“If it hadn't been for the bond, I'd still be on the social. Instead, I'm ambitious now.”

Allia: amplifying impact for people, place and planet

Allia started as a social finance idea within Relationships Foundation in 1995 and was launched as an Industrial and Provident Society in 1999 to issue employment bonds. We’re now a tenant in their Cambridge Future Business Centre.

Allia is dedicated to helping impact ventures to thrive. They support those who aim to make positive impact on people, planet and place – from cleantech to community transformation. Their support ranges from flexible workspace, networking and community; to business support programmes; and social finance & impact investment.

The project was inspired by a number of relational themes: how interest on loans affects relationships between lenders and borrowers; the relational consequences of unemployment; and how to foster local ownership of social problems. The first employment bond in Sheffield raised £800k in five year interest free bonds from local residents and organisations. The capital was then loaned to a housing association, with the capitalised interest available for employment creation projects within Sheffield. The Guardian’s write up describes the impact.