The UK Social Bond Fund
The UK Social Bond Fund launched in January 2014. Based on a partnership between Big Issue Invest and Columbia Threadneedle Investments, one of the UK’s leading asset managers, the Fund has been established to help bring the mainstream to social investment.
The Fund invests in corporate and charity bonds that are assessed to create social benefits and support more balanced and inclusive economic development, primarily in the UK. The Fund aims to deliver real world social outcomes and impact without sacrificing financial return.
The Fund is available to both retail and institutional investors. Given the nature of its investments, the Fund can provide daily liquidity allowing investors to take out their money at any time. Individual investors can invest from £2000 and the Fund qualifies as an ISA investment.
Big Issue Invest is engaged with the Fund in three ways:
- Big Issue Invest provides core elements of the Social Assessment Methodology which is used by the Fund Manager to assess the social performance potential of individual bonds.
- Through membership of the Social Advisory Committee (SAC), Big Issue Invest reviews, advises and challenges on the social characteristics, assessments of and developments around bonds and sectors.
- Big Issue Invest monitors and assesses the Fund’s overall social performance and publishes this Annual Social Performance Review.