Helping people enterprise their way out of poverty
Discover how our Financial Services Regulation team played a critical role in supporting Trust Leeds in their successful FCA application for consumer credit lending.
Our Partnership
Established in 2018, Trust Leeds is a charity working with people to help them improve their lives by building financial independence, confidence and skills. As a charity, it brings the global models of self-reliant groups and micro-finance to improve the wealth and well-being of themselves and their region.
Following a lengthy application process, our Financial Services Regulation team were able to help Trust Leeds submit their application to the FCA, so they could provide consumer credit lending to those that wouldn’t be able to access it from high street banks.
The successful approval of their application by the FCA has allowed Trust Leeds to provide small, ethical, personal loans for business purposes to enterprising people in West Yorkshire who are facing money or credit problems.
It was a privilege to work with the team at Capital Law because they really went beyond the call of duty, and honoured our very limited budget for professional expertise.
They dedicated time, resources and energy in understanding our ecology and making it fit with the rigorous and prescriptive application process.
It felt like we had the weight of the entire Capital Law team behind us, and they were just as thrilled as we were when we achieved this vital milestone. Thank you!
How consumer credit lending has helped Trust Leeds’ members
Following the creation of a basic plan to work out what you could earn for your business ideas, the costs involved and how that fits in with any benefits and Universal Credit, producing a clear business and repayment plan allows the loan from Trust Leeds to seem less daunting and the repayment plan actually achievable.
Hear from some of the members themselves on how Trust Leeds has enabled them to develop their business plans and expand their business.
Geraldine’s Story
Geraldine shares her story of joining Trust Leeds, setting up her own massage and oils business using a £500 loan and how she’s on a mission to empower men and women all around.
Lindsay’s Story
Lindsay explains her story of going from not knowing what a self-reliant group (SRG) was to becoming a SRG facilitator, building her confidence and setting up her own soap making business.
Building financial independence together
Working closely together with Trust Leeds to successfully apply for FCA authorisation has been a very rewarding process. We’ve provided them with an FCA compliant regulatory business plan and ensured they have the necessary processes, systems and governance in place to successfully obtain FCA approval. This ensured that they can move forward with their business plans and help people to effectively get their ideas and businesses off the ground.
The level of support that Trust Leeds is giving – the energy and financial support – to the people who borrow from them, is a model that can be replicated anywhere in the UK. We’re looking forward to continuing our journey together and seeing the charity support even more people to change their lives, by building financial independence with the support of Trust Leeds micro-loans.
Having gone through the process side by side with Liza, the team at Capital Law are here to help if you and your business are thinking about providing lending services and need support in obtaining approval from the FCA.