Member Article

Funding initiative delivers over £1m to Liverpool’s female entrepreneurs

Liverpool-based The Women’s Organisations has revealed it has provided over £1m in loans to female founded businesses across the region to support their business ventures in a range of different sectors and industries.

Over the past 18 months the organisation has secured £1.09m for 40 enterprises ranging from everything including a discount clothing shop to a coaching academy to improve women’s access into the media industry.

Linked to the Enterprise Hub programme, The Women’s Organisation works with other businesses support agencies to deliver loans to local businesses, with financial packages ranging from £1,500 to £70,000.

According to the group, 34 of the 40 loans were for startup clients, providing a total of £434k to help their founders get the endeavours off the ground, with a further six loans for existing businesses totalling £656k.

Maggie O’Carroll, The Women’s Organisation co-founder and chief executive, said: ““Small businesses are often under-capitalised from the beginning of their journey, and this hampers their ability to sustain and grow.

“These investment figures demonstrate that, with the correct advice and support, small businesses can access the right level of start-up capital, which will get them off to a good start.”

Businesses to benefit include Ngunan Adamu who set up iWoman, an academy to teach women about journalism and broadcasting; Claire Meaghan’s discount clothing shop Dovey Dolls, and Cheryl Grogan’s AJ Play Days in Liverpool.