CASE STUDY

Community Links, London

Social Enterprise, www.community-links.org

Four year loan of £100,000 from the Local Investment Fund to enable the recruitment of 2 new staff, ease the flow of working capital and help with the development of a sustainable asset base.

Community Links is a major East London charity based in Newham, which has run a wide range of well focused projects over the last 21 years. These include 33 after-school clubs, 107 playschemes and 23 detached youth projects. Because of its success, the organisation needed to expand into bigger premises, and took over the old Canning Town Public Hall at a peppercorn rent, on condition that the building was brought back into community use.

In 1999, more than 25,000 people benefited from Community Links projects, run by over 450 volunteers in 60 key sites. Since 1978, 80% of the frontline services of Community Links have been delivered by people who first became involved as users of the service.

Contact: David Robinson, Director, Community Links on 020 7473 2270

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FINANCIAL INSTITUTION USED:
Local Investment Fund

Community Development Loan Fund, www.lif.org.uk

The Local Investment Fund is a Community Development Loan Fund and registered charity whose aims are to support local regeneration and community based enterprises in the UK through the provision of loan financing. It was established in 1994.

LIF is setting up a network of Regional Community Loan Funds. Community Loan Funds for Merseyside, the South West, the North West, the North East, Yorkshire and the Humber are already active; the remaining regional funds are being established.

The LIF National Fund makes loans between £25,000-£250,000. The Regional Community Loan Funds make loans between £15,000-£75,000. Terms include capital repayment holidays for up to 24 months, interest at 2-3% above bank base rate and an arrangement fee of 1-2% payable at the outset. There are no annual fees. Technical assistance and advice form part of the package. Earlier this year, LIF had agreed 24 loans totalling £2.14 million. These loans have helped clients to generate 490 new full-time jobs, 110 new part-time jobs, 130 jobs retained and 1,450 training places.

Contact: Roger Brocklehurst, Director, Local Investment Fund on 0870 600 2482

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