FC United helps to kick off 'Social Saturday'

FC United has teamed up with the region’s largest investor in community and social enterprises to kick off ‘Social Saturday’, a nationwide day of events and activities on 10 October to celebrate social enterprise.

FC United is one of 70,000 social enterprises in the UK that employ two million people and contribute £20 billion to the economy. Social Saturday is part of Social Enterprise UK’s Buy Social Campaign which urges consumers, and the public and private sectors, to use their purchasing power to create a positive social and environmental impact.

Key Fund, the UK’s most prolific social investor, makes awards to enterprises that deliver a positive social or environmental impact across the North. Key Fund supported FC United of Manchester to become a community football club owned and democratically run by its members. Key Fund also sponsored FC United’s league match against Worcester City on Friday 2 October 2015.

Sam Tarff, chief executive of Key Fund, said: “We are really excited to play such a large part in such a great national celebration, especially here in Manchester where we have had some truly amazing clients such as FC United. We funded FC United through a community shares pilot, enabling them to launch their own community shares programme which has raised over £2 million.???

“Key Fund is all about supporting local enterprises to grow and perpetuate their social mission for the benefit of their communities. We recognise that social enterprises play a huge part within the current growth of SME’s in the UK, with a third of all SME growth coming from Social Enterprises.???

Adam Brown, board member of FC United Manchester, said: “We want to change how the game is owned and run, putting fans at the heart of the club and to create lasting benefits to the local community. Football brings communities together like no other sport, and yet the way the industry is headed and run is pricing out ordinary fans. We have shown it can be done differently. We’re thrilled to partner with the Key Fund to help raise public awareness that business can be done differently, positively.???

To date, Key Fund has invested almost £40m to hundreds of businesses which stimulate local economies by providing goods and services, jobs, training and work experience. All of Key Fund’s investments go to those turned down by mainstream banks, targeting early stage, high-risk organisations with little track record. All investees however must offer a positive social or environmental impact, whether it’s working with vulnerable people, troubled families, social reform, rehabilitation, community co-operatives or creating green energy or recycling schemes.

Social Saturday will be launched on 10 October 2015 at Central Working in Deansgate, Manchester. The campaign aims to raise awareness of how easy it is to support businesses that trade quality items and services and invest profits in projects supporting the local community, the environment or charities.

For more information on Social Saturday see click here