Mayors urged to harness new partnership model to deliver local renewal and better lives in Britain’s regions
New report funded by The Rigby Foundation outlines how greater partnership between mayoral authorities and philanthropists can help tackle Britain’s biggest challenges
Targeted philanthropic investments could help mayors mobilise more than £100 billion in purpose-driven investment to improve housing, skills and opportunities in local communities, according to a major new report from AchieveGood and the Impact Economy, funded by The Rigby Foundation.
The report, Partnering for Place: How mayoral combined authorities can mobilise philanthropy and the wider impact economy to deliver local priorities, moves beyond discussions about funding levels to provide a practical guide for mayors, their teams and place partners to improve daily life across the UK - from better housing and skills to more resilient high streets. It builds on previous analysis, which identified the scale of ‘impact capital’, meaning investment from philanthropy, social investors and institutions such as pension funds that is deliberately aligned with social outcomes alongside financial returns.
Developed by AchieveGood and the Impact Economy Collective, the research shows that the path to regional renewal lies in a mobilisation mindset. This approach uses local leadership to bring together the flexibility of philanthropy, the creativity of purpose-driven enterprise, and the scale of social investment to meet the long-term needs of local people.
Partnering for Place has highlighted three crucial areas for successful partnerships:
● Capability: Regions benefit from internal skills to engage partners, broker complex multi-sector collaborations, and structure the finance needed for local projects.
● Visibility: Strategic invitations to contribute built into regional Growth Plans and public narratives can inspire new donors and investors to partner with local leaders.
● Infrastructure: Dedicated, well-staffed local organisations, such as Community Foundations, provide the continuity needed to hold funds and local knowledge across political cycles.
Satvir Kaur MP, Parliamentary Secretary Cabinet Office, said:
"I am incredibly grateful to the Impact Economy Collective for this report. As a council leader, I saw what was possible when public services, philanthropists, businesses and communities pulled in the same direction.
I know first-hand that the barriers this report identifies are real: too little visibility in regional strategies, too much dependence on personal relationships, and too little infrastructure to sustain partnerships across political cycles. But they are addressable. That is why the Government established the Office for the Impact Economy. We aim to create the conditions for philanthropy, impact investment and purpose-driven businesses to grow, and to make partnership between these sectors and government easier. The pioneers in this report have shown what is possible. The task is now to make their example the norm, not the exception."
Stephanie Peacock MP, Minister for Sport, Tourism, Civil Society and Youth, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, said:
"One month on from the launch of Our Place to Give, this report provides the essential implementation blueprint we need. We want to make it easier than ever for philanthropists to give back to the places that shaped them. By integrating the wider impact economy into their Local Growth Plans, mayors can bring in the new ideas and resources required to solve the challenges of the next decade."
Lord Stockwood, Minister for Investment, Department for Business and Trade and HM Treasury, said:
"My own experience of backing renewal in post-industrial towns has convinced me that there is real appetite among private investors to do far more than generate a financial return - they want to be part of something lasting in the places they care about. What has been missing is the local architecture to receive and direct that energy productively. This report gives mayors a practical blueprint for building exactly that infrastructure, unlocking a significant and largely untapped source of patient, purpose-driven capital to sit alongside government investment for the long term."
Helen Godwin, Mayor for the West of England, said:
"The West of England is proud to be the country's fastest-growing regional economy - where we're determined that growth works for every community, not just some. The impact economy is ready to play a much bigger role in building that brighter future across the UK, and impact investors BBRC remain a key part of the team, making the case for the investment that the West of England needs. It is clear that Partnering for Place is a must-read report, showing how, in this new era of devolution, mayors can connect national ambition, local knowledge, and private capital, helping deliver lasting change for the people we serve."
Steve Rigby, Chair of The Rigby Foundation, said:
"As a business, we have always felt a deep sense of responsibility to give back to the communities in which we operate. Place-based giving is the cornerstone of The Rigby Foundation’s philanthropic strategy, and I’ve seen the impact first-hand over many years in the West Midlands. Now is the time for Mayors, philanthropists, investors and communities to work together to deliver lasting change through place-based commitments."
Dominic Llewellyn, Founder and CEO of AchieveGood and Co-Author of the report, said:
"The impact economy brings a level of creative energy and agility that is perfectly suited to addressing the thorny challenges facing our local public services. In this report, made possible by the generous support of The Rigby Foundation, we highlight inspiring examples of regions already leading the way. We encourage every strategic authority to look at building the teams and skills needed to make these multi-sector partnerships a matter of routine."
The report builds on the findings of the Social Impact Investment Advisory Group (SIIAG), published last November, which recommended creating new resources to upskill UK regional leaders in forging place-based impact partnerships. It also follows on from Our Place to Give, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) plan for growing place-based philanthropy, launched last month (April 2026).
The full report is available at: https://www.achievegood.com/blog/partnering-for-place