Social Investment for Energy Resilience

Social investment for energy resilience

Towards the end of 2022, we asked our users some questions about energy resilience, and more than 80% expressed interest in exploring measures to reduce organisational energy bills. We want to ensure we provide as much support as possible to those that might want to use social investment to fund such measures.

Enter the Energy Resilience Hub....

Charities, Social Enterprises, and Community Organisations are tackling some of the most complex issues in the UK. Amidst a landscape of crippling increases to energy bills and ever-decreasing financial support for social sector organisations, we wanted to provide more information on how organisations can support and develop their energy resilience with social investment. 

From understanding the basics of social investment and how it works in relation to energy resilience to quick and easy connections to social investors that can help, this hub is designed to help your organisation, wherever it is on the social investment journey.

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Windmill
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Woman installing energy saving measures

Introducing the Procurement Pathway for Energy Retrofit!

Designed to empower social enterprises and charities in making informed decisions when selecting providers for retrofitting energy efficiency measures using social investment. 

Packed full of materials and guidance designed to help you navigate the energy retrofitting process from start to finish, this tool explores… 

-    How get started with energy retrofitting
-    Comprehensive guides to seven key energy saving measures 
-    How to choose the right installer 
-    Certified advice providers that can help

…and much more! 

Câr-Y-Môr

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Car Y Mor

A community owned business using regenerative ocean farming, food security and sustainable job creation to improve both the coastal environment and the well-being of the local community.

Duration
12 Months
Cost of capital
7.9%
Turnover
£783
Investor Details
Social Investment Cymru
Amount invested
£425,000
Product type
Unsecured loan (incl. overdrafts)

The Energy Training Academy

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Image of 2 storey white building with black sign and white lettering reading The Energy Training Academy

The Energy Training Academy (ETA) is a community interest company that specialises in providing high-quality training and education in the gas and renewables industry. ETA works with young people, veterans, and those from disadvantaged backgrounds to ensure they gain valuable skills for the green energy transition.

Duration
c.10 years
Cost of capital
1.27x to 1.5x amount invested
Turnover
n/a - Start-up
Investor Details
Firstport
Amount invested
£300,000
Product type
Quasi-equity

Empower Community Foundation

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Empower Community Foundation

Empower Community is a social enterprise that balances the interests of all stakeholders by developing projects that benefit all participants while providing high-quality, risk-mitigated investment opportunities.

Duration
16 years
Cost of capital
4.25% (2022) and 6.5% (2023)
Turnover
£4.4m
Investor Details
Triodos Bank - Corporate Finance team
Amount invested
£2.35m (2022) and £2m (2023)
Year of Investment
2023
Product type
Crowd-funded investment

Ambition Community Energy

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Win Turbine courtesy of Ambition Lawrence Weston / The Landmark Practice

Ambition Community Energy (ACE), is a Bristol-based social enterprise generating clean, affordable energy, run by the people of Lawrence Weston. 

Duration
3-5 years (depending on tranche)
Cost of capital
5%
Turnover
Nil
Investor Details
BBRC
Amount invested
£750,000 (+ £150,000 from Power to Change)
Product type
Unsecured loan (incl. overdrafts)
Secured loan

Hemlington Lake Recreation Centre

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Hemlington Lake Recreation Centre

Tees Valley Community Asset Preservation Trust is a registered charity (CIO) which was established in 2015 in response to local government spending cuts. Its principle aim is to save community centres, sports facilities and village halls from closure by stepping in to offer free advice and support to organisations who feared losing their buildings due to funding cuts.

 

Duration
7 years
Cost of capital
6.5%
Turnover
£126,000
Investor Details
Key Fund
Amount invested
£35,600
Product type
Blended – part grant, part loan

Trees for Life

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Volunteer at Trees for Life, replanting

Trees for Life is home to the first (known) rewilding centre in the UK and their vision is of a revitalised wild forest in the Highlands of Scotland, providing space for wildlife to flourish and communities to thrive.

Duration
9 years
Cost of capital
6%
Turnover
£3,030,847 - for year ending 31/01/21, which is the latest available figure. Note that capital wa
Amount invested
£2 million
Product type
Crowd-funded investment

Media Centre - Latest News, Views and Updates from Good Finance

Blog
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Person sharing feedback about their experiences
Investee Insight: share your thoughts and experiences with us to help improve the social investment process!
Here at Good Finance, we’re proud to play our part in helping organisations to navigate the social investment process through tools, information, resources and connections – one acronym at a time!   
Blog
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3 women amongst a group of people seated smiling
5 reasons why you should attend Good Finance Live
Taking time out from your busy schedule to attend an event can be challenging – but worth it!
Gaining insights from a diverse range of experts, meeting peers and building relationships is invaluable to supporting your organisation.
Good Finance Live is a one-day, hybrid event brought to you by Good Finance in partnership with Access: The Foundation for Social Investment, Better Society Capital and Pathway Fund . The theme of the event is ‘Building Knowledge and Partnerships for Social Investment’ through interactive panels, Q&As and networking opportunities.
Social enterprise and charity leaders who are actively exploring social investment for their organisation are invited to attend in person and the event is open to all online.
Digital Marketing Apprentice Lordia Owusua-Frimpong shares just 5 of the top reasons to attend Good Finance Live!
 
Blog
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A business professional in a suit is seated at a desk, holding documents. In the foreground, stacks of coins gradually increase in height, with each stack featuring a small tree growing on top. A calculator, glasses, and a cup of coffee are also visible on the desk.
Social Investment vs Traditional Investment: 3 Key Advantages You Need to Know
Why should you consider social investment? What are the advantages? And what is ‘traditional’ investment? In this blog, I’ll be exploring all these questions and more, sharing insights from my first four months of navigating the world of social investment, a challenging but rewarding journey. 

Looking for Social Investment?

We've made it easier for you to search for investors that are actively investing in the field of Energy Resilience with our Fundmapper tool! 

Use the filters to select 'Energy Resilience' to show social investors that have recently invested to help organisations to build their energy resilience. 

Each investor will have a case study example of how they supported a charity, social enterprise or community organisation with their green initiatives.

Start your search today!

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Woman thinking about energy resilience social investors

Let's Talk Good Finance: Energy Resilience

In this event, brought to you in collaboration with Good Finance and Social Enterprise UK, we'll explore how different organisations have taken on different types of social investment to build resilience and scale their impact.  

With a focus on 'energy resilience', you'll hear directly from leaders who have used social investment to implement sustainable energy sources, scale renewable energy provision or support other organisations in managing rising energy costs.

By watching this session, you'll gain an understanding of some of the different types of social investment available, and hear directly from people who have gone through the process for their own organisations.

They'll share insights into the challenges, opportunities and impact social investment has delivered, plus their top tips for other leaders.