The Diversity Forum

On 15th October 2025, the Government issued a Policy Direction confirming an allocation of £87.5 million of Dormant Assets to Access - The Foundation for Social Investment to grow social investment in underserved places and communities. This includes £12 million of scale-up funding for Pathway Fund in line with the aspirations set out in the Community Enterprise Growth Plan (CEGP). This is a landmark moment that enables us to move forward with our plans to deploy this vital capital to Black and Ethnically Minoritised (BEM) communities and turn the vision outlined in our upcoming 2026-2029 strategy into a reality. This confirmation enables us to establish a sound architecture for long-term racial equity, as the UK’s first BEM-led social investment wholesaler. Our Immediate Next Steps: 1. Regional follow-ups: We will update our regional listening event partners before publishing our regional insights syntheses later this month. 2. Formal strategy launch: We will host a hybrid launch event for our new strategy on 11th November 2025 to share our organisational strategy, vision and deployment plans with partners, funders, and communities. 3. Preparation and launch of call for applications: We are preparing for our first funding call, the call for applications for Wave 1 programmes will open in Q1 2026, following the signing of formal grant agreements. This is a pivotal moment in our mission to build a more equitable economic future. The confirmation of this funding allows us to move from strategy to implementation, working alongside our partners and communities to unlock the vast potential within BEM-led enterprises across the country. We look forward to building a social investment ecosystem that is truly inclusive, catalysing community wealth and driving systemic change for generations to come. Join us in making this vision a reality. If you have any questions, please reach out to us at [email protected]. #SocialInvestment #BlendedFinance #SocialEnterprise #CommunityEnterpriseGrowthPlan #DormantAssets

UnLtd is delighted to be recruiting new members of our Finance Risk and Audit Committee (FRAC). This crucial committee ensures we use our resources to best effect for social entrepreneurs, balancing risk and opportunity while being financially rigorous and fulfilling our values of being brave, inclusive and accountable. The committee is led by FRAC Chair James Endean. We're keen to welcome a new co-optee to complement the team with #socialentrepreneur and #livedexperience perspectives. These are voluntary roles.   This is an exciting time for UnLtd, as we look to progress even further with and for #socialentrepreneurs to create a fairer, better, more inclusive UK and impact economy.   Do get in touch with us at [email protected] by close of play on 14th November 2025 (we'll then let you know next steps etc). The role spec is below. Please include a CV or link to your Linkedin profile + a short statement explaining why the position is of interest, why you think you would be a great member of the committee, and what you would hope to learn and gain from joining us. A few months ago we ran a similar process to find outstanding leaders for our Investment Committee and had an incredible trio join: Anuradha Shetty Cecil Adjalo and Mathu Jeyaloganathan 

Too complicated, too niche, doesn’t deliver impact and the sector doesn’t want it.   Those were some of the prompts rehearsed by the Enterprise Grants Taskforce yesterday afternoon (hosted by School for Social Entrepreneurs). Our job was to counter negative perceptions of enterprise grant making held by sceptical funders and foundations.   With clear narrative, evidence, examples, and plenty of data (not to mention a good dose of humour) members of the taskforce debunked them all!   Most organisations in our sector are already trading, and many want to do more. Earning income promotes resilience, independence and empowerment - increasingly priorities for all funders. It's meeting real need in the sector and stimulating demand for other forms of finance.   Enterprise grant making is a method not a cause, so it doesn't mean a change of impact focus. It can be pursued within whatever impact priorities a funder already has - even those where the income model might be hard to see at first (for example last week in Liverpool I met the CEO of an amazingly enterprising legal aid charity).   By stimulating additional income into the organisation and offering the potential for some recycling of grants it's an efficient and more sustainable way to fund the sector.   Foundations adopting an enterprise grants approach haven't needed any new systems or staff, and there's a wealth of good practice and peer support from taskforce members and beyond.   Still need convincing? Come and join a taskforce meeting and see the potential of this powerful funding practice to boost the resilience of your grantees. https://lnkd.in/esSa59rJ

How are organisations working to improve their diversity, equity and inclusion ❤️ We’re excited to share case studies from Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, JERICHO and the Centre for Sustainable Energy about work to support them on diversity, equity and inclusion. They are just a few examples from a review we commissioned of #DEI support accessed by organisations we fund through our Funding Plus offer. 📅 Join our webinar: We’re hosting a webinar on 14 October 2025 to discuss the findings and share reflections from the review. 💡 Don’t miss it! Learn from practical examples and explore how DEI can make a real difference in your organisation. Find out more and register now: https://lnkd.in/ens3CC-S We hope the case studies and the review's findings are useful for anyone looking to commission or start similar initiatives. 👉 Read the full case studies here: https://lnkd.in/ebizcPFb Theresa Jones, Amira Tharani, Taslim Tharani, Dawn Hall, Kevin Walsh, Saba Shafi, Gina Crane, Shemain Wahab, Luminance Insight, Jackie Christie, One Small Thing

Pathway Fund is delighted to be able to announce the launch of 'The Pathway Story: Learning, Growth & Impact: 2022 – 2025' – a new report which looks at the work undertaken by Pathway Fund, during its initial pilot phase! This report assesses all that we have been doing to catalyse Black and Ethnically Minoritised communities across the country – and has been authored by our learning partner, The Social Investment Consultancy (TSIC). It considers our learnings, successes, and our analyses our impact. But it is more than a summary of outcomes. It’s a brilliant reflection on the fantastic people and partnerships that have shaped Pathway Fund's journey. It captures the challenges faced, the progress made, and the insights gained along the way. The releasing of the report offers us, also, a moment to pause, take stock, and consider what comes next – as Pathway Fund prepares to launch its next four-year strategy. You can read more here: https://lnkd.in/ejpP7sA6 #BlackandEthnicallyMinoritisedSocialInvestment #Report #RacialEquity #Impact

The Readdressing Imbalance Community Event, now available to watch on demand! This webinar provided essential information about social investment, how it can be used by social enterprises and charities, and was also an opportunity to hear from impact-led organisations that have utilised social investment to scale impact and become more resilient. Featured speakers include:  🗣️ Julian Hall FRSA BCAe, Founder of Ultra Education C.I.C who shared his social investment journey, including initial rejection, consultancy support, and eventual success.  🗣️ Daryl Chambers, Chief Executive of Inpower Academy CIC who shared insights into their experience of social investment and described how it enabled expansion plus gave top tips for leaders considering it.  🗣️ Asher Craig who shared exciting updates from Pathway Fund including, their upcoming four-year investment strategy focused on empowering grassroots organisations.  🗣️ Annie Constable who gave an introductory overview of social investment, explaining its purpose, social impact, and the key things organisations need to consider. Thank you to everyone who attended this first session. We look forward to seeing you at the next one! 📽️Watch here>> https://lnkd.in/eDtWs6g8 #diversity #socialImpact #charity #socialsector

💥 Report Launch 💥 Pathway Fund is proud to be partnering with The Social Investment Consultancy (TSIC) to bring you the launch of our new report, 'The Pathway Story: Learning, Growth & Impact'! 🔷 This event will be an online webinar for anyone interested in how Pathway Fund has been working to see that social investment catalyses Black and Ethnically Minoritised-led organisations, across the country. 🔷 The webinar will be held between 12:00 and 13:00, on the 22nd of September 2025 – and we'd love to see you, there! ➡️ Register here: https://lnkd.in/e-cukPBK ⬅️ This webinar will share key insights from Pathway Fund’s pilot phase (November 2022 – May 2025), including what we’ve learned, what’s changed, and how we’re shaping our plans for the four-years'. ✅ You’ll hear directly from leaders and changemakers who have worked with Pathway Fund – and crucially, there will be space for a live Q&A, for attendees to explore the ways in which social investment can drive equity and impact, for their organisations. ✅ Whether you’re already involved in social investment or just starting to explore it, this is a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the space. ✨ Don’t miss out – register now! ✨ #BlackandEthnicallyMinoritisedSocialInvestment #Webinar #Impact