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The Rural Social Enterprise Conference 2006 – 22nd and 23rd November 2006 at the Rookery Manor Hotel in Somerset
The Plunkett Foundation sixth National Rural Social Enterprise conference will be held in the South West, in collaboration with RISE – the voice of social enterprise in the South West. For more information please visit www.plunkett.co.uk/rse6 or email mike.perry@plunkett.co.uk
STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM TO CELEBRATE LAUNCH OF NEW LOCAL FOOD SCHEME
Four community-owned village shops in West Oxfordshire launched themselves as venues for purchasing local food with free samples of strawberries and cream on Saturday 17 June 2006. Using strawberries from Rectory Farm in Stanton St. John and cream from Upper Norton Jersey Farm in Church Hanbourough, the four shops at Tackley, Finstock Chadlington and Ascott under Wichwood are celebrating a new scheme to help promote local food.
Last Updated:December 2006
PLUNKETT WORKS FOR LOCAL FOOD
This year’s National Rural Social Enterprise Conference, held in Somerset on 22nd and 23rd November, is about Fare Shares - or how to get a fair deal for local food producers and consumers by using social enterprise models. Plunkett is increasingly applying its experience and knowledge of supporting rural social enterprise to work with and develop the local food sector. These different strands of its work are now converging toward the same goal, and offer significant benefits for local rural economies too.
Since the beginning of this year, Plunkett has been managing a project exploring and strengthening the already strong links between community-owned village shops and their local food suppliers. Recent research undertaken by Plunkett and ViRSA (the Village Retail and Services Association) showed that the majority of community-owned village shops in England already source produce locally - 11% was the average – and most shops want to increase that percentage. In June 2006, four community-owned village shops in West Oxfordshire launched themselves as venues for purchasing local food. They are now seeing benefits in terms of increased customer awareness about the origin of the produce they buy, as well as improving their relationship with local suppliers and ultimately boosting their sales.
Plunkett has also been successful in securing funding from the Big Lottery Fund to develop the programme ‘Making Local Food Work’ which plans to run projects to link communities to producers and help people access healthy, local food. Projects will build the capacity of the social and community enterprise sector in order to develop collaborative responses to meeting the needs of communities. Plunkett and its partners Co-operatives UK, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, Country Markets Ltd, Food Links UK and the Soil Association are currently going through a development process to prepare a national package of support for local food projects and other community-led and socially-owned initiatives in rural areas. If successful in the development process, the programme will begin supporting various local food initiatives across the country from August 2007.
TACKLING SOCIAL EXCLUSION IN RURAL ENGLAND
The Defra-financed Enterprise for Inclusion programme drew to a close in July, having supported 98 projects in four of the eight English regions: the North-West, the North-East, the East Midlands and the South-West.
The core of the initiative was a project grants programme, directed at organisations which wished to undertake new activities using social enterprise approaches to tackle social exclusion in rural areas. The grants programme was innovative in offering combined packages of grants and advisory support. Support was delivered by means of a brokeraged advisory infrastructure, modelled on Plunkett’s Rural Revival campaign.
The projects supported have had a broad and multiple impact on different forms of social exclusion. By far, the main impact appears to be on service provision for socially excluded groups.
As well as providing valuable support to real projects, the programme was also a form of action research, capturing research data from projects, support providers and project partners for subsequent analysis and research. This showed that there is considerable interest from rural communities in the use of social enterprise approaches as a way of meeting multiple community goals. The research also showed how highly effective the support package was – vast majority of the projects ranked the advisory support as an equally valuable component of the package.
While the programme was successful, some concern was expressed by projects and support providers regarding the duration of the support programme; it was felt that more time would have increased the effectiveness of the programme. The need for sustained ongoing support was also expressed, as well as the need to strengthen the relationship between generalist support and specialist short-term inputs.
Further to the outcomes of the programme, recommendations have been drawn up which are relevant to public policy makers, to organisations supporting social enterprise approaches in rural areas, and to rural communities themselves. The Programme Summary is available to download from the website www.entreprise4inclusion.org.uk
COMMUNITY-OWNED VILLAGE SHOP DIRECTORY
ViRSA’s directory of community-owned village shops (www.virsa.org) has been further developed and enhanced, and now gives each shop its own unique page. The aim of the directory, which covers England, Scotland and Wales, is to share information and experiences, to help villages hoping to set up and run a community owned shop, and to support existing shops. It also provides a platform to advertise shops to potential customers.
The directory has been updated to display more of the information currently held on shops in the ViRSA records. This can include background information, photos, links to articles, links to web sites and contact details, opening times and any extra services that the shop has to offer.
The response from shops so far is encouraging, and ViRSA is still receiving and updating information. Browsers can look up Antrobus Community Shop in Cheshire and read about their story step by step, or find out how Wonersh Village Shop in Surrey raised funds to buy their freehold.
ViRSA would be delighted to receive any contributions to the directory or comments on the articles already featured. Send your contributions along with any photos or web links to virsa@plunkett.co.uk
For further information, contact Donna Smith on 01993 814 377
ViRSA is an activity of the Plunkett Foundation.
VILLAGE CORE PROGRAMME
In an exciting new development, ViRSA, in partnership with the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and Co-operative and Community Finance, has launched the Village CORE Programme which will provide £2 million of start-up funding to new community-owned shops over the next three years.
The programme provides a start-up grant of up to £20,000 per new enterprise (which has to be matched by equivalent contributions raised from the village community). It also offers a loan from Co-operative and Community Finance, a recognised community development finance institution which has supported many community retailing projects in the past.
Any village of at least 200 residents which is planning to set up a community-owned village shop in England can apply for the start-up package. ViRSA has already received a dozen applications, some of which have already been approved.
ViRSA will provide free advice to each successful project, and hopes to significantly increase the number of community retailing enterprises in rural England. With several thousand rural settlements in Britain that could potentially host community-owned village shops, the possible social impact is considerable and the village store looks set to be the CORE of the countryside for many years to come!
For further information contact Donna Smith at VIRSA on 01993 814 377
STRENGTHENING RURAL COMMUNITIES IN THE NORTH WEST
The Plunkett Foundation will be starting a new programme of support to rural communities in the North West of England, thanks to funding from the North West Development Agency.
The North-West Development Agency is implementing its new Regional Economic Strategy. Amongst its objectives are plans to improve the provision of essential rural services, and to raise economic productivity in lagging rural districts.
The aim of the programme is to actively promote and support rural community-led initiatives that will improve rural service provision and increase economic productivity in a sustainable manner. The programme is targeted at specific communities in the North-West which need support in these areas and which would benefit from initiatives of this form.
The support to community-led initiatives will be in the form of two community funds: the Community Initiatives Fund to target rural community groups wishing to establish or expand voluntary community initiatives which improve rural service provision and the Community Enterprise Fund to support social and community enterprise initiatives which either enhance the provision of services or improve economic productivity in rural areas.
Plunkett will be working in partnership with North West Rural Community Council. A wider group of specialist support organisations will also be involved in the programme, contributing to the promotion of specific models and the provision of expertise and support.
The promotion and official launch of the two Community Funds will commence in early 2007.
For further information contact Jennifer Heim, Project Manager on 01993 810 730
A MODEL FUTURE
As a result of extensive research, five ‘franchise models’ (in essence, off-the shelf business models) have been created, and are available to download free from www.plunkettfranchisemodels.org.uk. This new initiative will enable farmers and the wider rural community to identify and develop successful co-operative business opportunities.
The co-operative structure, in which a business is set up and run by its members for their benefit, has been found to be particularly effective in certain market sectors. The Plunkett Foundation has a long history of encouraging co-operative enterprise as a means of creating sustainable businesses which benefit rural communities. We have spent the past two years working with Co-operatives UK to research and develop franchise models covering five business sectors with significant potential for profitable development. The resulting models have been designed to provide the information and guidance needed to establish successful co-operative businesses, ranging from producer-run farmers’ markets, to charcoal burning enterprises and energy crop marketing.
The result is a set of comprehensive, free-to-download models for co-operative businesses which the agricultural community can exploit both now and over the coming years to help create a brighter, more sustainable future for rural Britain.
Plunkett is now looking at extending the portfolio of ‘franchise models’ in the years to come.
For further information contact Denise Ault, Project Manager on 01993 810 730
ENTERPRISING RURAL COMMUNITY TRANSPORT
Community transport in rural England is a rapidly growing area of the social enterprise sector. It’s a cost-effective way of providing mobility to disadvantaged social groups, and demand for the service continues to rise. A new report from The Plunkett Foundation and the Community Transport Association (CTA) has now identified some effective enterprise-based models for rural community transport operators, with the aim of developing a programme to stimulate the growth of the sector and to help secure its long-term sustainability.
The report looks at how the pursuit of enterprise-based approaches can improve the economic sustainability of rural community transport operators. It identifies the five types of community transport operators (‘CTOs’) which most successfully use social enterprise approaches, and goes on to outline a development programme which will be put in place from early 2007. This programme will enable CTO managers and trustees to develop a more enterprise-based approach to their services, and to market and promote themselves as efficiently as possible. The programme will also work to facilitate the transference of grant funding to more sustainable contracts.
Social enterprise is already playing an important role in the success of local services such as community-owned shops and now, with the help of this report, it looks set to do the same for community transport.
For more information and to download the report please visit www.plunkett.co.uk/communitytransport/Resources/transport.pdf or contact Elodie Malhomme, Project Researcher 01993 810 730
GOVERNANCE TRAINING
Plunkett continues to work closely with EFFP - English Food and Farming Partnership - through two projects which aim to improve the performance of Farmer-Controlled Businesses (FCBs) in the UK. The first project is the Dairy Farmers of Britain Scholarship Programme, and is designed to ensure that Dairy Farmers of Britain has the skills, knowledge, culture and capabilities amongst its Council Members and Farmer-directors to fully contribute to the delivery of its business plan and strategy. This scholarship programme was build upon the success of the previous Milk Group Director Development Programme, run in association with the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers in 2005.
The second project, FCB Director Development, presents a unique opportunity for directors of English FCBs to improve their performance by developing the skills and knowledge needed to lead competitive businesses. The project offers a full range of courses that FCB Boards may need in areas such as Directors’ roles and responsibilities, business strategy, finance and legislation, human resources, marketing and personal skills, communications and information.
Both projects receive funding support from Defra’s Vocational Training Scheme and will be running in 2007. Plunkett is working to develop new governance training programmes to support other areas of its work, including board member training for community-owned enterprises.
For further details contact Dilwyn Evans, Deputy Chief Executive on 01993 810 730
RURAL PARTNERSHIPS DOING ITS BIT TO PREVENT CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate change has been identified as one of the most important challenges facing the world today. According to the recently published Stern Review, it’s estimated that greenhouse gas emissions could double their pre-industrial levels by 2035, raising average global temperatures by 2-3°C. This is likely to have a significant impact on global environmental and demographic patterns through increased drought, flooding, storms and higher sea levels. As part of the UK’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions, Rural Partnerships is working with its clients to develop alternatives in sourcing energy.
Rural Partnerships has recently been commissioned to undertake a feasibility study on behalf of Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire County Councils. This will consider the development of a farmer collaboration initiative to produce and supply oilseed rape to be processed into Bio heating oil, together with the development of a strategy for selling the by-products. As part of this work Rural Partnerships is also assessing the feasibility of establishing a Bio heating oil processing plant in Nottinghamshire/Lincolnshire, and looking at mechanisms for the collective purchasing of Bio heating oil for low income householders.
Rural Partnerships Ltd is joint venture between the Plunkett Foundation and Enterplan Limited, a commercial consultancy.
For further information visit www.ruralpartnerships.co.uk
After almost six years, and having presided over a rapid growth in the volume of activities and annual turnover, Richard Moreton, Plunkett Chief Executive, left at the end of September. He has taken up a new job in Poland with international development consultants and Plunkett joint-venture partners Enterplan Limited. We wish him and his young family well. James Pavitt and Alistair Clarke have decided to leave as permanent member of staff, but are still working with Plunkett as Associate Consultants. Shona Allison, Project Manager for Rural Partnerships Ltd is now pursuing a career with Oxford Innovation.
Over the last few months some new faces have joined us, bringing a range of new skills. We welcome:
James Money-Kyrle has been appointed as new Chief Executive of the Plunkett Foundation in November 2006. For the last six years James has worked as the CEO and MD for charities and commercial companies in the rural and social enterprise sectors.
Mike Perry, a graduate in Business Administration, joined the Plunkett Foundation in May 2006 to support the activities of the consultancy team and ViRSA.
Rebecca Roberts was appointed in October 2006 as the new ViRSA Community Retail Adviser for South Cumbria and Lancashire. Rebecca has many contacts in the area, some of which she has developed through her work with 'Feast', a food and drink network.
Also, Daniel Themen joined Rural Partnerships Ltd as Principal Consultant in August 2006. He is an expert in emerging market project management, and joins after five years in Kosovo where he provided managerial support to the reconstruction of the agriculture sector.
STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM TO CELEBRATE LAUNCH OF NEW LOCAL FOOD SCHEME
Four community-owned village shops in West Oxfordshire launched themselves as venues for purchasing local food with free samples of strawberries and cream on Saturday 17 June.
Using strawberries from Rectory Farm in Stanton St. John and cream from Upper Norton Jersey Farm in Church Hanbourough, the four shops at Tackley, Finstock Chadlington and Ascott under Wichwood are celebrating a new scheme to help promote local food. The scheme, which is funded by West Oxfordshire Network LEADER+, aims to point customers in the direction of food produced by local farmers, growers, bakers and brewers including meats, eggs, honey, flour, beers, wines, cakes and vegetables.
The Plunkett Foundation’s James Pavitt who is managing the project in partnership with the Oxfordshire Rural Community Council and the Oxfordshire Food Group, said; “shops that are owned and run by their local communities are ideal venues for local food because they have a natural affinity with local people and businesses. We have been measuring the quantities of local food sold in these shops and as much as 28% of fruit and vegetables they stock are grown locally. Compare that with the figure of less than 5% stocked by supermarkets!”
The project team would like to encourage as many local food growers or producers as possible to take part in this free scheme. Anyone interested in supplying local village shops with quality produce should please contact James Pavitt at the Plunkett Foundation on 01993 814 376
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