Airedale House is a mixed-use retail and office building in Leeds city centre Since buying the building in 2013, Bridges has completed an environmentally-led refurbishment and boosted occupancy substantially The property has been acquired by GM Legato Property, an investment company set up by Yorkshire-based businessman Graham Goodwin The price reflects a net initial yield […]
Read moreThanks to our friends at Big Society Capital, Bridges has made a short film about the foster care programme our Social Impact Bond Fund is financing in Birmingham. The film explains how Core Assets is helping to move at-risk young people out of residential care and into secure foster placements, with the help of a […]
Read moreCASA is an employee-owned social enterprise providing high-quality domiciliary health and social care Its model has given it a competitive advantage in retaining staff and securing contracts Care hours and revenues have nearly quadrupled during Bridges’ investment period Its strong growth has now enabled it to raise a second round of social investment Bridges Ventures […]
Read moreThe Daily Mail’s Career Mail section recently featured the story of James Smith, the 24-year-old general manager of The Gym Group’s Eastbourne branch. James is a great example of how The Gym likes to train and promote its own staff. After joining The Gym Brighton in a work experience role in 2011, he completed the […]
Read moreThe Bridges Sustainable Property Fund completed the sale of Airedale House – a mixed retail and office property in Leeds city centre – to GM Legato Property for £6.625m, reflecting a net initial yield of 8%. Under Bridges’ ownership, the property went through a substantial environmentally-led refurbishment, including the installation of solar photovoltaic panels on […]
Read moreThis Stanford Social Innovation Review article outlines some of the practices and methodologies used by Bridges and other impact investors to measure social impact alongside financial return. Based on an independent research project carried out by students at Harvard Business School, the authors argue that the ultimate objectives of impact measurement can be divided into four […]
Read moreThe UK’s ageing population and rise in chronic illnesses are driving increasing demand for medicines and associated healthcare services, placing ever-greater pressure on primary care provision within the NHS. The Hub pharmacy is a new community pharmacy group that aims to improve local health outcomes by providing preventative health services in underserved areas. Additional services […]
Read moreBabington Group helps to combat the skills shortage in the UK with its growing offering of high-quality apprenticeships and skills training in a variety of sectors, such as finance and accountancy, health and social care, retail and property services. While backed by Bridges, Babington supported over 32,000 learners, and helped over 3,700 formerly unemployed people […]
Read moreBridges is redeveloping 6 East Parade, a previously vacant office building in Leeds city centre, in partnership with Evenacre. The refurbishment will see the installation of a variety of energy-efficiency measures, reducing the building’s carbon footprint as well as costs to tenants, most of which will be small to medium enterprises. 6EP will also support […]
Read moreWe are delighted to announce that the Bridges Social Sector Funds won two (out of five) awards at the prestigious Cabinet Office Social Investment Awards 2016. Now in their second year, these awards are intended to “highlight the innovation and dedication of world-leading social investors and enterprises”. The Bridges Social Entrepreneurs Fund (SEF) won the […]
Read moreIn a piece for The Guardian, Tim Smedley explores how charities have found the experience of operating within a social impact bond structure. Kieran Gordon, chief executive of Career Connect, is among those to share his experiences of working on a SIB-funded programme – discussing the challenges of pricing outcomes, the added flexibility within service […]
Read moreThe Hub pharmacy, a community pharmacy group backed by the Bridges Sustainable Growth Fund III, has continued its buy-and-build strategy by acquiring its 11th site: the Market Street, Hyde branch of HBS Pharmacy. The branch is an excellent fit within the Hub group as it already offers a number of community-focused health services. Under its […]
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