Allia celebrates passing more than £250m of bonds to good causes
Melanie May | 5 February 2018 | News
Allia has raised more than a quarter of a billion pounds through its bonds since launch, with half that sum (£125 million) issued in 2017 alone.
Since its formation in 1999, Allia has seen over £250 million of bonds issued to support a range of organisations, from housing associations and care providers to community employment ventures and other charities.
This includes:
- Seven Retail Charity Bonds, which have raised more than £157m of the overall total. Some £99.5m of this was raised in 2017 alone through four bond issues. Allia designed Retail Charity Bonds to make it easier and more affordable for charitable organisations to raise unsecured fixed-rate finance through bonds listed on London Stock Exchange.
- Nearly £70m of investment from Scottish Government in Allia bonds, which has provided loans to nine housing associations across Scotland. The programme provides unsecured loans for the development of new affordable housing.
- Fifteen charitable bonds and mini bonds, which have raised over £24m from communities and businesses to generate grants for local charitable projects, such as helping people into work, funding enterprises and community regeneration projects and to invest in local affordable housing.
The Retail Charity Bonds have included £58.5m via two bonds for Hightown Housing Association, which will help the charity provide high-quality homes to homeless people and those who cannot afford to rent or buy at market rates. Both bonds closed early. £33m was also raised in just one week for Greensleeves Care and is being used to support more elderly people who require residential care.
The fastest-selling Retail Charity Bond yet, the Dolphin Living bond raised £25m in just one day, money that will be used to build and develop more affordable homes for working Londoners.
Tim Jones, Chief Executive of Allia, said:
“We’re very proud of passing this £250 million bond milestone, and all that this finance has helped to achieve. Our bonds have helped provide homes and care for people in need, helped thousands of people into work or out of debt and established enterprises driven by more than profit. Global issues like hunger, joblessness, poverty, climate change and food waste need effective solutions and new thinking. Those who are committed to addressing these challenges need all the support they can get – Allia’s task is to help them amplify their impact.”
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Main image: Greensleeves Care
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.