Funding & support available for solutions building financial resilience to life shocks
Melanie May | 23 April 2021 | News
Mutual life and pensions company Royal London is looking for social enterprises to work with on a new social innovation programme dedicated to creating and investing in ways of building financial resilience to life shocks.
The Changemakers programme aims to develop solutions to life shocks by bringing Royal London together with experts in social innovation and people with personal experience of life shocks: major life events such as bereavement and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Royal London will work with key partners Year Here and The School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) to find and support 10 individuals and 10 social enterprises to develop and scale up potential solutions.
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These social enterprises will receive grants awarded by a panel including individuals who have also faced life shocks, as well as financial inclusion experts, and representation from charity partner Turn2Us. Royal London will also provide insight and business support, with Year Here and SSE providing additional support in driving change through social innovation.
Recruitment for existing social enterprises began on 19 April through SSE, with the first cohort of changemakers to be announced in June. More information and details of how to apply can be found online.
Nadia Al Yafai, Royal London’s head of mutuality and impact, said:
“Life shocks can affect anyone at any time, and as a mutual we have to play a role in building long term solutions for both our customers and for wider society, to protect today and invest in tomorrow. That is why we are collaborating with our expert partners and changemakers over the coming months and working with them to drive social innovation based on lived experience and deep insight.”
School for Social Entrepreneurs’ managing director Nicola Steuer, added:
“The pandemic has escalated society’s inequalities and we’re hoping the social entrepreneurs on this programme will have a huge impact on supporting vulnerable groups out of further financial hardship.”
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.