About Citylife
What is Citylife?
Citylife works across the UK to tackle social, economic and intellectual exclusion. It issues social investment mechanisms (otherwise known as charitable financial instruments) to enable organisations, businesses and local people to finance solutions to counter disadvantage in their own communities.
Its core belief is that all people should have access to the choices that will enable them to improve their own lives and make a lasting contribution to their local communities.
Its vision is for a society where relationships matter: where communities and neighbourhoods are good places in which to live, work and learn, where all members of society have access to the choices that will enable them to feel physically safe, financially secure, at peace with their neighbours, valued as part of their community and willing to balance personal gain with community benefit.
Citylife is an independent charitable organisation, incorporated as an Industrial and Provident Society. The benefits it delivers include:
• helping excluded individuals get into employment and enterprise
• regenerating social, economic and intellectual capital
• alleviating crime, poverty, urban neglect and other unemployment related issues
• helping excluded individuals get into employment and enterprise
• regenerating social, economic and intellectual capital
• alleviating crime, poverty, urban neglect and other unemployment related issues
How does Citylife raise funds?
In order to deliver its vision, Citylife raises funds in three ways - membership, donations and selling Bonds. Each leads ultimately to community benefit (as opposed to member benefit, as is the case in many Industrial and Provident Societies).
What is the Citylife legacy?
Our legacy is financial, social and economic. In philosophical terms it is a stronger sense of mutual solidarity within the communities where we work, places that are becoming known as 'Relational Cities', responsible for and supporting poor and disadvantaged people.
Citylife is run by a board of directors elected at an annual general meeting by its members using a one-member one-vote ballot system.
£10m of investor's funds has released an estimated £25m of leveraged or matched funds from European Union and UK Government, amongst other sources, resulting in a combined total of over £35m being invested in local communities.
Our legacy is financial, social and economic. In philosophical terms it is a stronger sense of mutual solidarity within the communities where we work, places that are becoming known as 'Relational Cities', responsible for and supporting poor and disadvantaged people.
Who runs Citylife?
Citylife is run by a board of directors elected at an annual general meeting by its members using a one-member one-vote ballot system.
Directors act as charitable trustees. The current list can be viewed here: http://www.citylifeltd.org/page/9/the-team.htm.
Helping Society to Work - Citylife helping communities
£10m of investor's funds has released an estimated £25m of leveraged or matched funds from European Union and UK Government, amongst other sources, resulting in a combined total of over £35m being invested in local communities.
To date 3630 unemployed people have been provided with advice, support and training and around 1,000 people have been helped into existing jobs. Over 200 people have been helped to start new businesses and thereby creating further jobs.
Relational impacts
Relationship building is a key driver of our work, both in terms of our overall ethos, but also as a way of communicating effectively with our supporters.
We believe that relationships – the connections that create trust, loyalty, cooperation and support are the key to well-being for individuals, organisations and the economy. These connections are frequently under-valued and constantly facing pressure from cultural trends and economic demands. This why our Bonds are so effective in bridging financial and relational gaps in communities and have become such an essential tool countering disadvantage in society.
Citylife’s Bonds have attracted over 1300 supporters ranging from personal investors, corporate investors, community groups and trusts. They have all chosen to invest their money for the benefit of their communities, and in doing so have strengthened cross-community relationships and helped to bridge the divide between those who have and those who have not.
Who else supports Citylife or its Bonds?
Citylife has built support from a wide range of individuals, companies and charities that share a common concern for those excluded from the economic prosperity (and social, health and general well-being that goes with it) that is enjoyed by most of the country.
For example:
• Grant makers and foundations including Reg Vardy, Maurice Laing, The Goldsmiths Company, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Esmée Fairbairn, World In Need, Charities Aid Foundation, Bridge House Estates, Coalfields Regeneration Trust, Church In Society, Sir Halley Stewart, Allen Lane, Garfield Weston, Carnegie and The Church Burgess Trust
• Financial Institutions including Northern Rock, Cazenove, Nomura, Close Bros, RBC Capital Markets, Winterflood Securities, Bradford & Bingley, Principality Building Society, Royal Bank of Scotland, HSBC and Cattles.
• Professions including Allen & Overy, Taylor Vinters, Eversheds, Cameron McKenna, KPMG, Mazars, Irwin Mitchell and DLA Piper Rudnick
• Businesses across the UK including Diageo, Sage Software, Canary Wharf, Trinity Mirror, Fenwicks, Hays Travel, Braun, Northumbrian Water, Boots, Greggs the Bakers, Kier Group, Hammerson and British Land.
• Grant makers and foundations including Reg Vardy, Maurice Laing, The Goldsmiths Company, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Esmée Fairbairn, World In Need, Charities Aid Foundation, Bridge House Estates, Coalfields Regeneration Trust, Church In Society, Sir Halley Stewart, Allen Lane, Garfield Weston, Carnegie and The Church Burgess Trust
• Financial Institutions including Northern Rock, Cazenove, Nomura, Close Bros, RBC Capital Markets, Winterflood Securities, Bradford & Bingley, Principality Building Society, Royal Bank of Scotland, HSBC and Cattles.
• Professions including Allen & Overy, Taylor Vinters, Eversheds, Cameron McKenna, KPMG, Mazars, Irwin Mitchell and DLA Piper Rudnick
• Businesses across the UK including Diageo, Sage Software, Canary Wharf, Trinity Mirror, Fenwicks, Hays Travel, Braun, Northumbrian Water, Boots, Greggs the Bakers, Kier Group, Hammerson and British Land.