Liverpool Fund Creates 300 Jobs, Unlocks £19M Investment

Liverpool City Region is quietly rewriting the rulebook on how to build an economy that works for everyone, and the results are turning heads.

Since 2020, Kindred has invested £3 million into 69 local social enterprises. These aren't typical businesses. They're organizations that blend profit with purpose, creating jobs while solving community problems like isolation, health gaps, and neighborhood decline.

The numbers tell a powerful story. Those initial investments have attracted an additional £19.4 million in follow-on funding. Nearly 300 jobs have been created, including 74 new positions in 2025 alone. The combined turnover of these organizations has grown to £14 million.

Mayor Steve Rotheram remembers being told that backing this initiative would be bold. He did it anyway, committing £5.5 million from the Combined Authority in 2020. "For too long, success has been judged by what happens in boardrooms rather than what happens in our communities," he said.

The jobs being created are landing in the right places. These are flexible, quality positions in neighborhoods facing the toughest employment barriers. For many people, they represent a pathway back into work after years on the sidelines.

The Ripple Effect

What makes this approach transformative is how one investment sparks another. When social enterprises succeed, they attract more funding, reach more people, and strengthen entire local economies. Collectively, Kindred-backed organizations have now reached 483,559 people through their work.

The model is deliberately inclusive. In 2025, 37% of investment went to Black and ethnically minoritized-led organizations, exceeding the 25% target. Another 49% supported women-led businesses. Black and minoritized organizations are growing their turnover and employment by 45% annually.

On the ground, this means community-led regeneration in Runcorn, programs fighting isolation in Knowsley, and cultural organizations finding permanent homes in Birkenhead. Real places, real people, real progress.

Jen Van der Merwe, Kindred's Executive Director, sees something bigger emerging. "Liverpool City Region is quietly building one of the UK's most ambitious experiments in inclusive growth," she said. The social economy isn't just creating jobs; it's proving that another kind of economy is possible.

Now they're scaling up. A new Social Impact Partnership aims to raise £50 million to meet demand from even more social enterprises ready to grow.

Six years ago, this was an experiment; today it's a blueprint for building economies that lift everyone.