Social investment has been on a long and involved journey with the pace of adoption having gained traction in recent years. For Access, a lasting legacy for social investment is part of their reason for being. When they cease to exist in 5 years’ time, Access hopes for a future in which social investment is part of the ‘norm’ for investment by organisations and individuals. 

In this discussion an expert panel covers their perspectives on social investment: why it has been so successful and how to ensure it continues to be so in the years ahead. 

The guests featured in this podcast are:
•Rt Hon Nick Hurd – Chair of the Board of Trustees at Access - The Foundation or Social Investment 
•Vidhya Alakeson – CEO at Power 2 Change 
•Sara Llewellin – CEO at The Barrow Cadbury Trust 
•Anna Shiel – Head of Origination at Big Society Capital 

Since the beginning, Access have had an ethical and targeted approach to their own investments, ensuring that they invest only in that which mirrors their own objectives. Not only does this approach allow consistency in delivery, with Access walking the talk in every sense, but it has also brought about positive financial returns. In this podcast we explore how other organisations have taken a similar approach to their investment portfolio and why Total Impact doesn’t only make ethical sense, but financial sense too. 

Our capacity building programme is funded by a £60m endowment we were given by the Cabinet Office in 2015, but rather than holding these funds in the bank before they are given in grants in the later years of Access’s life, they are used to make investments that will achieve as much social impact as possible, before being repaid and then used to make grants. This process is called total impact. 

The guests featured in this podcast 
•Martin Rich - Senior Independent Trustee and Chair of the Endowment Investment Committee
•Danielle Walker - Palmour – Director - Friends Provident Foundation
•Bryn Jones - Head of Fixed Income - Rathbones

Over the last 5 years Access has found by listening carefully to charities and social enterprises and targeting subsidy according to their needs they see additional benefits beyond those initially designed for. This podcast explores how this enhanced approach to programme design can really help make a positive difference in results and how other organisations could follow suit.   

The guests featured in this podcast :

•        Neil Berry – Access Foundation for Social Investment 

•        Deborah Smart – Director of Grant Programmes for SIB (Social Investment Business) 

•        Aimee Dorsett-Browne – Social Enterprise Development Manager at Equally Ours (previously the Equality and Diversity Forum)

There is a growing requirement for the charity and social enterprise sector to support a wide range of societal issues and a real opportunity for the sector to become more enterprising by generating more income so it can achieve more. 

This episode explores the nature and benefits of blended finance, based on Access’ learning that capital without blend will fail to meet the needs of many charities and social enterprises. This in-depth discussion explores the concept of what the ‘perfect blend’ might be and how to achieve it, providing inspirational examples and case studies along the way. 

Guests featured in this podcast:

·        Seb Elsworth – CEO for Access – The Foundation for Social Investment 

·        Mathu Jeyaloganathan – Head of Investments at UnLtd

·        Andrew Wade – Housing Development and Funding Manager at Yes Brixham, (Youth Enquiry Service) 

Access has been working since 2015 to help charities and social enterprises to become more resilient, something that continues to be a top priority today in terms of mission and measurement. This podcast explores how and why financial resilience is so important and how it can better be achieved. 

Resilience can be broadly defined, but our focus is on financial resilience. That means our work is designed to assist the sector in adapting and developing new ways of earning income, through a range of enterprise models, and accessing the finance they need to be able to do this, in order for them achieve their existing goals and thrive as they develop new ones.

Guests featured in this podcast 
•Sarah Colston – Director of Learning at Access – The Foundation for Social Investment 
•Jaishree Mistry - Head of Grants and Investments at Homeless Link 
•Rob Williamson – CEO of The Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland, and an Access Trustee