How we helped to improve rural livelihoods through co-operative and social enterprise
To coincide with its Annual General Meeting held on Thursday 21st June Plunkett Foundation has published a review of its impact in 2011.
The 2011 Impact Report highlights the ways in which Plunkett Foundation helped rural communities to take control of the issues affecting them by providing advice and support for those wishing to set up or save vital assets such as village shops and pubs using community ownership.
Highlights from the report include:
• At the close of 2011, 271 community shops were trading. This included 23 brand new shops (20 of which were supported by Plunkett), two fewer than opened in 2010. It is predicted a further 20 will open in 2012.
• Plunkett’s Community Retail Team handled 130 new enquiries from communities seeking advice and support in setting up a new community shop, averaging at 11 new enquiries each month throughout 2011.
• Online membership of the Plunkett Community Shop Network has grown to almost 700 as a result of 248 new members joining in 2011.
• In 2011, our aim was to support 250 new community enterprises to become more sustainable. In fact, by the end of the year, we had supported 484 new enterprises, taking the overall total to 1,193 – smashing the 5 year target of supporting 650.
• Through Making Local Food Work, Plunkett Foundation worked with 114 established community shops in 2011 to expand their local food offering and increase sales, through the Look for Local project.
Peter Cleasby, Plunkett Foundation’s Chair, said: “During 2011 we continued to seek opportunities and manage challenges. The public policy context of returning some responsibility from central government to local communities during 2011 generated new needs for support and expertise, which the Foundation was well placed to provide.
“In partnership with others, we will continue to seek new and innovative ways in which we can help rural communities to help themselves. The pace of activity has not lessened during the first part of 2012 and shows no sign of doing so. If I may speak for the Foundation’s beneficiaries, I am immensely grateful both to the board of trustees who give their time and advice freely to support the organisation, and to our professional and committed staff who continue to go that extra mile to make change happen.”
Peter Couchman, Plunkett’s Chief Executive, said: “I am proud of the continued support Plunkett has been able to provide to help rural communities throughout 2011 and look forward to continuing to provide this high level of service in 2012.”
Plunkett Foundation also published its Annual Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements for the year ending December 2011. Both of these documents can be downloaded from the publications section of this website. If you would like to receive a hard copy, please let us know via email to info@plunkett.co.uk or by calling us on 01993 810730.