Midlands foundation calls on metro mayors to forge stronger partnerships to tackle poverty, inequality and housing
A prominent West Midlands philanthropist is calling for closer collaboration between metro mayors, philanthropists and social investors to unlock billions of pounds of investment for local communities.
A new report from AchieveGood and the Impact Economy, funded by The Rigby Foundation, argues that stronger partnerships between mayoral authorities and the UK’s growing impact economy could help tackle major regional challenges including child poverty, education inequality, housing affordability and insecure work.
The report, Partnering for Place: How mayoral combined authorities can mobilise philanthropy and the wider impact economy to deliver local priorities, highlights how regional mayors can mobilise more than £100bn in purpose-driven investment to improve housing, skills and opportunities in local communities.
It provides practical advice for mayors as devolution continues to expand across England and metro mayors are handed greater powers over housing, skills, transport and economic growth.
The findings build on those of the Social Impact Investment Advisory Group, published last November, which recommended creating new resources to upskill UK regional leaders in forging place-based impact partnerships.
The report also follows the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Our Place to Give plan for growing place-based philanthropy, launched in April 2026.
Steve Rigby, Midlands philanthropist and Chair of The Rigby Foundation, which works closely with West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker on regional priorities said: “At Rigby Group, we firmly believe that successful businesses have a responsibility to support the communities around them.
“Place-based giving has long been at the heart of The Rigby Foundation’s work, and I’ve seen first-hand the impact it can have across the West Midlands.”
He added: “Metro mayors are uniquely placed to bring together business, philanthropy and local communities around shared priorities. By working collaboratively, we can unlock new investment, support innovation and deliver lasting change in the areas that need it most.”
Moving beyond grant-making
The report argues there is a significant untapped opportunity for philanthropists and regional authorities to work more strategically together, moving beyond traditional grant-making towards long-term partnerships focused on local outcomes and economic inclusion.
Dominic Llewellyn, founder and chief executive 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 outlines three areas that regions should prioritise in order to attract more philanthropic and impact investment. The first is capability: building expertise to engage philanthropists, broker partnerships and structure blended finance opportunities.
The second is visibility: creating stronger regional narratives and inviting philanthropists to support local growth ambitions. The third is infrastructure: establishing dedicated organisations capable of managing long-term partnerships and investment across political cycles.
