The venture capital arm of the Big Issue – a self-styled “social merchant bank” – has taken a leap forward with a £4m contribution towards its latest £10m fund from HSBC.

Big Issue Invest, which directs funding to socially responsible businesses, now has total committed capital of £8m, with Deutsche Bank also among the fund’s backers, alongside more traditional supporters.

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With the simultaneous release of Coriolanus and Warhorse, what can war films tell us about our society today? Ralph Fiennes, star and director of Coriolanus, and retired colonel Tim Collins share their thoughts... Elsewhere in this week's Big Issue… Almost 70 years on from the landmark Beveridge report, leading public figures assess its legacy in shaping the British welfare state... Alastair Campbell plays the bagpipes and turns down knighthoods in Letter To My Younger Self... Robbie Savage takes us through his Week... Plus Street Lights, Guess Whose iPod, competitions and much more!

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