A state of the art club, the biggest indoor bouldering centre in London, and the number one producer of kale crisps in Europe are just some of the businesses reaping the rewards of the Opportunity Investment Fund.
The £3.65m loans programme, jointly funded by Haringey Council and the Mayor of London, is encouraging businesses to invest in Tottenham. So far a dozen, diverse businesses and start-ups have taken advantage of the fund to spend on such essentials as refurbishment, expansion, creating new jobs or paying for more machinery.
On Wednesday 25 October an event is being held for interested businesses to find out more about the fund and to meet those who have already benefitted from it. The only initial criteria being that the business must be based in Tottenham or is planning to move there.
“It will be a good chance for people to hear details about the loan fund and how it can help their business grow,” said Keith Trotter, Tottenham Town Centre Growth Manager at Haringey Council. “Tottenham has become a great place to move to and is that sweet spot combining excellent transport links and an easily accessible location that is still relatively affordable.”
The event will be hosted at Five Miles in Markfield Road N15; a new bar, club and brewery that used part of the loan to pay for the custom-made club space and equipment.
“The club is a world-class performance and dance space which will help put Tottenham on the map,” said joint-owner Mark Shaffer. “We’ll be open seven days a week with events most nights and we see this as a cultural hub for the area. Dealing with the council on the loan has been a breath of fresh air and the support we’ve received has been brilliant.”
“More businesses should take advantage of it if they are intent on growing their business,” added Dominik Schnell, co-founder of inSpiral Visionary Products. “At the moment we produce about 200,000 bags of kale chips a month but we hope to double that in the next five years.”
