History
Creating positive impact through supporting others, for over 22 years
Impact across the UK
Our parent company Allia Ltd is a charity that has, for over 22 years, been focused on supporting charitable organisations and social enterprises through innovative social finance and a range of support initiatives. It has supported hundreds of businesses and enterprises so that they can deliver local employment, training programmes and community projects across the UK.
20th Anniversary
Watch our short animated film produced to celebrate all of the impact we’d achieved through supporting others for our 20th anniversary, in 2019.
Social finance
The first area of focus was social finance, where the reach of Allia’s impact stretches across the UK, through funding, enterprise support and bonds have helped hundreds of people and small businesses to thrive, grow and create employment.
The first bond was for £787k in Sheffield in 1999 where the finance raised enabled a local labour housing construction scheme, as well as 36 micro business start-ups, 20 voluntary sector jobs and seven social enterprise growth loans. Working with Scottish Government, Allia has issued over £100k to Scottish housing associations for the provision and development of affordable and social housing across the country.
Allia’s social finance arm was further developed in 2018, when Allia C&C was set up to provide a wider variety of services on funding for social and commercial enterprises. This ranges from charities, not-for-profits and mission driven businesses whose core purpose is to transform lives, communities and the environment; right up to medium-sized listed and private corporations with a sustainable business and who act responsibly.
Read more information about Allia C&C here and all of the bonds and financing it has arranged over the years.
Venture support & business centres
Allia has been providing free business support for impact ventures and start-ups since 2013. Its programmes are funded either by the income from our other activities, such as our Future Business Centres, or external funding. This enables us to provide a variety of free support programmes – ranging from Grow Your Business, for small local businesses to gain customers and grow; to our Impact Accelerator, for social or environmentally focused start-ups to develop and create more positive impact.
Our first purpose built Future Business Centre was opened in Cambridge in 2013, where it provides flexible workspace for growing impact companies – with a particular focus on Cleantech and Tech for Good. A smaller centre in Cambridge offers workspace for small charities and companies focused on community transformation.
In 2015, our Peterborough centre opened on the site of the local football club stadium, and offers local businesses flexible workspace, co-working and an inspiring community – with a great conference room overlooking the football pitch!
We opened a pilot centre in Hackney, east London in 2017, supported by external funding – and it was so successful (we supported over 200 small businesses and entrepreneurs in our first year) that it was extended for another 2 years. Our team of advisors and coaches still work with local micro businesses and founders in the area to help them build resilience, develop their plans and grow.
