has been a bigger quarterly decrease in the North West (0.5%) than anywhere else in Britain.
Dreams can come true - just watch out for those leaky roofs...
The story of communities mobilising local capital to take over local assets in the social enterprise sector is often an inspiring one, and there are countless examples of success over the years that the Key Fund hasplayed an integral role in.
Special Offer
***HOT OFF THE PRESS*** SPECIAL OFFER*** Key Fund is offering a time-limited EXCLUSIVE offer. The offer: A £10,000 grant will be awarded alongside a £20,000 loan. The one-off £10,000 grants are to commemorate the end of Key Fund’s 10 Years of Investing anniversary year. This offer is only available to established organisations. Only the FIRST 15 organisations to successfully apply will receive this limited offer.
Time is Running Out....
It's the final few months of our current Grant and Loan offer in Yorkshire and Humber. If you think investment from Key Fund could help your social business take root and grow then email us on info@thekeyfund.co.uk, call 0845 1401400 or visit our website www.thekeyfund.co.uk
East Midlands Wood Recycling
East Midlands Wood Recycling CIC is a Social Enterprise that has been set up to reclaim, reuse and recycle wood, providing good quality wood for sale to the public of Derby and beyond at an affordable price.
Ability Tec
Remploy Electronics was a factory in Bolton that assembled high quality and complex printed circuit boards on surface mounted equipment. Remploy offered sustainable employment for disabled people. Government cuts led to its closure in August 2012.
Key Fund Tender Invitation
To date, Key Fund has made investments of over £28 million to support more than 2,000 organisations. Our flexible investment fund comprises a mixture of investments to support the emergence, on going development and growth of social enterprises. Further information is available on our website: www.thekeyfund.co.uk.
And the top 10 are...
The Key Fund, Britains largest regional Community Development Finance Institution specialising in the social economy market, has announced Yorkshires Top Ten social enterprises. A social enterprise itself, the Key Fund is a market leader in innovation recognising the nature and environment within which social businesses operate - namely disadvantage and market failure.
SEYH 2012 Awards
Social Enterprise Yorkshire & the Humber are launching the annual search to find the regions most dynamic and innovative social enterprises. Entries for the Social Enterprise Yorkshire and the Humber Awards are open and close on the 9th November.
Arts Council Launch
Arts Council England launches Creative Industry Finance programme in Yorkshire and Humber region Applications open to small to medium sized enterprises within the cultural and creative industries Loans available of between £5,000 to £25,000
Charity Times Award
Key Fund are delighted to announce they have been shortlisted for the Charity Times Awards 2012. The winners will be announced on 18 October 2012 at the Awards Gala Dinner, which will be hosted this year by comedian Miles Jupp. To see the complete shortlist, please visit: http://www.charitytimes.com/awards/shortlist.php
Key Fund Shortlisted for Nectar Business Award
Key Fund is one of 6 small businesses have now been shortlisted in the Contribution to the Community category. These businesses have made outstanding commitments engaging with and servicing the communities they operate in. Because this category is all about communities and the people within them we want the public to decide the winner.
Non Executive Directors
Key Fund is seeking special individuals to join its Board of Directors. A member of the Community Development Finance Association, Key Fund invests around £4m annually of loans, equity and grants to developing, new and existing social enterprises across the north of England and is seeking to increase investment over the next two years to £6m annually.
Great news for New-Start and Early Stage Social Businesses in Yorkshire & the Humber
Our Grant & Loan product is now available to organisations located in the Yorkshire & Humber Region that have been trading for up to 5-years (previously 3 years) and we are now able to offer a changed minimum loan size to attract the maximum grant.
Are YOU Our Next CEO
iHR are engaged to recruit a permanent CEO for Key Fund who provide investments to Social Enterprises and whose offices are in Sheffield, South Yorkshire.
Shiloh Discover that Key Fund is About Much More than Money
Shiloh discover the Key Fund is about much more than money Shiloh is a Charity caring for those living in poverty, transition, oppression or are homeless in the centre of Rotherham. Around 60 people visit each day in need of food, warmth and a hot shower, wholly cared for by volunteers. The centre provides invaluable support for those in need, without work and who may be suffering mentally and physically.
The Fig Tree Helps Fair Trade Grow
The Key Fund supported the Fig Tree project with hybrid loan of £10,000 to cover essential construction to costs of converting the former Tourist Information office in Garstang, and creating the café and workshop room.
Key Fund Unlocks Moral Capitalism Vision
Cause UK news story about Doncaster Refurnish and the support they have had from Key Fund.
Funding Proves Key for Furniture Recycling Operation
Yorkshire Post feature Key Fund client Doncaster Refurnish.
Business, Babies and Bees benefit from new Eco-Community Centre in Bradford
Regeneration projects are rarely as innovative as the Inspire Bradford Business Park. After a successful bid for funding to replace premises which had previously been deemed unfit for purpose, Tony Holdich and his team set about creating a modern business and community centre to rejuvenate an area in Bradford in need of new life.
Eyes Open Helps Reveal a Hidden Crime
'Internal Trafficking' a crime hidden among many communities all over the UK is the impetus and motivation for Eyes Open Creative, a company developing educational resources to raise awareness about young girls who are 'groomed' for sex by exploitative young men.
Making Waves for the Future
Chapeltown Baths is a hub of the local community which has grown into a real success story. Threatened with closure in 1995, a community-led bid was developed by residents and users to take over the facility to develop it into the vibrant centre it is today.
Harnessing Water Power for a New Generation
Over 600 years of history is playing a key part in modern energy production in the community of Whalley in Lancashire. Close to a ruined Cistercian Abbey, the proposed site for a new hydro-electricity generating station takes water flowing directly from the weir which was built by monks in the 1380s.
Renewable Energy Flows Through Otterspool
Stockport Hydro Ltd is an Industrial & Provident Society created to develop and operate a community owned hydro-electric plant at Otterspool Weir, Stockport, the first community owned hydro scheme in the Greater Manchester area.
New Role for Discarded Office Furniture
A lifelong ambition to develop her own business led social entrepreneur Caroline Wherrit to act when she witnessed many large businesses discarding unwanted office furniture into skips for landfill. A background of working in the social sector meant that Caroline was aware of a perfect way to match unwanted furniture with a new home, extending its life and use, whilst simultaneously preventing increased landfill waste.
TREE: A Unique Source of Renewable Energy
Redundancy proved to be the beginning of a very fulfilling journey for energy engineer Chris Tremlett, when he created The Renewable Energy Experts (TREE), a social enterprise to provide a wide range of energy services to social housing projects and households experiencing fuel poverty and genuine hardship.
Changing Lives in Cheshire
2011 began a new era for the Directors of Changing Lives in Cheshire as a business re-structure brought much change and opportunity. After more than ten years of operating a much-valued furniture re-use programme under a different guise in Winsford; Changing Lives in Cheshire was launched as a new charity, opening several doors to new contracts.
Behind Closed Doors - Grand Opening
Congratulations to charity clients Behind Closed Doors on the opening of their new fashion store in Skipton. Birdcage is a community interest company created as the trading arm of the charity that helps victims of domestic violence.
Directors Wanted
Under the Stars is looking for Directors their social enterprise Star Enterprise Work and Play. It's a voluntary role, but its a great opportunity to join a lively well established board of directors.
Saving Portland Works
We want to preserve and expand a community of small-scale manufacturing and creative businesses, through buying, renovating and managing as a community-owned social enterprise a historic industrial building threatened with redevelopment.
Revive Rescues Items from the Rubbish Heap
Revive shows just how much impact can be made through raising awareness and changing attitudes towards house-hold waste re-use and making it easier for people to get involved. The new concept re-use shop at a Leeds Household Waste Site is the first purpose built outlet of its kind in the UK and aims to significantly minimise household waste going to landfill in Leeds, as well as raising funds for charity.
Sedburgh Arts and Heritage Centre
The Farfield Arts and Heritage Centre near Sedbergh is already a fine example of a successful, growing Social Enterprise and its latest development is to construct a hydro-electric power source of its own.
Soccer City Indoor Cricket
Sport helps bring communities together, through participation in team games and audience support, and there can be fewer fine examples of this than SoccerCity Leeds: a vision designed to provide access to sports resources and coaching for people of all ages, abilities, backgrounds and genders.
£3 million in New Monies
The Key Fund is delighted to announce that we have secured £3 million from the European Regional Development Fund. Key Fund are matching a further £3million to create a fund of £6 million new monies for social enterprises, available to support small and medium sized businesses in Yorkshire and the Humber.
Lyvennet Community Pub
The Key Fund has played a vital part in helping to re-invigorate a Cumbrian Community. The closure of their village pub "The Butchers Arms" in 2010 left a huge gap in the social infrastructure of Crosby Ravensworth.
Rotherham Community Transport
Wheels in Motion for growth at Rotherham Community Transport.
OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS THE KEY FUND HAS:
10 Years of Investing Video...
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