Birmingham firms over five years old will still be able to access funding when the Small Firms Loan Guarantee scheme changes in December.

From December 1 the scheme will be limited to those less than five years old.

However, Steve Walker, the chief executive of the Aston Reinvestment Trust (ART), said funding up to £ 50,000 could still be obtained from community development financial institutions.

Mr Walker said: "We lend to businesses of any age, of any size, working in any sector, if they are based in Birmingham or North Solihull and have been unable to obtain all or part of the finance they need from conventional sources.

"The need for cash to fund capital investment or help with cashflow doesn't diminish as a business matures.

"Growth, or changes in direction, need finance and banks can't always help. We can, sometimes working alongside them or other finance providers, sometimes alone."

ART is an independent organisation with a portfolio of borrowers including limited companies, partnerships, sole traders and registered charities.

It provides finance for enterprise in Birmingham and North Solihull. Money repaid is used to fund more loans.

Since it started eight years ago ART has delivered 241 loans, totalling over £4 million and helped to preserve or create almost 2,000 jobs.