Esmée Fairbairn has become the first investor into the Community Share Underwriting (CSU) Fund. The trust have committed £500,000 to the Fund. Community Land & Finance CIC has partnered with Resonance Limited to launch the Fund which should help more community projects be fully realised by underwriting up to 50% of the community share issue’s fundraising target.

The Fund can provide loans as bridging capital to those with share issues that may otherwise struggle to reach their fundraising target. Achieving this target is important to ensure projects with valuable social impacts do not have to be compromised, postponed or dropped. The Fund can also underwrite a share issue from the outset giving potential investors more confidence that fundraising targets will be achieved, and thus encouraging more people to invest.

Community Land & Finance are now seeking further investors into the Fund and also welcome enquiries from social enterprises or community benefit societies with live or early stage community share issues.