'Living, thriving and working in Rural Hertfordshire' 19 October 2016

What is Plunkett? A Registered Charity; Established in 1919 to help communities to take control of their challenges and overcome them together; Rural focus; Support provided to set up and run life-changing community co-operatives; Enterprises owned and run democratically by communities to address issues, such as isolation and loneliness; Core values of Plunkett are • We seek economic solutions to create social change; • We seek solutions that enrich rural community life; • We see self-help as the most effective way to tackle rural needs.

The Community Co-op Sector Current status Total existing enterprises in UK – 515 Shops - 344 Pubs - 44 Other (cafes, bookshops etc) – 83 Farming, land & woodland - 43

The Community Co-op Sector Pipeline Total - 408 Shops - 58 Pubs - 140 Other - 89 Land, farming & woodland - 121

The Community Co-op Sector East of England - current status Total - 49 Shops - 36 Pubs - 6 Other - 2 Land, farming & woodland - 5

The Community Co-op Sector East of England –pipeline Total - 40 Shops - 6 Pubs - 20 Other - 5 Farming, land & woodland - 9

The Community Co-op Sector East of England – by county Bedfordshire - 3 Cambridgeshire - 5 Essex - 14 Hertfordshire - 4 Norfolk - 9 Suffolk - 14

The Community Co-op Sector East of England – population per Co-op Bedfordshire 214,654 Cambridgeshire 166,055 Essex 126,653 Hertfordshire 288,691 Norfolk 97,523 Suffolk 52,750

The Community Co-op Sector Sustainable – survival rate 95% vs. 46% for SME sector Broad range – shops, pubs, breweries, distillery, pier, transport….. 1 in 20 Post Offices now located in community businesses 1 in 5 of ‘Community Post Offices’ (i.e. rural/remote) are Co-ops Employment creators Lodsworth Larder in W Sussex supports 4 micro businesses Hill Holt Wood in Lincs. – 40 jobs from a community wood

The Community Co-op Sector Key aspects of a Community Benefit Society Limited liability legal structure Registered at FCA Democratic – 1 member = 1 vote Asset lock Surplus to be reinvested in enterprise or distributed in community Maximum investment - £100,000

The Community Co-op Sector Key aspects of a Community Benefit Society Can issue community shares Shares are withdrawable Shares bear interest Potential tax incentives from HMRC programmes EIS SEIS SITR (shares and loans)

What works? Shops & Post offices Pubs Cafes Energy schemes Breweries & distilleries Transport schemes Woods Housing projects etc.etc.etc.

What are the opportunities? Amenity under threat (e.g. shop or pub closing) Need identified (e.g. from parish plan) Complements existing amenity (whether a co-op or not) IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT SAVING AN AMENITY

What are the barriers? Getting people involved Keeping people involved Time consuming Vendors Over cautious attitudes & approach Loss of focus

Who needs to be involved? Broad range of people Cover all groups in village Range of skills Open up to all; be inclusive Involve local councils – parish, district, county Never decline offers of help: everyone has something to give. Remember: this should be a democratic, inclusive partnership

What actions need to be taken? Build a strong steering group Run steering group professionally (meeting agendas, minutes etc.) Be clear about the objective: stick to it and don’t be distracted Share the workload Keep community informed – facebook, regular newsletters etc. Develop business plan & projections Contact Plunkett – Donna Smith or Aimée Evans

How can Plunkett help? Advisor support to include: Plunkett membership Business Planning Share issue Fundraising Bursary Legal structure Model rules Plunkett membership

Contact details Plunkett Foundation The Quadrangle Woodstock Oxfordshire OX20 1LH T: +44 (0) 1993 810730 www.plunkett.co.uk