Liverpool private capital investor Arete Capital Partners is making a ‘significant’ investment into North West digital platform Vivify

Liverpool private capital investor Arete Capital Partners is making a “significant” investment into North West digital platform Vivify as part of a multi-million pound deal.

Vivify provides a digital platform as well as a fully managed service where under-utilised school facilities can be listed for hire to maximise social and physical activities within communities and generate extra revenue for schools.

Founded in 2020 by Russell Teale, Alaine Swis and Andy Mellor and chaired by Richard Millman, the Vivify management team has many years of experience working in the leisure and hospitality industries and is passionate about promoting health and wellbeing in the UK’s diverse communities.

Simon Lord, joint managing partner at Arete which was founded in Liverpool late last year, said: “We really believe in Vivify’s vision and their platform will help schools to engage and build relationships with people in their community.

“With feelings of loneliness and mental health problems at an all-time high, this engagement can have a hugely positive impact on the wellbeing of people across the UK. Through Vivify, schools can play a more significant role in their communities, bringing people together for sport and leisure.”

The transaction was led by Simon Lord and Jamie Newall at Arete; Matt Noon and Elan Iorwerth of Hill Dickinson (legal advisers); Neil Robinson and Rob Dawes of Grant Thornton (financial due diligence), and Patrick Morris of Fairhursts (tax). Michael Murphy from Weightmans advised Vivify.

Russell Teale, managing director at Vivify said: “The investment from Arete will allow Vivify to raise awareness of its platform among many more underutilised schools up and down the UK, enabling more people to get involved in social and physical activities – at a time where it has never been so important.”