An Autumn Update: New Team, New Office, New Dates
Our work at the Connect Fund strengthens the social investment market through a number of strategic grants. As we approach the ‘autumnal’ season of our fund there are a few changes to update our community on.
Welcoming New Members
Two new employees were appointed at Barrow Cadbury to deliver our work.
Ruby Frankland joined the trust in August 2022 as the Manager of the Connect Fund. She has worked with start-ups, social enterprise funds, social businesses and a network for corporate social innovation.
Tom Thornton joined the Connect Fund in April 2022 as the Programme Officer, where he provides administrative and operations support to the programme, and helps maximise the impact of the Fund’s work managing the existing portfolio of grants and supporting new applicants through the application process towards the delivery of successful grants and projects. Tom is the first point of contact to the Fund.
We also have a new location as Barrow Cadbury Trust have moved to new offices at The Foundry in Vauxhall. The Foundry brings together some of London’s most innovative and progressive social justice and human rights organisations in affordable premises.
Areas of Focus
Since 2018 the Connect Fund has sought to build a better social investment market by:
- improving the connection of social investment to charities and social enterprises
- connecting existing voluntary sector infrastructure organisations to the social investment market
- better connecting social investment intermediaries through shared data and resources
At the end of 2021 we announced four new programme areas to respond to the needs of the sector:
- Equality, diversity and inclusion
- Post-Covid 19 recovery, research and development
- Market building support through peer networks
- Challenge funds
Timelines
Proposals for our Equality, diversity and inclusion and Post-Covid recovery, research and development strands are open for enquiries and application. In order to be considered for our next round of funding please submit to us by October 10th.
We will be opening proposals for the Peer Networks and Challenge Funds on October 31st.
The next application window will be between October 31st and December 22nd.
If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with the team.