Madeline took part in our Match Trading™ pilot, as part of the Lloyds Bank Social Entrepreneurs Trade Up Programme 2015-16, in partnership with SSE and jointly funded by Big Lottery Fund.

What is Artbox London?

Madeline says: “Through our art workshops, exhibitions and trips, Artbox London helps people with learning disabilities feel happier, be more independent, and become more visible and connected within the community. We work with 30 people on a weekly basis but with additional outreach work and providing opportunities for others to take part in our exhibitions, the numbers go into the hundreds.”

What impact did Match Trading have on Artbox London?

• Increased annual trading income: from £6,100 to £15,500 throughout the programme – an increase of 156%.
• A more trading-based model: Trading income accounted for 13% of total income in the baseline year. That increased to 28% by the end of the programme.
• A long-term shift in sustainability: Having been sceptical about trying to pursue a more trading-based model before the programme, Madeline’s board has now set the organisation a target of at least 40% of income coming from trading by 2020.

How did you find Match Trading?

Madeline says: “The Match Trading grant is incredibly motivating. It pushes you to make sure you do what you say you’re going to do, to increase your trading. It’s an incentive to actually follow through with what your aims are, because you want to get the funding.

“Once you’ve got the funding in your bank account, it’s far more flexible than most of the funding we get in as charity. It’s very useful to have relatively unrestricted funding that we could spend on things that would ultimately help us further increase our trading, like marketing. That kind of thing is really hard to get significant funding for otherwise.”