UniCredit London meets Fair Finance: since 2005 the company has been committed to funding individuals and small businesses excluded from mainstream finance. 

2:00 min

Last week UniCredit London Branch welcomed Faisel Rahman, the CEO and founder of Fair Finance, for a sixty-minute webinar which explained how Fair Finance fits into the UK financial services landscape, why there is an enduring need for its services and how it has been impacted by COVID- 19.


Fair Finance is a London-based socially responsible lender tackling financial exclusion in the UK.  UniCredit started supporting Fair Finance in 2013 and has provided more than GBP 2 m of capital to fund Fair Finance’s loans to individuals and small businesses who are excluded from mainstream finance providers and vulnerable to high cost, unregulated and predatory lenders.

The journey of Fair Finance started in 2005 with the aim of providing reasonably priced and responsibly lent microfinance loans and free financial advice: products and services. This was a game changer that not only addressed a problem but actually challenged the industry. 

 

Since 2010, around GBP 30 m has been lent to excluded communities, helping over 50,000 people and supporting over 400 businesses - saving clients over GBP 25 m in saved interest by taking them out of high cost and payday loans.  A key aspect of Fair Finance’s mission is its client profile – an analysis shows that women account for nearly 64% of clients, two/thirds are single mothers, and three/quarters of lending is done in some of the most deprived communities within the UK.

Together with social-minded investors, mainstream institutions and commercial organisations, Fair Finance works towards the long term objective of creating a scalable business which could ultimately challenge the market and stay true to its mission of “designing and delivering financial services to improve the financial wellbeing of our clients”.

"UniCredit London's commitment to Fair Finance started as one of the London branch's Corporate Social Responsibility activities, one of our core values, and we have become a key partner by providing both capital and advice." 

 



Pabarcius Algis, UK Country Head UniCredit

"UniCredit has been a key partner in enabling Fair Finance's growth and impact. Alongside capital to grow our loan book we've been able to access experienced specialists who've help us improve our operations and risk management system as well advice and support to develop our strategy and our plans over the last decade"

 

Faisel Rahman,  CEO and founder of Fair Finance