Member Article

Key Fund shapes social investment landscape

Key Fund, Britain’s biggest regional Community Development Finance Institution, is expanding.

The North of England’s largest Social Enterprise investor is seeking a post graduate to undertake Policy Research. It’s part of its move to help reshape the social investment landscape, develop relationships with social impact investors and deliver financial products which meet the needs of the Social Economy.

The role will include monitoring government policy.

Sam Tarff, Chief Executive for Key Fund, said: “Our recent collaborations include: the Department for Communities and Local Government ERDF team, the Office for Civil Society within the Cabinet Office, the Big Lottery Fund, Creative United, The Arts Council for England, as well as innovative schemes with Local Councils and Community Foundations. We’re at the stage where we want to build on these and other relationships, not only to grow the social investment market but also to promote the valuable role social enterprises play in growing and rebalancing the economy, reforming the public sector, and promoting social justice.”

Sam added: “The potential funding gap for the community finance sector is estimated to be £1.3 - £2.1 billion annually and at the moment it’s only servicing £286m a year. The Key Fund is an organisation ideally placed for this potential and dramatic growth.”

Originally established in South Yorkshire in 1999 as a reaction to the downturn of the coal and steel industries, to date Key Fund has helped over 2,100 organisations and invested over £30m in the social enterprise sector.

Key Fund is itself a social economy success story. As a Social Enterprise itself, it understands the unique challenges of the sector.

Sam added: “We work in the gap where there is a cost to doing nothing – a cost to society, the Treasury, Tax payer, but more importantly, a cost to our communities. We’re committed to helping enterprises that generate social impact become the transformational movement of our age.”

With over a decade of expertise, Key Fund is working to influence and inform government policy for lasting social impact.

Sam said: “It’s exciting times. We’re working hard to be pro-active to ensure investment in the sector is used as effectively as possible. We are looking for a motivated individual with an interest in our area of work for this post”

Key Fund is seeking graduates in Social Policy, Economics, Politics or similar.

Contact Jane Austin on 0114 242 8909, email jane.austin@thekeyfund.co.uk for an application pack.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Cause UK .