Mayor hails �2m investment in community businesses as a:- "game changer" for the Liverpool City Region

THE Liverpool City Region has experienced a transformative boost from Kindred's pioneering investment programme, with �2m of funding creating 126 new local jobs and generating an additional �14m in further investment.

The Region's Mayor Steve Rotheram has hailed Kindred's success, noting that no other Region in the UK is supporting community businesses in such an innovative way. Established with �5.5m from the Combined Authority and �1m from Power to Change, Kindred's mission is to help socially trading organisations deliver lasting benefits for their communities.

Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram said:- "Community businesses are the beating heart of our Region, driving both economic growth and social change. We're the only ones in the country levelling the playing field. With Kindred, we're putting power and resources into the hands of those who know their communities best, helping them to create good quality local jobs and attract millions in additional funding. The results speak for themselves: 126 new jobs, �14m in further investment, and a 77% rise in turnover across the organisations we've supported. This is devolution in action, enabling local businesses to build a fairer, more inclusive economy, and I'm proud that Liverpool City Region is leading the way."

The social trading sector employs 50,000 people, 1 in 10 of the City Region's workforce, with 1,300 STOs generating �2.9bn per year for the City Region's economy.

Kindred invested its 1st �1m into 20 community businesses in spring 2021 with a further �1m invested in 24 more STOs in 2022. Kindred have just produced a detailed evaluation of the impact of its funding so far.

The evaluation found that, collectively, the 44 STOs have created 126 new jobs, creating a collective workforce which now totals 281 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs sustained, a rise of 51%.

Their combined turnover has grown by 77% over 2 years; rising by more than �4.3m to a total of nearly �10m; money that stays in local communities.

The 44 STOs have secured an additional �3.5m in additional investment within the last year, meaning Kindred's �2m investment has so far attracted �14m in additional funds.

Kindred's director, Jennifer Van der Merwe, says:- "STOs are demonstrating the long term economic change that social businesses can create. Lots of small organisations, aligned in their mission for impact, are creating something bigger together; and these numbers evidence that impact. Our growing community is now 1,000 members-strong, with impact doubling every year, as socially trading organisations build a more inclusive and diverse economy. We will only create the economy we want in the Liverpool City Region by making sure that we have robust, resilient and sustainable socially-trading organisations across the Region. More jobs, more trade and more investment is just the start of a vision that improves people's lives, by creating thriving neighbourhoods and communities."

Companies backed by Kindred include:- Vision Football Development Academy in North Liverpool, with annual growth of over 200%, and PLACED, which specialises in engaging local communities in built environment projects, which grew by 41% in 2023.

Of the 44 companies Kindred has invested in, 49% describe themselves as women led and 25% are members of the Black Social Traders Network (BlaST), incubated by Kindred and supporting Black-led social businesses.

While the Liverpool City Region has been able to provide early-stage support for Black-led community businesses through Kindred, as Lord Adebowale's recent report into social investment identified, black-led STOs nationwide then suffer from a lack of appropriate patient and flexible sources of capital.

Poll reveals majority of cohabiting couples in North West unaware of inheritance risks without a Will

A new survey conducted by Will Aid, the national Will writing campaign, has revealed an alarming gap in the public's understanding about inheritance laws affecting cohabiting couples.

The survey found that 70% of cohabitees in the North West were unaware of the rules of intestacy and what happens to their estate if they die without a Will.

The statistics from the North West paint a bleaker picture than the rest of the country, with 68% of UK cohabitees unaware of the risks without a Will.

This lack of awareness could have devastating consequences for many families in the Region, as cohabiting couple, regardless of how long they have lived together or whether they have children, are not automatically entitled to inherit from 1 another if 1 partner dies without leaving a Will.

Key findings from the poll, included:-

32% mistakenly believe their estate would automatically pass to their partner.
18% admitted they were unsure what would happen.
12% said they had never even thought about the issue.
8% thought their estate would go to close friends.

The Rules of Intestacy dictate how a person's estate is distributed when they die without a Will.

These rules prioritise spouses, civil partners, and blood relatives, often leaving cohabiting partners with no legal right to inherit anything. This could leave surviving partners facing significant financial hardship, particularly in cases where they are dependent on the deceased's income or home.

Peter de Van Franks, Will Aid Campaign Director, said:- "Many people assume that after living together for a period of time, they automatically become common law husband and wife, but this is not the case. The concept of:- 'common law marriage' ceased to exist a very long time ago. If you are cohabiting as a couple, the law does not recognise you as common law spouses, even if you have children together and have lived together for many years. Therefore, if you do not have a Will, the Rules of Intestacy will apply, and your partner will be completely disregarded."

The annual Will Aid campaign sees solicitors across the UK volunteering their time to write Wills throughout November, so it is an ideal time for people who are cohabiting to get their wishes professionally drafted in a legal document, which will help to protect their loved ones in the future.

De Vena Franks added:- "Will Aid is the perfect opportunity for unmarried and cohabiting partners to get a professionally written Will in place. Without a Will, surviving partners may not be automatically entitled to inherit, leaving them in a vulnerable position; and it's particularly worrying that so many people aren't aware of this, and don't fully understand the Rules of Intestacy. By participating in Will Aid, couples can ensure their wishes are clearly documented, giving both partners peace of mind that their loved 1 will be provided for in the event of their death."

Will Aid is a partnership between the legal profession and 7 of the UK's best loved charities.

The initiative, which has been running for more than 30 years, sees participating solicitors waive their fee for writing basic Wills every November.

Instead, they invite clients to make a voluntary upfront donation to Will Aid; the suggested amounts are �100 for a single basic Will and �180 for a pair of basic:- 'mirror' Wills.

Donations to the campaign are shared by Will Aid's partner charities, which operate both here in the UK and around the world.

Appointments are available from September. For more information on Will Aid and how to get involved visit:- WillAid.Org.UK.

News reports located on this page = 2.

Mayor hails �2m investment in community businesses as a:- "game changer" for the Liverpool City Region

Poll reveals majority of cohabiting couples in North West unaware of inheritance risks without a Will