Future Retirement Success
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks

Future Retirement Success

Business

Better Society Capital surpasses £1bn in investments tackling UK social challenges

by April 28, 2025
April 28, 2025
Better Society Capital surpasses £1bn in investments tackling UK social challenges

Better Society Capital (BSC), the UK’s leading social impact investor, has reached a major milestone, passing £1 billion in investments aimed at tackling the country’s most pressing social challenges.

Originally launched in 2011 as Big Society Capital, the fund was established with £400 million from dormant bank accounts and £200 million from four of Britain’s biggest high street banks. Over the past 13 years, it has invested in 3,750 charities and social enterprises, making sufficient returns to reinvest and grow its impact. To date, BSC has helped attract almost £3 billion in additional funding from private and philanthropic sources for projects across housing, youth services and healthcare.

Stephen Muers, chief executive of BSC, said the £1 billion figure reflected the success of a model built on recycling capital sustainably: “It shows the value of recycling capital and being sustainable. It is testament to the model. And the reason we have been able to get to that milestone is because the whole market has been growing. There are more investors seeing the potential to realise social impact alongside financial returns.”

Muers pointed to the increasing investment in housing for those at risk of homelessness as a standout example. BSC-backed initiatives like Resonance, a social impact investor managing £325 million in assets, are now providing stable homes for 3,600 people across Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Bristol and Oxford.

“The number of people in precarious housing situations continues to grow — with around 100,000 families currently in temporary accommodation,” Muers said. “We started small in 2014, proving the model by leasing properties to charities. Now, larger investors like local government pension schemes are stepping in, helping scale the solution.”

BSC targets a modest 1 per cent net annual return across its deployed capital over five years, with a 3 per cent return from its investment portfolio to cover operational costs. Although inflation has eroded some of its capital’s real value, BSC views its performance as proof that sustainable, outcomes-focused investment can supplement traditional public spending.

Despite the success, BSC has not received any new dormant account allocations in the past year. The previous government had committed to directing an additional £350 million from dormant accounts to organisations like BSC by 2028.

Meanwhile, the new Labour government has signalled strong interest in using outcome-based investment to “rewire the state”, setting up a social impact investment advisory group to help direct funding. A decision on future allocations is expected in the second phase of the chancellor’s spending review, due later this spring.

Muers said he hoped to see future investments prioritise support for young people and disadvantaged families — especially where traditional public services struggle. “Particularly where there are complex issues that people face, where traditional public services don’t always deal with them very well, where people are passed around between the NHS, schools, local authorities; we have examples of where investment-backed models have been good ways to deliver those services.”

With a growing appetite among investors to achieve social as well as financial returns, Muers said the sector was poised to play a bigger role in helping government meet its long-term social goals. “There is a big prize here, potentially, in bringing to bear investors who want impact on issues that the government cares about and can collaborate well.”

Read more:
Better Society Capital surpasses £1bn in investments tackling UK social challenges

0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
One in four workers fear AI could cost them their jobs, Acas warns
next post
Packaging tax could be ‘catastrophic’ for small food businesses, brands warn

You may also like

SMEs need to place user experience at the...

August 9, 2023

Why THC Gummies Is the Next Big Thing...

October 24, 2024

Export dreams come true as government support secures...

August 31, 2023

High Street closures set to surge in 2025...

January 2, 2025

How to Ensure Your Email is HIPAA Compliant:...

December 30, 2024

Why Independent Digital Platforms Are Gaining Ground Among...

June 7, 2025

Cybercrime and SME’s – why your business could...

December 6, 2023

Over 30 Chinese firms cut ties with PwC...

August 6, 2024

Improving the Internet of Things Ecosystems – Integrating...

January 19, 2024

The Steady Road to Care: A Look at...

May 7, 2025

    Get free access to all of the retirement secrets and income strategies from our experts! or Join The Exclusive Subscription Today And Get the Premium Articles Acess for Free

    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Recent Posts

    • Gen Z workers turn back to office jobs to combat loneliness

      August 25, 2025
    • US jobs market faces ‘Trump slump’ as tariffs and cuts hit growth

      August 25, 2025
    • Royal Mail and DHL suspend US parcel deliveries as Trump tariffs take effect

      August 25, 2025
    • Farmers warn of crisis as poll shows 80% fear for survival and none back Labour

      August 25, 2025
    • TikTok cuts threaten hundreds of UK content moderator jobs amid AI shift

      August 25, 2025
    • Hospitality hit hardest as nearly 90,000 jobs lost after budget tax rises

      August 25, 2025

    Categories

    • Business (8,874)
    • Investing (2,235)
    • Politics (16,476)
    • Stocks (3,228)
    • About us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: futureretirementsuccess.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 futureretirementsuccess.com | All Rights Reserved