Downing Street date to spread the word

FC United of Manchester general manager Andy Walsh has been taking the EVO-STIK Northern Premier League club's community involvement message to the heart of Westminster.

Walsh is pictured heading into 10 Downing Street on Thursday night to speak at reception on the benefits of social investment on behalf of the supporter-owned club.

The event was organised by the Cabinet Office for 'social angel' investors and was attended by over 150 guests who heard from Walsh, Cabinet Minister Francis Maude, Martin Lewis, the founder and chief executive of moneysavingexpert.com and Deborah Meaden, one of the investors from the BBC’s Dragon’s Den programme.

FC United were invited to address the high-profile gathering following the club’s success in raisings funds for their new ground from a pioneering community shares scheme and being one of the first organisations to raise funds using the government’s new social investment tax relief (SITR) regulations.

Speaking after the reception, Walsh said: "The invitation to Downing Street is recognition of the club’s success in being a pioneer in the field of social finance and community fundraising.

"We have raised almost £2m from community shares, £275,000 from a pioneering loan stock scheme and £51,000 from a Crowdfunder campaign – all significant achievements and we are keen to spread the message of community and supporter involvement more widely.

"Our success has been based on creating social impact backed by a solid business plan. Social investment is not just about a financial return it’s also about empowering local communities through strengthening involvement in the things that are important in people’s lives.

"Our funders will get something back for their investment but the key element that differentiates social finance from other funding opportunities is the social impact. That’s the message I was keen to get across at Downing Street to the politicians, investors and members of the financial community present at the event."

The Premier Division club hope to move into their new home at Broadhurst Park in the coming weeks and Walsh added: "'Social angels' are business people with a social conscience who may be willing to invest significant sums in social enterprises. Large investments are important, as are the insights and the expertise they can bring.

"Just as important is the individual involvement of the many hundreds of ordinary people we have reached out to. In FC United’s case social finance has been about ordinary people from all walks of life coming together to achieve extraordinary things."

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