The Social Enterprise Loan Fund for the South East

Sarah-Jane (SJ) Davis
Regional Director

As the original manager of the loan fund, since March 2005 I have helped over 100 charities and social enterprises located throughout the region engaged in a wide range of activities.

Prior to this appointment, I worked as an investment banker.  Moving into the third sector has provided many challenges but being part of a growing and maturing sector as it evolves is rewarding.

I am also a founding director of Inclusive Finance, a community interest company that aims to help small community development finance institutions to further their objectives by sourcing funding and collaborating to reduce overheads and promote best practice.

We may be able to help you with

Examples of clients we have helped

• Crowborough Rugby Football Club
  A community club that is one of East Sussex’s most successful rugby football clubs
  
• The Sustainability Centre
  Demonstrates and promotes knowledge, skills and technologies that improve the quality of life without damaging the environment
• Sunlight Development Trust
  A community owned and managed charitable organisation that works with partners across all sectors
• Horns Drove Community Pre-School
  Long established nursery school
• Dove Recyling
  Recycling service for businesses
• Whole School Meals
  School meals service set up by parents

Crowborough Rugby Football Club

A brand new clubhouse for one of the most successful rugby football clubs in East Sussex is near completion thanks to financial support from a unique loan fund.

The clubhouse for Crowborough Rugby Football Club (CRFC), at Steel Cross has been years in the pipeline - and thanks to a £150,000 loan from The Social Enterprise Loan Fund (TSELF) and support from the Rugby Football Union (RFU), Wealden District Council as well as the club’s sponsors and patrons - work is nearing completion.

Richard Lambert, Finance Director at CRFC, said: “We are absolutely delighted with our new clubhouse.

“We really are a community club and now thanks to the funding we received from TSELF, our clubhouse, which has been described as one of the nicest in Sussex, will provide facilities for the entire community.”

The new building replaces the old structure built 48 years ago, and is set to become a real community asset. As well as being home to members and supporters of the rugby club, local residents, clubs and societies will be able to hire out the new large clubroom.

“We have already had enquiries from dance and exercise classes, nurseries and play groups about hiring the clubhouse,” Richard said.

Set up 75 years ago, CRFC is continuing to go from strength to strength with four senior teams, over 300 minis and juniors, a membership base of over 1,000 from across Kent and Sussex and now boasts a brand new clubhouse with superb facilities.

Sarah-Jane Davis, South East Regional Director at TSELF, said: “We are really pleased to have been able to help Crowborough Rugby Football Club in this way. Working closely with the CRFC Board and the Rugby Football Union (RFU), the project has been managed in a very professional manner from start to finish and it has all gone very much to plan. We are pleased to have been able to help Crowborough with their clubhouse which is set to become a focal point for the community.”

The new clubhouse will officially open around Easter 2012.

For more information about CRFC call 01892 654832 or visit the website www.crowboroughrugby.com.

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The Sustainability Centre

TSELF stepped in to help The Sustainability Centre in Petersfield, Hampshire, with a £36,000 bridging loan while

they waited for grants for a new solar panel installation to come through.

When The Sustainability Centre secured Lottery and Low Carbon Buildings Fund money to install solar panels, they encountered a

common problem with grant funding. The grants would only be paid

after the work had been done and the charity would have to pay for the work up front. As a result, they needed to access finance to tide them

over until the grants arrived. When their bank turned them down, they contacted TSELF who saved the day.

Earthworks Trust is a registered charity, established in 1995, which runs The Sustainability Centre near the village of East Meon, high up on the South Downs in Hampshire. The Centre was established to demonstrate and promote knowledge, skills and technologies that improve the quality of life without damaging the environment.

Although The Sustainability Centre previously had solar water heating and photovoltaic panels, they were not very efficient. The new installation is much larger, more technologically advanced and much more effective, positioned as it is on the roof and a south facing wall. The new solar panels will help to reduce the Centre’s electricity bills by up to 30%.

“We’re thankful that TSELF was able to help out,” says Nigel Cartwright of The Sustainability Centre. “Access to loan funding isn’t easy to come by at the moment, as we found out when we approached our bank for help. The loan from TSELF has enabled us to bridge the gap until the grants come through and we appreciate the support we have received.”

To find out more about Earthworks Trust and The Sustainability Centre visit www.sustainability-centre.org.

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Sunlight Development Trust

Operating in one of the most deprived parts of the South East, Sunlight Development Trust was originally set up by Medway Council for voluntary Services in 2001.

They are now a community owned and managed charitable organisation that works

with partners across all sectors. They combine a mix of services aimed at everyone within the community.

Sunlight Development Trust aims to improve health inequality and wellbeing by providing an improved range of social, medical and community activities.

One of their major activities is providing training and employment opportunities through the development of a catering business. The first café was in the Sunlight Centre itself and they later gained the contract from the local Primary Care Trust to open three more café’s.

In January 2008, they made a major leap forward by winning the contract to provide all catering services for 1 Medway District Council in its new building which houses some 1,196 staff

The Social Enterprise Loan Fund was delighted to assist financially with a loan of £100,000 to help with the initial capital costs of this major business expansion.

Find out more about the Sunlight Development Trust by visiting www.sunlighttrust.org.uk

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Horns Drove Community Pre-School

Horns Drove is a pre-school nursery that had been operating successfully out of the local village hall in Rownhams, Southampton for 20 years.  Due to the multi-usage of the hall, nursery staff had to pack and unpack all the necessary equipment before and after each session.  It was also not possible to display the children’s work.

Julia McDowell, the nursery supervisor looked for alternatives and eventually approached the local primary school, to seek permission for her to build an on-site nursery and offer an after school club to the primary school children.

After long negotiations with the school and local council, permission was finally granted to build a log style cabin in the grounds of the school with a small enclosed play area. 

Horns Drove approached TSELF for a loan of £90,000 to facilitate the build and furbish the building. 

The new site has been open for a year and the children and staff are thrilled with the new premises.  It has also facilitated easier childcare arrangements for working carers as the after school club grows in popularity. 

For more information on Horns Drove visit http://hornsdrovepreschool.org

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Dove Recycling

This recycling company, based in Hampshire, had been operating for just over a year

when they first approached TSELF.  They were amazed in their first year of operation

to see how much demand there was for their service.

Dove targets the SME market by offering weekly regular collections of their recycleable

waste.  They provide the bins and collect and replace them at prearranged times. 

The waste is then taken to a central recycling site and processed before sold on as

raw materials.

In order to maximise profits Dove realised they needed to invest in machinery to process more waste on site.  This machinery is costly and they approached us for a loan of £100,000.

Eighteen months later Dove has moved to larger premises, increased profits and continues to expand their operating areas. 

For more information on Dove Recycling please visit www.doverecycling.co.uk

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Whole School Meals

This start-up organisation began with parents unhappy at the quality of food provided at their children’s schools.  Eventually a company was formed and a bid written and submitted to Kent County Council to provide 21 schools in the Dover and Deal area with school meals.  A passion for quality, nutrition and locally sourced products, led this small but dynamic team to win the contract.

TSELF was approached to provide £65,000 in order that kitchens could be updated and equipped with the necessary equipment.

Whole School Meals has now completed its first academic year and although the learning curve has been steep, it has successfully increased meal take up across all its schools.

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