News Archive

The Supporters Direct Annual Conference 2010 is being held in London at The Institute of Engineering & Technology (IET London: Savoy Place) on Saturday 12th June and Sunday 13th June. As well as the interesting sessions and chance to network with like minded fans, the fee includes lunch, refreshments and the reception (if registered for the Saturday).  They have sessions on football finance, a grown-up debate about the future of football with Club Chairmen, activists from the leading campaigners from Supporters' Trusts and leading political thinkers. This chance to network with like minded fans from up and down the Country...

This week in the Plunkett Weekly News (download pdf):Plunkett Foundation news:Archers community-owned shop to open on June 2New report says community food enterprises up to the challenge of climate changeCo-operatives and Social Enterprise news:Social enterprises and co-operatives shortlisted for Observer Ethical AwardsSupporters Direct Annual Conference: ‘Join the Debate’ – 12 to 13 June 2010, LondonNew partnership offers support for affordable homes in Somerset and DorsetFarming and Food news:Buying groups unite for dairy farmersFirst Milk appoint new Chief ExecutiveEU farm leaders call for more co-op powerRural Development news:Broadband boost for remote villagesRCAN Fieldworks Conference 2010, 8th-9th June, YorkEnvironmental technology shaping tomorrow’s...

Ambridge, the fictional home of The Archers, will be celebrating next month with the announcement that their new community-owned shop will open its doors on 2 June.In October listeners heard how the only shop in Ambridge was threatened with closure after the owners decided to sell up. As it is the only shop in the community, villagers reacted with shock and concern at the decline of this vital community service which provides so much to so many people in the community.  Since then, The Archers have taken their 800,000 daily listeners through the process of a community coming together to...

Community food enterprises can play a role in helping to tackle the challenge of climate change through empowering local people and communities to take action.  This is the main message from a new report launched this week [Wednesday 5th May] at a major national conference in Manchester.The report ‘Local food and climate change – the role of community food enterprises ’ identified the potential for communities on a local level across England to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in every part of the food chain, including transport.Peter Couchman, Director of Making Local Food Work and Chief Executive of...

The Plunkett Foundation made it's fourth appearance on The Archers last night (Wednesday 28th May).Ambridge, the fictional local for The Archer, is setting up a community-owned shop to save their village shop which has been threatened with closure.Like many other communities in this situation, the community turned to the Plunkett Foundation and our dedicated support programme for community-owned shops, The Village CORE Programme.  This programme has opened 48 new community-owned shops over the past four years.You can listen again to the programme by following the link below (it is around 7.30 minutes into the programme).http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00s2pbn/The_Archers_28_04_2010/

For up-to-date information on Co-operatives and Social Enterprise, Farming and Food, Rural Development and International see the latest Plunkett Weekly News.

PRESS RELEASE: SUPPORT FOR LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO SET UP COMMUNITY-OWNED PUBS ANNOUNCED A new support programme has been announced to help local communities to set up and run community-owned pubs.  The support programme, led by the Plunkett Foundation, is part of a 12 point action plan announced by Pubs Minister John Healey to give practical support to community pubs up and down the country. Almost 40 pubs are closing each week leaving many communities without access to a pub.  Co-operative-ownership has been a proven success in saving village shops with record numbers opening in 2009.  Community-owned shops now save or reopen 10%...

Online network launch is the start of a new era for community-owned shopsThe launch of a new online network has been hailed as the start of a new era for community-owned village shop development in the UK.  The network, hosted by the Plunkett Foundation, enables people involved in setting up and running community-owned shops to communicate with each other, share ideas and experience across the UK and be inspired by others.The new network (www.plunkett.uk.net) was launched on Friday 12 March at Thorncombe Community-Owned Village Shop in West Dorset by Oliver Letwin MP who alongside being Thorncombe’s local MP is also...

The Plunkett Foundation’s Right to Try conference in London on 27 January provided a forum for debate on the sustainability of rural communities, by examining the barriers they are faced with and of the solutions needed to improve local services through community-ownership. A number of guest speakers attended including Jim Paice and Alun Michael MPs, along with social enterprise leaders and active rural community members.Jim Paice, Shadow Minister for Food and Farming said: “The Right to Try is about unlocking the enterprise spirit in communities and we must tailor local communities to local problems. He also said: “Right to Try...

Feckenham Village Shop in Worcestershire, a community-owned shop in supported by the Village CORE Programme has won a national award for the best village shop and post office at the Countryside Alliance Awards at the Houses of Lords this week, (Wednesday 3 February).Sue and Grey DarbyThe shop in Feckenham is one of over 230 community-owned rural shops currently in the UK, 37 of which opened in 2009. The shops come in various shapes and sizes, reflecting the needs of their communities. Some are based in purpose-built premises whilst other are based in previous shops, village halls, portacabins, churches and pubs....