The charity currently supports over 11,000 people with additional support needs, aiding them to live independently within their local communities. It has also recently channelled nearly £5m towards improved remuneration for its social care workforce and digital innovation.

Established in the 1950s, Enable has grown exponentially over the past seven years, doubling its size and increasing its income from £30m to £60m. This growth has seen the charity’s cash reserves shrink proportionally to its operations, whilst consistently generating modest annual surpluses.

The new funding will provide Enable with the financial stability to manage annual funding cycles. Moreover, it will allow the charity to focus on expanding its impact post-pandemic, at a time when its services are in high demand across Scotland.

The funds form part of SIS’s £8.5 million Community Sustainability Support Package, launched last year to bolster Scotland’s social enterprise and third sector amid challenging times. The package is designed to assist with various financial needs such as short-term cash flow, large scale energy efficiency projects, cost-reduction initiatives, and the development of new income streams.

Beneficiaries also gain access to an online support programme offering expert advice and guidance to social enterprises, charities and businesses navigating the cost-of-living crisis.

Katie McVey, director of strategy and development at Enable, said: “With not-for-profit providers having limited options for investment, the opportunity for this loan came at the perfect time. It offers added stability, allowing us to deliver even more vital services to support more people to live independently in the community.

“Social care remains a complex environment to operate in, but the quality of what Enable offers is reflected in the sustained demand for our services. This funding is a welcome boost and allows us to continue our growth journey, working with new partners to help increase our impact across the country.”

Chris Jamieson

Chris Jamieson, head of investment at Social Investment Scotland, added: “Enable is a fantastic organisation operating at a national scale, but current financial pressures have impacted its ability to build resilience and continue to grow. This is exactly the kind of challenge that the Community Sustainability Support Package was set up to address.

“Extra funding now puts Enable on the front foot and the charity is in a better place to conquer the ongoing challenges the social care sector faces.”