CAN Breakthrough Funds new Growth

1st November 2011

Categories: Advocacy, Company News,

VoiceAbility secures major social investment from CAN Breakthrough, allowing for 25% growth through new merger and partnership.

VoiceAbility is delighted to announce new investment of £100k from social venture intermediary CAN Breakthrough.

The funding comes as part of a CAN venture philanthropy programme and will support VoiceAbility’s capacity to win new business through innovation and diversification across all the areas it works in. CAN Breakthrough will also be supporting the development of VoiceAbility’s performance and impact measurement systems to help drive new business acquisition. This is a third round of investment from CAN Breakthrough which provides grant matched with management support to scalable social enterprises.

With recent scandals concerning the abuse of residents with learning disabilities fresh in people’s minds, and as public sector and welfare benefit cuts start to bite in earnest, there has never been a greater need for the voices of the poorest and most vulnerable in society to be heard loud and clear, and for their rights to be protected.
Advocates are in the front line, every day, helping those individuals do just that.

But advocacy organisations, along with most charities, are under huge pressure. Many face reductions in funding and closure with average cuts last year to advocacy organisations estimated at 36%. VoiceAbility will use the welcome investment from CAN Breakthrough to support smaller organisations and to ensure a diverse range of services continues.

VoiceAbility believes in making a real difference in as many people’s lives as possible and the CAN Breakthrough investment will help make this goal a reality.
In addition, the funding will provide:

• greater financial sustainability to our mission and our work;
• greater evidence to support our work with policy makers;
• more opportunities for people who use our services to have a say in how those services are delivered;
• more opportunities for our staff to develop and work within a better resourced organisation; and
• examples of our commitment to work positively with partners to achieve the change we all seek.

Two exciting opportunities which has been made possible by the CAN Breakthrough funding are a merger with Suffolk based charity, ESAN and an acquisition of previously privately owned Advocacy Experience in the North West.

Both organisations are leaders in their field and bring with them a wealth of experience in statutory, forensic and community advocacy. You can read more about both organisations here.

It’s an exciting time for all three organisations and a tremendous sense of achievement and opportunity is felt by all.

Jonathan Senker, Chief Executive of VoiceAbility says: “We’re absolutely delighted to be able to support more people, and to be doing so with such great new colleagues. Policy makers rightly emphasise individual choice and control, but set against a background of swinging cuts, unless there is effective advocacy this just isn’t going to happen for the people who need it most. So the need for services like ours has never been greater. With CAN Breakthrough’s backing and support, I’m confident that we can make a real difference to the lives of many more people every year. I’m so pleased to welcome ESAN’s staff to VoiceAbility, and to be working in partnership with the team at Advocacy Experience. I’m certain that together we can achieve so much more that we could alone, and that’s what’s driven these exciting developments.”

Kate Markey, Acting Chief Executive of CAN says:  “VoiceAbility is a highly innovative social enterprise supporting some of society’s most vulnerable people. Their focus on M&A represents an unwavering commitment to protect and scale what are both complex and much-needed advocacy services. CAN Breakthrough applaud VoiceAbility’s vision and we are delighted to continue our support for the organisation.”