Threadneedle, the City-Based investment fund has partnered with Big Issue Invest, the social investment arm of the Big Issue to set up the Threadneedle UK Social Bond.

Available to retail and institutional investors from January 2014, the minimum investment amount will be £2,000. The fund aims to achieve a return for investors and positive social outcomes through investments in organisations that support socially beneficial activities and economic development. It will invest in companies, charities and trusts in social intensity areas such as affordable housing and property, financial inclusion and the environment.

The Threadneedle UK Social Bond will launch with £10million of seed investment from Big Society Capital – the world’s first social investment bank – and a further £5 million from Threadneedle. It will offer daily liquidity, making it the first fund of its kind to do so, facilitating access the social investment market to retail investors.

The full press release can be viewed here.