Small Change specialises in bridging the two worlds of charities, voluntary sector and community organisations on the one hand and financial services and management on the other, through social investment and social finance experience and expertise.

Specialities: Social investment policy and practice,  social enterprise start-up, financial exclusion, third sector financial analysis, social impact research, third sector evaluation, community-based economic development.

Director, Small Change & trustee @ UK Community Foundations, RBS Social and Community Capital & Community Foundation NI

Social investment consultancy.
I was delighted to work with The Good Economy (Sarah Forster) on a commission from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation to help align its social investment activities more directly with its strategic outcomes:
* How can JRF align SI activity with their outcome areas?
* How do they prioritise investment opportunity; weighing up the opportunities for mass provision against focusing on high social need?
* Can they capitalise on JRF’s leadership position on anti-poverty research and campaigning to convene other social investors around particular issues and opportunities.

I have been working the Local Trust since 2011, providing advice and support on social investment and local economics in 150 Big Local areas across England. This includes developing and managing innovative direct investments into credit unions, social enterprises and voluntary organisations on behalf of Big Local partnerships.

I was Expert Advisor to Barclays UK Community Investment on their Credit Union Support Programme 2014 – 2019.

Margaret Bolton and I have developed a capitalisation programme for Arts & Business NI, gaining support from the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Foyle Foundation.

I worked with Leila Baker of IVAR on a learning review of The Foundry, Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice, the largest social investment by charitable trusts in the UK.

I’ve worked with charitable trusts and foundations, running workshops for the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fund and Lloyds TSB Foundation Northern Ireland. I developed the Change Matters performance framework for CDFI’s in the UK, on behalf of the CDFA, now Responsible Finance.
Other clients include the Charity Commission for England and Wales (see IVAR below), SEEDA, Experian, DWP, HM Treasury Financial Inclusion Taskforce, European Microfinance Network, Deutsche Bank.