As part of its mission to tackle the UK funding gap for female-led UK businesses, Women Angels of the North, the all-female angel investment syndicate set up by Fund Her North, is set to launch a Women Angels Education Hub in partnership with the UK Business Angels Association (UKBAA).
Established as a follow up to the Women Angels of the North Conference which took place on 30th June, the Women Angels Education Hub has been created for women who are looking to find out more about angel investing, or who are wanting to learn more following some initial involvement.
The Women Angels Education Hub will offer a full 12-hour Women Angels Investor Education Programme in conjunction with the UKBAA and part of the national ‘Women Backing Women’ campaign.
The first part of this programme is being supported by the British Business Bank, and will be delivered as a follow up to the Women Angels of the North Conference to provide further education to help women understand the landscape further, and make better decisions when it comes to angel investing.
As a first of its kind in the region, the Women Angels of the North Syndicate is made up of 37 members, both seasoned and new investors. Its purpose is to support female founders operating across the innovation and creative sectors in the North with access to investment. To date, the syndicate has supported nine female founded businesses who in total have raised over £2.6m.
Jordan Dargue, co-founder of Fund Her North and the Women Angels of the North Syndicate, said: “Following our Women Angels of the North conference, it was clear that there is work to be done to help educate women on angel investing, and the opportunities it poses not just to businesses, but to the investors themselves. We identified a need to create a platform where women could access vital resources specifically on angel investment. With the majority of the investment landscape dominated by men, we are prioritising providing approachable, but not patronising, expertise.”
Dr Sophie Dale-Black, UK Network director for the North of England at the British Business Bank, said: “The Bank stands with Fund Her North in its mission to diversify the investment landscape and advance female entrepreneurship not just in the North, but across the UK. We are proud to support the launch of the Education Hub, which aligns closely with the goals of the Investing in Women Code, a commitment to improve female entrepreneurs’ access to tools, resources and finance, of which the Bank is a partner.”
Jenny Tooth, OBE Executive Chair at the UKBAA and co-Chair of the Women Angel Investment Task Force, said: “We know that many women have the spare financial resources, as well as business experience to support the next generation of British startups, yet the number of women angel investors in the UK is still very low when compared to men and this is even more stark in the North. We are delighted to support the launch of the Women Angels Education Hub, as part of our nationwide Women Backing Women campaign. The Hub will play an important part in enabling many more women to gain the skills to become effective angel investors in tackling the gender imbalances in angel investment in female entrepreneurs across the North.”
The Women Angels Education Hub will launch on Friday 9th September, with a launch event at Platform, Leeds. Secure your place here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/women-angels-education-hub-launch-event-tickets-377902525627
