Sun Pier House CIC | NatWest Social & Community Capital
Sun Pier House CIC is a creative arts space and venue split across 3 floors with a big ambition: to enrich lives through arts and heritage.
They focus on supporting vulnerable people in Medway, one of the most deprived areas in the UK. Founded and run by Medway residents, Heather and Ed, Sun Pier House hosts an exhibition gallery, 26 artist studios, a community room, and a café. They work with artists, creative organisations, and anyone who wants to make the world better through cultural engagement.
Heather and Ed are committed to making a positive impact in Medway. Their vision is to make Sun Pier House a fully accessible and inclusive venue that everyone can enjoy.
To make Sun Pier House fully accessible, Ed and Heather launched ‘L!FT OFF,’ an ambitious funding project aimed at installing a lift in their building. The project secured a grant from the Arts Council. but there were still significant challenges. The building work was scheduled to take over six months, meaning reduced income in that time. They still had to pay bills and staff, creating a financial shortfall.
In search of a solution, Ed discovered Social and Community Capital (S&CC), who offered growth funding that was perfectly suited to their needs. “We opted for flexible growth funding to help us cover the shortfall’, Ed explains. “This allowed us to draw the loan in two sections and pay interest only on the amounts we needed and as we needed them.”
Ed was particularly pleased with S&CC’s friendly, empathetic approach: “They’re such a personable team. They really understood our organisation and it’s been so useful to have a representative from S&CC throughout our project.”
The funding from S&CC has been game changing. It solves Sun Pier House's cash flow problem and ensures that they could keep all their staff employed throughout the construction period. This financial stability allows Sun Pier House to continue hosting arts events and workshops. It’s meant they can provide training and support to local artists and build community participation through inclusive programmes.
Looking ahead, Sun Pier House plans to expand its programs and reach even more people. “Thanks to S&CC, Sun Pier House has a bright future ahead!” – Ed and Heather.
Read more about this story and how S&CC enables impact through its investees in our annual impact report: https://sccimpactreport.wordpress.com/