Finance provider reveals new look as it celebrates £1.3M in loans
A specialist finance and business support provider has revealed a new look after helping individuals and businesses in Coventry and Warwickshire access vital funding for nearly 20 years.
Coventry and Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust (CWRT) has been supporting individuals and businesses primarily in Coventry and Warwickshire since it started operating in 2004.
It has rebranded and unveiled a new-look website after an especially successful last year of growth.
CWRT lent £1.8 million over the last year through the Recovery Loan Scheme after being accredited by the British Business Bank to businesses in need, and won a £10 million contract to deliver the Local Communities and Enterprise fund (LCE) – which was a new finance strand from the Warwickshire Recovery Investment Fund launched by Warwickshire County Council in June 2022.
To date, CWRT has lent over £1.3 million to new and existing businesses through the fund.
During the last year, it has also taken on additional members of staff to meet the demand for business loans and support in Coventry and Warwickshire.
Sheridan Sulskis, CEO of CWRT, said: “This is an exciting time for CWRT, especially with our rebrand. We wanted to make sure that our brand better reflects our values, mission and ethos.
“Not only have we improved our image, but we have also improved our application process to further help break down barriers for start-ups and businesses who need to access the right support and finance.
“In addition, the incredible achievement of lending £1m through the LCE Fund has been a great achievement. We’ve supported a range of micro and small businesses to obtain the finance they need to get started and also established businesses to put their growth plans into action.
“The team at CWRT is looking forward to supporting many more SMEs across Coventry and Warwickshire and together, helping to boost the local economy.”
LCE has supported a variety of business projects including developing a fitness app, industrial hardware, supporting cashflow, covering start-up and legal costs of business operations along with many others.
CWRT recently invested in vision planning for the organisation to help define their values and vision for the next three years through Emma Cowling from Excellence Executive, who provided coaching, training and facilitation to leaders and executives to transform the business.
Emma said: “Their collaboration, problem solving and appetite for a future for the people they serve is impressive to say the least, and I am excited to see the future CWRT creates from this firm foundation, and the change and opportunities they bring to those that need them most.”
Angele Gulbinaite, Marketing Officer at CWRT, added: “Creating a new look was a demanding task that required multiple meetings and revisions, but in the end, it was worth the while as our new website is more user-friendly and represents the company’s mission better.
“It was important for the CWRT to reflect its values and represent its vision clearly.
“The new website showcases previous clients’ success stories and important news that could provide useful insights to the local businesses as well as more in-depth information about CWRT’s services.”
Cllr Martin Watson, portfolio holder for economy at Warwickshire County Council, said: “These are very exciting times for CWRT and I am delighted to hear of its development. The work that the Trust is doing with the County Council on the Local Community Enterprise fund is making a huge difference to our communities with the support being provided to local groups and businesses. I look forward to some of the case studies appearing on the website and showing what is happening, or what could happen, in our local communities through the fund.”
