Charlotte Cordingley chairs “Funding the Future” at UKREiiF

Charlotte Cordingley, CEO of Clear Futures, was proud to chair “Funding the Future” at UKREiiF, bringing together partners from across the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, the Office for Investment (OfI) and Sci-Tech Daresbury to explore what makes a strong investment proposition – and how the new Investment Fund can unlock long-term economic, social and environmental value.

The session focused on the importance of clear, compelling projects, early engagement and strong partnerships to turn ambition into deliverable opportunities. It was encouraging to see such a strong focus on how investment can support places to grow in a way that is commercially sound and community-focused.

At Clear Futures, we know that the best outcomes come when strategy, place and partnership are aligned. Conversations like this are essential to helping regions create investable propositions that can move from launch to live opportunity.

Thank you to Steve Rotherham, Katherine Fairclough, Andy Devaney, Helen Creighton and John Leake, and to everyone who contributed to a thoughtful and forward-looking session.

Strategic partnership with Liverpool City Council

Clear Futures and Liverpool City Council began working together to deliver education projects at pace, helping to provide modern learning spaces for local young people.

As the partnership develops, there will be opportunities to drive net zero action and provide strategic support to the Council in line with local priorities.

Clear Futures worked with the Council’s education team to prioritise immediate needs and fast-track the delivery of SEN education projects. As a result, we helped mitigate a potential risk of £25–30m linked to educating children outside the city boundaries.

Clear Futures has also provided dedicated senior capacity to the property team, alongside support with landlord and tenant services and strategic advice on future development opportunities.

Keith Edwards, Partnership Director, Clear Futures, added:

“Sessions like ‘Funding the Future’ at UKREiiF show the real power of investment partnerships. When public sector leaders, investors and place-based organisations come together around clear, compelling projects, we can turn ambition into deliverable opportunities that create lasting economic, social and environmental value.

This partnership approach is already delivering tangible results. Our strategic work with Liverpool City Council on SEND education projects, for example, has helped fast-track modern learning spaces for local young people and mitigated a potential £25–30m risk of educating children outside the city boundaries.

Whether is education, regeneration, carbon reduction, adult social care, temporary accommodation, or many of the other challenges our local authority partners face every day, that’s the kind of outcome you get when strategy, place, need and delivery are fully aligned, and driven within a true partnership approach – and it’s exactly the kind of long-term value that strong investment partnerships can unlock.”