LATCH - creating homes and new hope in Leeds

Through LATCH, Ryan learned practical skills including ground works, building metal stud walls, insulating, plaster boarding, plastering, building doorcases and hanging doors, plying floors, tiling & assisting with fitting a kitchen. His training was so successful that he’s now employed by LATCH, earning a living, building his skills and helping make a difference to lives.
Ryan says:

Overall, LATCH have provided training and volunteering opportunities for 73 unemployed people in total, helping 21 unemployed people to gain formal skills that can be used to help them build a better future.

And it’s not just providing training and employment opportunities, LATCH, a Community Benefit Society based in the Chapeltown area of Leeds has been creating homes and transforming lives in the area for over 30 years. How? Well, it’s a simple but brilliant concept. They take derelict homes and transform them into homes for people who need them, helping them get their lives back on track while at the same time providing training and employment opportunities.

In the 30 years they have been running, LATCH has built up an impressive track record. They have transformed 92 empty derelict properties into quality homes with a low environmental impact. Through this, they have helped over 450 adults and children make a positive new start, including supporting over 200 tenants to move on to independent living.

Everything LATCH does is based around improving lives and providing hope for people who find themselves in desperate need of homes and perhaps needing support to turn their lives around. They provide quality, affordable homes to rent to people who meet their criteria, and an excellent support service that is dedicated to helping people with a range of problems, helping them make a fresh start and a positive new beginning in their lives and moving them to independent living.

The local community benefits from LATCH’s services too - the properties that they buy and renovate are derelict and eyesores in the local area. By turning them into sustainable, quality homes, LATCH is benefitting the local neighbourhood too.

LATCH recently launched a share offer on the Ethex platform and their groundbreaking model that’s helping so many lives resonated strongly with our investor base, with the offer passing the initial target raise of £350,000 within 2 weeks. The great news is that LATCH wants to over-raise to reach their maximum target of £550,000 by the end of August.

The additional money raised over their initial target will enable LATCH to transform a further 2 empty properties into 2 high quality and energy-efficient homes in Leeds. On top of the 6 transformed by reaching their initial target. This will mean that 8 adults and 4 children at any given time will move from homelessness or difficult housing to having decent, affordable and supported homes. Additional capital raised through community shares will have the added benefit of reducing LATCH’s debt requirements, strengthening their balance sheet. 

Investments in the share offer start at £500 and target annual returns of 4%. Please note that capital is at risk and returns are not guaranteed.  

If you are interested in investing in this truly extraordinary and impactful organisation, check out their profile on the Ethex platform and look out for details of a Cuppa Club webinar in the coming weeks, where we will chat with a representative from LATCH to learn more about their impact and values, giving you a chance to put your questions to them.