LARCH Partnerships
Our Journey
The LARCH programme reflects the local appetite for an ambitious programme to transform the social economies of Redcar & Cleveland and Hartlepool. A development phase of collaborative research, events and engagements with local people and organisations led by VONNE resulted in a bid to the Local Access Fund in 2019. In 2020 we were successful in being selected as one of the six Local Access areas and since then have worked with a wide range of partners to fully develop our plans for the programme. In 2021, these plans were approved by Access The Foundation for Social Investment and Big Society Capital and in early 2022 work to launch the LARCH programme began in earnest.
LARCH aims to support the development of stronger, more resilient and sustainable social economies in disadvantaged places, through providing better access to advice, learning and flexible capital to support the early generation and establishment of enterprise models for charities and social enterprises in a place.
LARCH will reach out and connect its enterprise and social investment expertise, with that of the public, private and third sector, combining assets to address social need. Only on this scale of cross sector partnership and creative collaboration, can the most disenfranchised members of our communities be engaged, and real social impact achieved.
LARCH is one of six places delivering a programme with a blend of grant and repayable investment, alongside enterprise development support, to develop and strengthen the local social economy.
Local organisations involved in LARCH
Our partnerships are made up of locally placed VCSE sector organisations who are keen to innovate and support to grow VCSE organisations’ sustainability and resilience. Click on each logo to learn more about the organisation.Â
- Carol Botten – VONNE
- Andrew Gnaneswaran – Access Foundation for Social Investment
- Dave Thornett – The Key Fund
- Rita Lawson – TVRA
- Karen McGarrity – RCVDA
- Iain Caldwell – Let’s Connect
- Clare Stanton – Redcar and Cleveland Council Borough Council
- Leigh Keeble – Hartlepool Borough Council
- Peter Gowland – Hartlepower
- Alan Lonsdale – Kidz Konnekt
- Hugh McGouran – Tees Valley Community Foundation
- NDC Trust
Our Funders
The investment from our funders enables LARCH to achieve its ambitions.
Access – The Foundation for Social Investment works to make charities and social enterprises in England more financially resilient and self-reliant, so that they can sustain or increase their impact. Access does this by supporting the development of enterprise activity to grow and diversify income and improving access to the social investment which can help stimulate that enterprise activity.
Big Society Capital exists to improve the lives of people in the UK through social impact investing. We unite ideas, expertise and capital to create investment solutions for the UK’s social challenges, supporting organisations that deliver both positive social impact and sustainable financial returns. So far, we have helped channel £2.2 billion* into investments tackling a wide range of problems such as homelessness, mental ill health and childhood obesity.
Host Organisation
VONNE is the host organisation for LARCH.
VONNE supports charities, voluntary and community groups, and social enterprises to be well informed on the policy, practice and strategy development that affect you. We work strategically with you to ensure your voice is heard. Vonne facilitates partnerships and builds opportunities for collaboration within the VCSE community in the North East and between the sector and external stakeholders.
Start a Conversation
Get in touch if you have a good idea, that you think could be an enterprise or a new income stream that also enables you to deliver social impact.
Sign up to our newsletter
Get news, events and more, direct to your inbox. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Enabling local people and communities to thrive through a vibrant, inclusive, resilient and economically productive social enterprise and community ownership sector.
@2022 LARCH | Privacy Policy | Website built by In Studio