Matt McLoughlin, senior investment manager at Foresight, explains the essential elements of a successful approach to investing.

The Foresight East of England Fund was launched in late 2019 - a £100 million fund established to support ambitious small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) across the East of England – and what a year and a half it has been.

While our office in Cambridge has been closed for much of that time, activity levels have been high. We have grown our local team and begun to fulfil our aim of establishing Foresight as a supportive partner to the regional SME community. Across all of our funds, we have made five investments in the region over the last 12 months.

Foresight has been investing in SMEs since 1984 and we know that long-term relationships are the foundation of a successful approach to investing. Those relationships extend across many stakeholders and are built over time. The evergreen, patient mandate of the Foresight East of England Fund provides an important foundation for this approach.

Business owners and management teams need to be comfortable that they can trust an investor to help them further grow the exciting and valuable companies to which they have dedicated many years. They also need to feel confident that the culture and engagement of their employees will be respected and maintained.

Professional advisors need to know that, in recommending an investor, they are introducing a partner who is aligned with the aims and best interests of their long-standing and valued clients.

We were pleased to announce in April our latest investment into Beckett Investment Management Group, a chartered financial planning, wealth management and employee benefits provider based in Bury St Edmunds, working with individuals and companies across the region.

Its long-standing success reflects a deep commitment to its people and clients, with a strong purpose of improving financial and workplace wellbeing. We share many values with Becketts and look forward to supporting the business as it delivers on that purpose in the years ahead.

In a fast-changing world, the connections and relationships between people and organisations are fundamental. At Foresight we are excited by the great potential that exists in the East of England, and we look forward to supporting more local SMEs to achieve their ambitions.