Mayor Steve Rotheram has praised the transformative impact of Liverpool City Region’s pioneering approach to supporting community businesses, as a new report reveals £35.9 million in economic and social value delivered by Kindred.
Launched in 2020 with £5.5m from the Combined Authority and £1m from Power to Change, Kindred was created to back socially trading organisations (STOs) – businesses that trade commercially while delivering lasting benefits for their communities.
Five years on, the results speak for themselves:
- £35.9m in economic and social value generated
- Hundreds of jobs created and safeguarded
- 66 investments worth £3m in 51 STOs since 2020
- In 2024 alone: £615,720 invested in 13 organisations, including £431,720 in nine new STOs
Kindred’s network now includes 1,500+ members, building a more inclusive local economy rooted in community, creativity, and care.
Mayor Steve Rotheram said:
“Kindred is helping to rewrite the rules of what an economy can look like when you put people and purpose first.”
“By backing local entrepreneurs with strong social values, we can grow businesses that create good jobs and keep wealth in our communities.”
”That’s what devolution is all about – giving local people the power and support to build a fairer, more inclusive economy, the Liverpool City Region way.”
Impact Highlights
- Employment up 71.6% in supported STOs since investment
- 323 jobs safeguarded
- 74 new jobs created in 2024, bringing the total to 200 since 2020
- £2.38m raised in 2024 to support STOs
- 51% of investment goes to women-led organisations, 31% to Black-led organisations, and 100% to underinvested communities
- Investees have attracted £16.4m additional funding following Kindred’s support
- Supported STOs achieved £1.89m turnover in 2024 – a 20% year-on-year growth, meeting OECD’s definition of ‘high growth’
- STOs supported since 2021 have grown turnover by 54.5% over three years, collectively generating £11.5m since 2020
- Collectively, Kindred-backed STOs have reached 421,735 people
Jen Van der Merwe, Kindred’s Director, said:
“Kindred’s investment is about relationships, lived experience and partnership. We don’t just back ideas – we back people in every borough who understand their communities and what real change looks like.”
The social trading sector is now a major economic force in the Liverpool City Region:
- 50,000 people employed
- 1 in 10 of the city region’s workforce
- 1,300 STOs generating £2.9bn annually
Image credit: Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
