Across the North West, inequality isn’t an abstract concept, it’s something many people in the region experience in their daily lives. Whether it’s the challenge of finding stable work, the pressure of rising living costs, or the long-term impact of poor health, too many communities are being held back, facing barriers that make life challenging.
However, this is also a region defined by resilience, community spirit and innovation. Across towns and cities, social enterprises are stepping up, creating opportunities, delivering essential services, and supporting people who might otherwise be left behind., socially and economically.
With the right investment behind them, these enterprises can potentially do even more.
The scale of the challenge
Poverty remains a significant issue across the UK, with around 16 million people living below the poverty line, that’s nearly one in four people1.
In the North West, the picture is particularly stark:
Behind each of these figures are real lives, with families making difficult choices about how they spend limited income, young people facing fewer opportunities, and communities working hard to overcome long-standing challenges.
A region rich in social enterprise
The North West is home to a thriving social enterprise sector, with almost 7,000 organisations creating more than 127,600 jobs, delivering services and reinvesting in their communities7. Many are based in the very areas facing the greatest challenges, giving them a deep understanding of local needs.
And because they’re embedded in the communities they serve, these enterprises – with their clear, social missions - are often best placed to support those facing the greatest barriers. They’re working across health and care, employment and training, housing, transport and more. They’re not just responding to inequality, they’re tackling its root causes, too.
It means they can:
The missing piece: the right kind of investment
Despite their impact, many social enterprises struggle to grow. Not because the demand isn’t there, but because the right kind of finance isn’t always available.
What’s often missing is:
Without this, organisations can find themselves stuck - doing vital work, but unable to scale it.
This is where impact investment funds, like Resonance’s Enterprise Investment (REI) Fund, play an important role. By providing tailored growth capital, they help social enterprises move from simply sustaining their work to expanding it, helping them reach more people and creating greater impact.
Our experience shows that it’s not just about the money, it’s also about how that investment is delivered, with the most effective approach combining:
When these elements come together, investment becomes more than financial support - it becomes a catalyst for long-term change.
Making a difference in the North West
One of the North West’s greatest strengths is its people and communities. Social enterprises and local charities are already working to build more inclusive local economies.
One example of a North West based social enterprise making a real difference in the region is Nightingales Recovery CIC in Birkenhead, Wirral.
Founded to support people in recovery from addiction, Nightingales has grown into a vital community anchor – providing safe, welcoming spaces alongside structured wellbeing, training and support services. Their work is rooted in lived experience and designed around what people actually need to sustain recovery and rebuild their lives.
Resonance Enterprise Investment is supporting Nightingales with a £120,000 loan to launch a new social enterprise café, Gather & Graze, in West Kirby. The café will operate as a high-quality, commercially viable business, generating income that can be reinvested back into Nightingales’ recovery services. Just as importantly, it will create meaningful employment, training and volunteering opportunities for people in recovery – helping to build confidence, skills and longer-term pathways into work.
This is a great example of how social investment can back ambitious, community-led organisations to grow sustainable income streams, while deepening their social impact. By blending a strong commercial proposition with a clear social mission, Nightingales is building a model that not only supports individuals but strengthens the wider local economy and community.
With the right mix of investment, support and collaboration, we can scale the solutions that already exist within communities. We can help more people access good work, improve wellbeing, and build stronger, more resilient local economies.
Resonance’s Enterprise Investment Fund is one example of how mission-aligned investment can support that journey - supporting organisations that are already making a difference and helping them grow further.
Read more about the Resonance Enterprise Investment Fund, here.
Sources
1 Social Metrics Commission: The levels and nature of poverty in the UK
2 Action for Children: Where is child poverty increasing in the UK
3 Greater Manchester Combined Authority: GM Labour Market Insights Pack
4 ONS: Avoidable mortality in England and Wales
5 FareShare Greater Manchester
6 House of Commons Library: Deprivation in English constituencies
7 Social Enterprise UK - State of Social Enterprise 2024/25 – Greater Manchester
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