Organisation overview

The Archer Project (formally known as Cathedral Archer Project) is a Sheffield based day service supporting people at risk of and experiencing homelessness.

Established in the 1980s, as a response to the rising levels of homelessness and poverty in Sheffield offering breakfast service by the cathedral, it has grown into a holistic organisation offering engagement, stabilisation, and fulfilment programmes that help people move from street homelessness into settled lives.

In 2016, the organisation launched, Just Works, a “next step” programme that creates employment pathways through its social enterprises, including printing, catering and cleaning.

Why social investment

Homeless Link supported the organisation to access grant funding through the Enterprise Development Grant programme to develop its social enterprises and improve trading income opportunities.

In 2019, the Homeless Link Social Investment came at a critical time for the organisation to support three areas:

  • increase internal administration and fundraising capacity
  • restructure services
  • invest in growing the organisation’s social enterprises

The organisation was unable to secure grant funding to develop the above activities. During a supportive conversation with Homeless Link, the organisation was encouraged to consider social investment.

The organisation received,

  • a £120,000 loan at 8% interest rate over 48 months, with interest only repayments in year one.
  • a £30,000 grant

Why it worked

With social investment, the organisation:

  • expanded fundraising and administrative capacity, invested in staff, systems, branding, governance and corporate relationships
  • recruited staff to grow its social enterprises as part of its charitable offer
  • strengthened and refined its service delivery model

The loan’s flexible repayment terms helped the organisation manage a period of declining income while focusing on frontline delivery and long‑term planning.

Social investment formed part of the organisation’s income diversification strategy, which included corporate fundraising, crowd funding, event fundraising, grants and income from online sales.

Outcomes and impact

As a result of the investment, The Archer Project is now in a stronger financial and strategic position. Social investment helped the organisation to:

  • Increase reserves and diversify income streams
  • Build capacity to support frontline services and future development
  • Support 849 individuals, including 25 people into employment within the organisation or with partners
  • Improve resilience to withstand short-term shocks and seize long-term opportunities. In turn, improve ability to plan for the future and adapt to changing trends
  • Develop systems to improve day services

“Social investment was a step-change for the charity. It has the power to foster resilience, growth and to increase social impact, ultimately improving the lives of people experiencing homelessness”, Tim Renshaw, CEO, Archer Project

Key learning for other organisations supporting people experiencing homelessness

  • Learn the language of social investment and engage confidently with investors
  • Bring trustees with you and build shared understanding of the risks and opportunities of social investment

What is a social enterprise

A social enterprise is a business that earns money through selling products or services, to solve a social or environmental problem, not just to make profit. It still earns money like any other business, but it reinvests a significant portion of its profits into its mission