Nigel Kershaw, chief executive of Big Issue Invest, says too often charity trustees who are enormously skilled in their day jobs lose this edge in board meetings, as they define business as one thing, and charity and philanthropy as another.
 
Kershaw calls these trustees the “6.30 club” – people who make a lot of money, and are skilled and experienced in their day jobs, but switch off when work is finished and  they go off to do philanthropy and charity work in their spare time.
 
Kershaw told civilsociety.co.uk: “You find trustees who are excellent in their day job, but they lose this edge when they are trustees. It’s a culture where you have business, and charity and never the twain will meet. But it’s in that middle space where you create change.
 
“I want the 6.30 club to evolve,” he continued. “I want their business acumen with their heart in the middle space which is about creating social and financial value, and challenging the norms of business which is about maximising return.
 
“It also challenges the philanthropy side of giving it all away. In that middle space you can find the contradiction of philanthropy, business and investment and create innovate solutions through social investment and enterprise.”

Social investment

Elsewhere, Big Issue Invest has recently invested £400,000 into a social enterprise providing vulnerable individuals access to housing and support. 

Housing Action leases properties from landlords in the private sector and sublets them to individuals and families. Tenants typically have acute housing needs and/or a history of homelessness.