ART is a Community Development Finance Institution (CDFI), owned by its members – both borrowers and investors It was established in 1997 to help ‘alleviate poverty through enterprise’ by lending to businesses unable to access any or all of the finance they needed from the banks and so enable them to create or preserve jobs. Originally set up in Aston, ART (Aston Reinvestment Trust) was a pioneer CDFI in the UK. Its model – raising finance from member investors from the public and private sectors, as well as individuals, to lend to businesses in a specific area – has since been replicated around the UK. ART Business Loans’ mission today is “to ensure that viable business in the West Midlands can access the finance they need.” We lend when the banks either haven’t lent at all, or have already lent all they can. In fact we often lend alongside the banks and other financiers as part of a package. Read more below or click on the links to read more