Lloyds Bank Foundation for England & Wales
"We needed radical ways of working that would help our mission.
In a few weeks, the changes are already being applied across our wider work—and there’s no going back to the old ways, Hyphen8 have made a huge difference to the way we work and we are so thankful to them.”
About Lloyds Bank Foundation for England & Wales (LBF)
Lloyds Bank Foundation for England & Wales (LBF) supports small, community-led organisations across England and Wales. Their mission is to fund those closest to the issues—particularly groups led by and for people who experience racial inequity or disabilities.
In 2023, they launched a new Inclusion Fund that was co-designed with the very communities it aims to serve—a bold move toward more equitable, accessible funding models.
The Challenge: Rethinking How Funding is Designed
LBF wanted to design a fund that wasn’t just about giving money—but about shifting power and reducing barriers for organisations often left out of traditional funding programmes.
To do this, they needed to deeply engage community voices, learn the tools of co-design, and develop an approach grounded in lived experience.
"We knew we couldn’t do this behind closed doors. We needed to understand what wasn’t working and build something with, not for, the people it’s meant to support.”
Pain Points
Lloyds Bank Foundation recognised that traditional funding models weren’t working for many grassroots organisations. Complex applications, limited accessibility, and top-down decision-making were creating unnecessary barriers.
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Barriers to Access
- Traditional applications were too rigid or time-consuming for smaller organisations.
Applicants often lacked clarity on expectations or struggled with accessibility barriers.
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One-Size-Fits-All Processes
Previous approaches didn’t reflect the diversity of needs across community-led groups.
Application and assessment models felt out of step with lived realities.
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Limited Community Involvement
- Funding decisions were typically made without meaningful input from people within the communities served.
- They wanted a collaborative way of working which involved more of the team and people they served.
The Solution: A Co-Designed Fund Led by Lived Experience
Hyphen8’s Service Design Team partnered with LBF to guide them through the full co-design journey, from building internal confidence to delivering in-person collaboration workshops.
This wasn’t just about better funding—it was about learning to centre lived experience and share decision-making.
Here's what we built:
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Service Design Training & Support
- Delivered an intro to service design workshop to upskill the LBF team.
Helped the team shape their own co-design research and delivery plan.
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User Research & Focus Groups
- Supported facilitation of focus groups with community-led organisations.
Gathered insights on barriers to access, application complexity, and trust.
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In-Person Co-Design Days
- Co-delivered two structured design days with community stakeholders.
Explored key topics like application simplicity, decision-making, and peer support.
Used creative tools to prototype ideas and visualise alternative futures.
The Impact of working with Hyphen8
The Impact: A Fund That’s More Accessible, Participatory and Human
Thanks to co-design, LBF’s new Inclusion Fund is tailored to the realities of grassroots organisations. The process has also reshaped how the Foundation approaches all future programmes.
This wasn’t a one-off—it was the start of a mindset shift.
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Pre-Application Support Built In
- Designed a fund that’s led by people who know the challenges first-hand.
- Created trust between LBF and the communities it supports.
- Applicants can now book a call, attend a webinar, or access information at their own pace
- Designed a fund that’s led by people who know the challenges first-hand.
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Shared Decision-Making
- A community panel was recruited to co-decide who gets funding—removing gatekeeping.
- 100% of all data in one place to make it easier for the teams to be able to review data.
- Equipped LBF with service design tools to apply in future programmes.
- Provided strategic advice throughout the process, enabling long-term impact
- A community panel was recruited to co-decide who gets funding—removing gatekeeping.
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Sector Wide Leadership
Demonstrated a replicable model for inclusive, co-created funding.
Encouraged others to rethink how funds are designed and delivered.
- Application processes are now simpler, clearer, and more flexible—reducing pressure on small teams.
- A more inclusive way of working which will enable a more collaborative approach to all areas of the organisation.
Making an impact
“Many of the changes are already being applied across our wider work—and there’s no going back to the old ways, Hyphen8 have made a huge difference to the way we work and we are so thankful to them.”
— Richard Paynter, Head of Grants (South), Lloyds Bank Foundation
Why Did You Choose Salesforce and Hyphen8?
"Hyphen8 supported us to build something radically different. Their service design team gave us the tools, the confidence, and the challenge we needed to do it properly."
