Our Impact

Our investments deliver against our mission to create innovative solutions through enterprise to unlock opportunity and end poverty in the UK.

Our Investments are Changing Lives

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Big Issue Invest Impact

At Big Issue Invest, our impact success is measured in terms of how many social businesses we support to create meaningful social change and also, how many people affected by poverty and social inequality in the UK, benefit from the work of our investees. Overall, 94% of our investees contribute to core solutions to poverty.

2023 Impact

Social Outcome Pillars

The impact investing at Big Issue Invest delivers solutions across nine Social Outcome pillars, these are aligned to the Good Finance Outcomes Matrix.

Nine Social Outcomes

The nine Social Outcome are the statements of change that our investments contribute to, to dismantle poverty in the UK. These also support the impact work across the Big Issue Group.

  • Arts, Heritage, Sports and Faith: Support individuals to find fulfilment, health and wellbeing in their lives, and develop cultural skills.
  • Citizenship and Community: Support communities to buy community buildings, develop community spaces, and install community energy schemes.
  • Conservation of the natural environment: Help individuals reduce their personal impact on the environment, access their natural surroundings, while discovering the importance of sustainable living for communities.
  • Employment, education and training: Deliver education programmes that prepare students for life beyond school, connect people with jobs and support young people at risk of unemployment.
  • Family, friends and relationships: Provide high-quality childcare, and support children on the edge of care – with an emphasis on prevention.
  • Housing and local facilities: Deliver specialist accommodation for vulnerable people and explore alternative ways of delivering more affordable homes.
  • Income and financial inclusion: Provide ethical finance, helping people buy affordable household items with affordable credit, and supporting small businesses. This also includes supporting people to manage their finances and access financial advice, products or services.
  • Mental health and wellbeing: Deliver digital and community-based support for people experiencing mental health issues.
  • Physical Health: Improve the quality of life for people with long-term conditions and support people to maintain healthy lifestyles.

Of our 140 active investees, 62% are located or work in the top 40% most deprived areas in England. Above all, this emphasizes our commitment to address poverty where it is most common to ensure our impact is most effective.

For more information on Big Issue Invest Impact, read our impact reports.

Impact Reports

Impact Report 2023

Impact Report 2023

READ REPORT
Impact Report 2022

Impact Report 2022

READ REPORT
Impact Report 2021

Impact Report 2021

READ REPORT

You can access our Impact Report library here.

Big Issue Invest Impact Committee Members

Mansoor Ahmad MBE Big Issue Invest Impact Committee Memeber

Mansoor Ahmad MBE

Mansoor has a unique combination of experiences as a Chartered Accountant and International Development professional spanning private and public sectors within the UK and Internationally, whilst also having a disability called Congenital Muscular Dystrophy. Since joining the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office after PwC, Mansoor has led on developing impact investment, clean energy and agribusiness markets across Africa and South Asia. He routinely advises governments, investors, foundations and businesses on economic development, impact and sustainability.

Caren Holzman Big Issue Invest Impact Committee Member

Caren Holzman

Caren is the founder, director and chief enabler at Enabling Outcomes Ltd. She develops best-practice strategies with a focus on social and economic development outcomes. Her work includes strategy design, evaluations, research, and facilitation. She has worked in NGO and consultancy roles and serves a diverse clientele of NGOs, foundations, multilateral and membership organisations, and corporations.

Larissa Persons

Larissa has over twenty years of experience in the sustainability and social impact space, working with organisations ranging from large international corporates to nonprofits and social enterprises to create progressive social and environmental change. Currently, she is a senior partner at sustainability consultancy Good Business.

Sandeep Sachdeva Big Issue Invest impact committee member

Sandeep Sachdeva

Sandeep was an international banker who, after leading large global banking businesses in three continents, retired in his mid-40s to pursue his personal interests. He has since co-founded www.safeinindia.org and is its current CEO. He is also an active board member of several social enterprises in the UK and Europe and enjoys helping them grow/restructure. Sandeep is a graduate of IIT Roorkee and IIM Ahmedabad, India.

Recognised for Excellence and Impact

We take pride in our awards and accreditations, a testament to our commitment to effecting meaningful social impact investing.

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