An alternative business lender in the West Midlands has donated thousands to local charities during the coronavirus pandemic.
BCRS Business Loans, which supports businesses right across the West Midlands that are unable to access finance from traditional lenders, has donated £4,000 to charitable organisations.
So far, eight charities have been supported via donations, including: Beacon Vision; Black Country Foodbank; Cannock Foodbank; Compton Care; The Haven; Kidderminster Foodbank; Russell’s Hall Hospital and The Well Wolverhampton.
Stephen Deakin, CEO of BCRS Business Loans, said:
“As a non-profit distributing lender, we lend with intentional impact and believe that SMEs are a force for good within the communities they operate within. But we also wanted to extend our support to local charities, whose services have been so vital during this pandemic.
“More people than ever before are relying on charities but, as demand has surged, income continues to fall, which is why we decided to donate £4,000 split between eight charities. Foodbanks, for example, saw demand for their services double in the first month of lockdown.
“We understand the difficulties charities face on very tight budgets, so we wanted our donation to signify our unwavering support for them and the amazing work they all do.”
Lucy Owen, Community Fundraiser at The Haven Wolverhampton, one of the charities to receive a donation from BCRS, said:
“On behalf of all staff, board members, volunteers and most importantly, women and children at The Haven Wolverhampton, we would like to send a heartfelt thanks for BCRS’ extremely kind and generous donation of £500 as part of our Covid-19 appeal.
“For many women and children across the country, their home is not a safe place and instead is a place of immense fear as they have to isolate with an abuser. At a time when it is more difficult to see our friends or family, we want to ensure that these women and their children have someone they can turn to and still get the support they need by ensuring we keep our services operating.”
BCRS Business Loans offer loans from £10,000 to £150,000 to support businesses across the West Midlands that are unable to access finance from traditional lenders. As an accredited lender for the Government’s Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), BCRS has already delivered over £3.8 million to 55 businesses since going live with the scheme on 7th April.
To discover more about BCRS Business Loans visit www.bcrs.org.uk.
