Making finance accessible: with NatWest Social & Community Capital

What does it really take to get money to the organisations that need it most? What happens when funders start by listening instead of just lending?

NatWest Social & Community Capital (S&CC) is a charity supported by NatWest to help social enterprises, charities and community businesses. The purpose of S&CC is to provide support to businesses set up to tackle important social issues. They do this through offering financial and business support to social enterprises, and by creating partnerships that actively grow and promote the social enterprise sector.

In this interview, we speak with Brendan Hegarty from S&CC about helping social enterprises, charities and community businesses access the right finance at the right time. From trust-based relationships to flexible funding, Brendan reflects on why understanding an organisation's needs matters just as much as the capital itself - and how thoughtful partnerships are helping create more inclusive access to social finance.

We also speak with Associate Preuk Jirasarunya about his placement with S&CC where he worked on everything from complex social lending transactions to impact reporting and legal analysis. He shares how the experience reshaped his understanding of what it takes to finance lasting social change - and why patience, technical expertise and genuine relationships all play an essential role.

Brendan, tell us about a specific moment when you thought “this is why we do what we do”.

One moment that really stayed with me was during a check-in call with a local charity we had supported with a flexible loan tailored to their needs, alongside exploring longer-term support through REACH. They had previously struggled to access funding and had been turned away by a number of other providers. A few months after working with us, the founder reflected:

“To be really honest we tried so many avenues… NatWest S&CC was really our last hope… Meeting Brendan and learning more about NatWest’s approach was a breath of fresh air… especially discovering that we didn’t require nor were ready for social investment, but were actually looking for a Grant Bridging Loan—which no-one else had suggested.”

That really landed for me. What made the difference wasn’t just providing funding, but taking the time to understand what they actually needed and offering the right form of finance at the right moment.

It was a clear reminder that this is why we do what we do. Not just to provide capital, but to open up access to the right capital, giving organisations the confidence, clarity, and support they need to move forward.

Preuk, what were you working on day to day at S&CC, and what surprised you about it?

I had the opportunity to be closely involved in a range of interesting matters from day one, whether it be preparing credit applications, running legal analysis, evaluating funding panel discussions, considering impact measurement and impact reporting or even portfolio data analysis on CRM - each day was a varied experience.

While I had the expectation that front-line social lending involved more direct interaction with investees, one thing that surprised me was how NatWest S&CC consistently delivered their financial acumen and technical expertise with an incredibly grounded, human and tailored approach that was truly meaningful to the organisations they support.

It was amazing to see the direct impact of the work that every team member at NatWest S&CC (CEO Victoria Papworth and Loans Officers Brendan Hegarty & Tracy Thomson) had on many communities and individuals’ lives. The team created significant and lasting positive changes through the financings they deployed. The consistently positive feedback that investees give NatWest S&CC is testament to the team’s work.

Brendan, what relationships, partnerships or communities have been valuable in helping S&CC navigate change and create impact?

Partnerships have been central to how we’ve evolved and deepened our impact over the past few years.

A key example is our collaboration with Do It Now Now (DiNN), where we worked together to co-design and deliver investment readiness support for Black-led and global majority-led organisations. DiNN brought deep community insight, and trust while we contributed our experience in structuring flexible finance fit for their needs.

What made that partnership particularly effective was a shared commitment to equity and a willingness to design collaboratively, rather than apply a one-size-fits-all model.

More broadly, relationships with sector peers, intermediaries, and community organisations have been invaluable in helping us stay responsive, particularly in periods of uncertainty. They’ve strengthened our understanding of where need is greatest and helped us adapt how we deploy capital in a more inclusive and impactful way.

Brendan, can you tell us about a project or challenge where Preuk made a significant contribution?

Our experience of working with On Purpose Associates has consistently shown the value of bringing in individuals with diverse skillsets and perspectives. While the programme is designed to expose Associates to new areas, we have also been intentional about drawing on the expertise they already bring.

Preuk made a particularly strong contribution across several areas. He played a key role in the design and delivery of our in-person Funding Panel day, including leading the opening session. This helped set the context for the day, positioning where NatWest S&CC sits within the wider funding landscape and drawing comparisons between social investment and commercial lending, particularly in terms of risk appetite and default expectations. This framing helped create a more informed and focused discussion among participants.

Alongside this, Preuk contributed to our credit processes by supporting on a live application, reviewing the legal agreements in place and subsequently undertaking a broader review of our loan documentation. This led to recommendations to create a more consistent approach across agreements, tailored to different loan structures and products.

He also played an integral role in gathering and analysing data from our customers, which fed directly into our annual Impact Report, strengthening how we evidence and communicate our impact.

Preuk, what did your time at NatWest S&CC teach you about what it really takes to create change?

I saw first-hand that it takes an incredible amount of commitment to create impact. It also takes humanity and a whole range of technical and personal skills to be able to do the types of financing that NatWest S&CC does.

Victoria, Brendan and Tracy are incredible advocates for impact and the lives of others, and this comes through in how they tirelessly champion their projects, particularly when the investment is not easy but is needed. Their impact focus, backed by solid financial analysis, is something they consistently deliver to NatWest S&CC’s funding panel and investment committees

I also saw how impactful change requires a unique kind of patience and understanding - real personal connections, a deep understanding of their investees’ enterprises and long-term relationships with founders are also a cornerstone of NatWest S&CC’s success. These perspectives were very valuable and will inform and strengthen the way I work and engage with many people in the future.

Brendan, what's something you tried that didn't go to plan?

One of our key learnings has been that making finance available doesn’t automatically make it accessible.

Earlier on, we assumed that offering flexible funding would naturally lead to a more diverse range of organisations accessing support. In practice, uptake from underrepresented groups was lower than we had anticipated.

What we came to understand was that the barriers were not just financial, they were also about trust, awareness, and how relevant or approachable our offer felt.

In response, we shifted our approach, working more closely with community partners, adapting how we communicate, introducing products that better reflect the needs we were seeing, and pairing funding with tailored support through intentional collaborations.

This experience reinforced a key lesson for us: if you want to reach different communities, you need to design differently, co-design rather than expecting them to adapt to existing systems.

Brendan, what advice would you give to another organisation navigating uncertainty and change?

A few things we’ve learned:

• Stay close to the communities you serve
  • Frontline organisations and beneficiaries often see change before it shows up in data. Staying connected helps you respond earlier and more effectively.
• Build in flexibility
  • Whether in funding structures, delivery models, or timelines, flexibility allows you to adapt when circumstances shift.
• Draw on diverse perspectives and expertise
  • Surrounding yourself with people who bring different experiences and ways of thinking can challenge assumptions and provide clearer direction. In uncertain environments, leaning on trusted partners and collaborators often leads to better decisions and more effective processes.

Overrated vs underrated?

Brendan

Overrated: Innovation buzzwords, scale in isolation

Underrated: Trust-based relationships, listening to communities, intentional collaborations, strong governance.

Preuk

Overrated: preconceived notion that the economics won’t work; too risky

Underrated: commitment to impact, commitment to people

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We’re now recruiting organisations to act as placement hosts for the October 2026 programme. If you're interested in hosting an Associate, book a call with Leah to find out more.