Access helps charities and social enterprises become financially sustainable and reach more people.

Our vision and mission

We want an investment ecosystem that works for all charities and social enterprises and helps create stronger communities.

Access helps charities and social enterprises get the finance they need to make a difference. Together with our partners, we ensure they have the means to sustain or scale their impact.

Designed to ‘disrupt’ the existing social investment market and widen its reach into places and communities that were previously excluded, we target organisations that need patient and flexible investment by:

Funding blended finance and enterprise development programmes in England.
Sharing knowledge and data and translating it into practical insight that others can use.
Mobilising others who share our goal of making capital work for communities.

Our history

Access was established in 2015. It was created in response to evidence that growth in the social investment market was not meeting the needs of many charities and social enterprises.

Appropriate finance was often unavailable. Investments were either too risky, too small, or structured in ways that did not meet organisations’ needs. Support to develop enterprise models was patchy and under-resourced.

Our strategy

We support a range of tools – from grants to investments – to help charities and social enterprises grow their trading income, strengthen their resilience, and access social investment that works for them.

We do this by building a social investment market fit for the future – one that delivers the right kind of finance to grassroots organisations, particularly in underserved places and communities.

A small number of strategic themes drive our work:

Demonstrating the value of blended finance – By combining grants with repayable finance into a blended package, we enable intermediaries to provide smaller-scale, higher-risk, more patient and flexible finance that meets the needs of a broad range of charities and social enterprises, particularly smaller organisations or those working in disadvantaged areas.
Championing enterprise development – By supporting charities and social enterprises to develop enterprise models, we help organisations to find a more secure financial footing and build a more sustainable and resilient sector, better placed to meet the evolving needs of communities.
Insight and advocacy – Our impact lies not just in the programmes we fund, but in our influence over the broader social investment ecosystem. Increasingly, our focus is on sharing the learning we have generated, and mobilising partners – including mainstream investors, foundations and infrastructure bodies – to strengthen the wider social investment ecosystem.
Investing for social impact and financial return – In our operating model, we seek to maximise opportunities to generate impact. Most significantly, we invest our expendable endowment and other funds to achieve social impact alongside a financial return. These returns help fund our grant-making and increase the endowment’s overall impact over time.

Discover more about the images in the banner by clicking on the links below:

Kashmir Youth Project – social investment enabled Rochdale-based community organisation, KYP, to rebuild their expertise and track record post-Covid to the point where they could secure funding again.

IndiRock – social investment enabled IndiRock transform an empty unit in Southend’s Victoria Shopping Centre into a vibrant community hub, bouldering wall and coffee shop.

Sewing Rooms – social investment helped Lancashire-based social enterprise, The Sewing Rooms, to navigate Covid-19 and the Cost-of-Living crisis.

In summary, the Chair, together with the Board of Trustees, will:

Shape and drive the strategy of Access to deliver an investment ecosystem that works for all charities and social enterprises, helping to create stronger communities,
Guide, support and monitor the work of the Chief Executive and senior leadership team,
Ensure legal compliance, including with regulatory requirements, or contractual or restricted grant arrangements,
Promote the work of Access externally; and
Ensure the proper management and administration of the charity.

Principal Responsibilities

Strategic leadership of Access

Provide leadership of the Board of Trustees and ensure that Trustees fulfil their duties and responsibilities to provide effective governance of the charity.
Ensure that the Board operates within the charitable objectives of Access and sets a clear strategic direction for the organisation.
Ensure effective monitoring of the overall performance of the charity and ensure that the charity satisfies all regulatory and legal compliance requirements.
Ensure that the Board can regularly review major risks and satisfy itself that systems are in place to manage and mitigate these risks within the organisation’s risk appetite.
Ensure that the Board fulfils its duties to ensure sound financial health of the charity, with systems in place to ensure financial accountability.
Ensure that Access delivers clear public benefit and remains faithful to its charitable purpose and values in all strategic decisions.
Act as an ambassador for Access, representing the charity externally where appropriate, including with key stakeholders, partners, funders, regulators and government, in support of the organisation’s charitable objectives.
Ensure that serious incidents are identified, addressed promptly, and reported to regulators as required, and that the Board maintains an effective relationship with relevant regulatory bodies.

Manage the efficiency and effectiveness of the Board of Trustees

Chair meetings of the Board of Trustees effectively and efficiently, working with the Trustees to ensure they are fully engaged and that decisions are taken in the best, long-term interests of the charity and that the Board takes collective ownership of these decisions.
Work closely with the Chief Executive to ensure meetings are well planned, meaningful and reflect the key responsibilities of Trustees.
Ensure that the governance arrangements of the charity are working in the most effective way for the performance of the organisation.
Ensure that the Board of Trustees is regularly refreshed and incorporates the right balance of skills and experience, and reflects the sectors Access seeks to serve.
Work within all policies adopted by Access.
Ensure that Trustees act reasonably, always act in the interests of the charity, and comply with the charity’s code of governance.
To challenge and develop any Trustees failing in their duties.
Ensure that appropriate policies and assurance mechanisms are in place relating to safeguarding, equality, diversity and inclusion, and ethical conduct, and that these are implemented effectively across the organisation.
Lead the Board’s approach to succession planning, ensuring leadership continuity and organisational resilience.

Ensure an effective and supportive relationship with the Chief Executive and wider staff team

Support the Chief Executive, respect the boundaries between the two roles, and ensure that the Board focuses on its responsibilities and allows the Chief Executive and staff team to focus on the operational management of the organisation.
Hold the Chief Executive to account, ensuring that they are clear about the key performance indicators to which they will be held accountable, and conduct an annual appraisal and remuneration review for the Chief Executive in consultation with other Trustees.
Ensure regular contact with the Chief Executive and develop and maintain an open and supportive relationship within which each can speak openly about concerns, worries and challenges.
Support the Chief Executive in continuing to foster Access’s culture as an open, responsive, and genuinely collaborative organisation.
Provide visible Board leadership to staff, supporters and members, working closely with the Chief Executive, including attending formal and informal meetings, events and visits as appropriate.

Discover more about the images in the banner by clicking on the links below:

Africawad – social investment enabled Africawad to expend its business supporting African British women in Tyne and Wear who face barriers to employment.

Collaborative Women – social investment enabled Collaborative Women, a CIC providing housing and support to women in crisis in Trafford to grow and expand.

Doncaster Refurbish – social investment has enabled multi-award-winning social enterprise to expand its work with prisoners and young offenders.

You should be able to demonstrate and provide evidence of the following criteria within your documentation.

To be successful in this role you should have:

A proven track record of successful strategic leadership.
Sophisticated understanding of governance with experience of board development.
Significant experience and understanding of how to engage effectively with a wide range of decision makers, policy and opinion formers.
Significant experience of providing guidance and appropriate support and challenge to a Chief Executive.
Significant financial and commercial acumen, ideally within the third sector, with a strong appreciation of risk management.
Significant experience of shaping strategy, driving change and organisational development.
Superb communication skills with the ability to inform and engage a wide range of audiences, and to speak publicly about the work of Access.
Experience of developing, maintaining, and sustaining partnerships with key stakeholders.
A strong alignment with and commitment to the vision, mission and values of Access.
Enthusiasm, integrity, passion, energy and time to commit to the role.

Discover more about the images in the banner by clicking on the links below:

IndiRock – social investment enabled IndiRock transform an empty unit in Southend’s Victoria Shopping Centre into a vibrant community hub, bouldering wall and coffee shop.

Sewing Rooms – social investment helped Lancashire-based social enterprise, The Sewing Rooms, to navigate Covid-19 and the Cost-of-Living crisis.

Discover more about the images in the banner by clicking on the links below:

Africawad – social investment enabled Africawad to expend its business supporting African British women in Tyne and Wear who face barriers to employment.

Collaborative Women – social investment enabled Collaborative Women, a CIC providing housing and support to women in crisis in Trafford to grow and expand.

Doncaster Refurbish – social investment has enabled multi-award-winning social enterprise to expand its work with prisoners and young offenders.

To apply for this role, please provide the following documents:

An up-to-date CV. Please submit a PDF document labelled ‘CV’ with your name and the role title.
A supporting statement. Please submit a PDF document (maximum two pages) that outlines your interest in this particular organisation and role, and your fit against the essential experience criteria set out in the person specification and role description. Please label this document ‘Supporting Statement’ with your name and the role title.
A completed diversity monitoring form on the application link.

If you would like to know more about the role or selection process, please contact Paddy Pamment from our Executive Search partners, Green Park by emailing Paddy.Pamment@green-park.co.uk.

Please submit your application by 11:59pm Monday 25th May 2026.

Our vision and mission

Our history

Our strategy

Principal Responsibilities

2025-2028 Strategy

Quadrennial Review

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Latest Endowment Report

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