Posted: Monday, 6 July 2026 @ 10:38
Having run a small book of his own for more than 20 years, including sourcing finance from our very own Head of Block Discounting, Peter Jamison, few people understand the value of a reliable block service better than Nick Mawson. So, who better to join the team and support small independent lenders as well as those new to the market and looking for finance?
Experience as a block discounting customer
At Rivers we know the importance of building relationships - having values and living by them each day. As a case in point, Nick says:
"I have known Peter for more than a decade, and through him came in touch with Rivers. Peter is an incredibly genuine person - someone you can truly trust, and through him I got to know the Rivers’ team, all of whom have proven to be very decent people. When you run a small book, you come to appreciate the value of a good block company - one that pays out when they say they will so you can rely on funds being available when you sell a draw down. That's not the case with every block company, but with Rivers it is."
Funding solutions designed for the practical needs of SMEs
At Rivers we also believe that funding solutions for any business, but especially SMEs, must be rooted in understanding the practical challenges of those organisations and their owners. It's not enough to provide the product, but the terms and logistics of the finance must support the daily operations and growth requirements of the business.
When it comes to block, Nick says: "As a small block customer, you want to know the lender can pay out. You will have worked your cash down, and the margins of cash flow are tight, so reliability is essential. Knowing the funds will be paid out on the day that they have said is vital, and a good block company appreciates that. In my first meeting with Peter, I asked him how long it would take to get a facility in place, and he told me it would be two to three weeks. I said I would believe it when I saw it because other companies typically took anything up to six months, but he was true to his word and has been ever since."
Rivers’ incubator block discounting service
With his industry knowledge and longstanding career in block, Peter was instrumental in the design and execution of Rivers incubator block discounting service when it launched in 2021. In a unique offering for the industry, it was created to provide new and small lenders with the funding lines they need to grow in the market.
In particular, the block discounting offering incubates young businesses, allowing new independent lenders to access sufficient funding to grow in a controlled manner, until they can approach larger lenders for more wholesale funding, which they wouldn’t have otherwise been able to obtain. As a result, for many smaller funders and brokers running their own book, Rivers has been the first lender to help them with their processes and operations. Today, many customers who couldn’t get support before working with us, have credit lines from three or four different, larger lenders.
Nick says: "It's that personal touch that really makes a difference at Rivers. They work with people and businesses to help them access what they need, supporting them along the way, and proactively helping businesses to grow. Frequently, they will even put people in touch with other services they might need, such as software providers if they're currently still working on an Excel spreadsheet, which won't allow for scalability."
A reliable funding provider
Nick continues: "As a block customer, I had other lenders that had much bigger funding lines available, but I always kept my Rivers line open because I knew I could pick up the phone and they would help me work through what I needed where others offered no flexibility. Ultimately, I think that's because Rivers is a business that wants to lend, where sometimes bank mentality gets muddied because there are lots of different layers of decision making. Rivers is never going to lend to someone if it's irresponsible, but if there's a good business case then they will work with you to make it happen. It's why their incubator service is so unique and so great - it's literally intended to help businesses grow, and that's something I wanted to be a part of."
Find out more about Rivers’ block discounting services