Plunkett Foundation News

…as snow costs supermarket Tesco an estimated £50millionCommunity-owned shops across Oxfordshire enjoyed record sales in December thanks to the snowy weather conditions, with some shops reporting increases in takings of as much as 285% from the previous year, the Plunkett Foundation reports. Residents of Oxfordshire villages like Ascott and East Hagbourne were left stranded by snowy conditions, which began late on Friday 17 December. But, thanks to their shop – both owned and run by the community itself – were still able to buy in their Christmas supplies. Ascott Village Shop reported a record increase of 90% over the four...

The Plunkett Foundation would like to wish everyone a very happy new year and every success for 2011. The last year saw twenty-two rural communities joining those who have saved their local shop through co-operative action. It saw over eighty joining the queue to get Government support to save their local pub. And it saw the Co-operative Movement rallying round to help those people when the Government turned its back on them.Julie Walters officially opening Kirdford Village Shop, one of the twenty-two shops to have been saved through co-operation in 2010. We are in a battle against time to help communities up and...

The Plunkett Foundation has welcomed the Government’s commitment to the Community Right to Buy as part of the Localism Bill but has warned that three new community rights need to be in place to make the Right to Buy work for rural communities. Plunkett are calling for three new rights:1. The right to first refusal 2. The right to a minimum of a 6 month window for communities to prepare a bid 3. The right to access appropriate financial and business support and advice Peter Couchman, Chief Executive of the Plunkett Foundation, says:  “The Plunkett Foundation welcomes the government’s announcement today committing to...

A new set of guidelines have been launched today providing advice on setting up community-owned shops in churches.The Plunkett Foundation has offered its expertise in community ownership to develop the publication, Guidelines and Best Practice for the Provision of Community Shops in Churches and Chapels, in partnership with the Cathedral and Church Buildings Division and the National Rural Officers for the Church of England, the Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church.Yarpole in Herefordshire, who have embraced their church as an ideal host to their community-owned shop.Church buildings may often be the only community space in a village or a deprived...

The Big Society should not ignore the potential of enterprising rural communities.  This was the message from rural campaigners the Plunkett Foundation at Better Business, their annual Rural Social Enterprise Conference, held in Telford on Thursday 25th November.“The withdrawal of public services and the closure of private business, including shops and pubs, are having a huge impact on rural communities,” says Peter Couchman (pictured right), Plunkett’s Chief Executive. “The Big Society vision is at risk of ignoring the potential that enterprise has for tackling the challenges facing rural communities. Communities are best-placed to address the problems that are affecting them,...

The county of Suffolk played host to a fantastic event on Monday 1 November which saw over 70 representatives from the cream of community enterprises and local food producers the East of England has to offer in attendance.Organised by the Plunkett Foundation and Suffolk ACRE, the event was designed to share best practice among successful community-owned shops and foster relations between food producers and suppliers, increasing access to quality, fresh and locally-produced food for people across Suffolk and the East of England. Coverage of the day by BBC Look East can be viewed here.Suffolk boasts a range of fantastic producers,...

Following today's announcement, the Plunkett Foundation has welcomed the Government’s commitment to exploring a mutual future for the Post Office. “Rural communities live in fear of losing their postal services”, said Chief Executive Peter Couchman, “but a properly designed mutual could give them ownership of the very services they are trying to save.” Plunkett, which supports many of Britain’s rural community-owned shops that operate post offices, has called on them to play an active role in helping to explore how they could become part-owners of the Post Office network.Read the announcement in full here. For any press and media enquiries,...

Better Business: Have you booked your place? Thursday 25th November 2010, 10am to 4pmTelford International Centre, St Quentin Gate, Telford, Shropshire TF3 4JHThe Plunkett Foundation’s Annual Rural Social Enterprise Conference series is essential for anyone interested in social enterprise and rural development. The 10th in the series, Better Business will explore how social enterprise offers the strongest and most viable model for rural communities to take ownership of the issues that affect them. Plunkett is delighted to welcome Ed Mayo, Secretary General of Co-operatives UK, as key speaker at the event. Peter Couchman, Plunkett’s Chief Executive, will also address delegates...

Two thirds of consumers agree fairness in food is of growing importance, new research revealsNew research published this month has confirmed fair food is well and truly on the consumer agenda, with concern for where and how food is produced becoming an increasing priority for consumers as well as MEPs, who last week backed plans to ensure a fairer food supply chain. The research was commissioned as part of the Fair Food Campaign for Making Local Food Work, a five-year £10m programme funded through the Big Lottery Fund. The research revealed that fairness in food is a driving force behind consumer attitudes...

Making Local Food Work is delighted to announce the launch of a new project to investigate the practicalities that make local food systems work. The project is an exciting new strand of Making Local Food Work, a five year, £10m programme funded by the Big Lottery Fund to invest in local food initiatives in rural and urban England, increasing access to fresh, healthy food with good, traceable origins. As part of the new project, Making Local Food Work is looking to work with 4 to 6 communities – both rural and urban – to develop resilient, co-operative activities to improve the...