The Plunkett Foundation

Press Releases

February 2010 - Rural Community Programme Hailed a Success in the Northwest

A two-year project supporting rural communities in the Northwest of England has created or safeguarded 70 jobs and supported 57 social enterprises.

Strengthening Rural Communities across the North West was set up in July 2007 to improve the services available in rural area and increase productivity.

Operating across Lancashire, Cheshire and Cumbria the £826,000 programme targeted those rural areas which most needed help. The result was 57 social enterprises being supported across a wide range of services including childcare, health and social care, retail and recycling where there had previously been market failure.

Chief Executive of the Plunkett Foundation, Peter Couchman says: “Rural communities are increasingly coming together and using social enterprise to provide essential services, where there has previously been a market failure. This is certainly what we have seen in the Northwest region through a diverse range of proposals from community groups, which aim to improve social and financial sustainability of their communities. We believe the programme has been a real success.”

Proposals were invited from both new and existing social enterprises and community-led organisations to bid up to £10,000 and 5 days of business support. All projects had to create new social or economic activity.

The challenges faced by rural communities are heightened by greater distances, a more widely dispersed population and poor access to jobs and services. Increasingly, rural social enterprises – businesses for a social purpose - are stepping up to the mark and finding ways to overcome these challenges.

In Nenthead, Cumbria, the last remaining shop closed in 2006. Residents of this isolated community were faced with a 10 mile round trip to the nearest shop. Funding of £10,000 from the programme helped to establish a village shop and Post Office.

Strengthening Rural Communities was led by the Plunkett Foundation, a charity which supports social enterprise in rural communities, in conjunction with the North West Rural Community Councils and funded by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA).

David Hunter, Head of Rural Development at the NWDA said: “Strengthening Rural Communities has made a real difference to rural areas, supporting sustainable changes which have made a tangible impact on peoples’ lives.

“By giving these social enterprises business and financial support, the programme was able to build confidence in projects and to suggest ways on how to make them survive in the long-term..”

Further accomplishments of Strengthening Rural Communities were the 70 jobs that were created or safeguarded as a result of the programme during a time when many others were being lost due in the recession. It also led to the creation of £1.09 million pounds worth of value added income for the region

It also provided support for new skills and knowledge to community-led enterprises, ranging from Credit Unions, shops and swimming pools to fitness groups for the elderly and horticultural projects for people with learning difficulties.

For further details about the communities that took part in the programme, including Nenthead, see to http://www.plunkett.co.uk/templates/asset-relay.cfm?frmAssetFileID=259. For information, advice and support on strengthening your community, contact James Alcock at the Plunkett Foundation on 01993 814375 or email james.alcock@plunkett.co.uk.

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Notes to Editors:

For further details about this press release contact Ema Murphy at the Plunkett Foundation on 01993 814386 or email ema.murphy@plunkett.co.uk.

A social enterprise is a business, group or organisation set-up with the primary aim of benefiting the people or a community that it serves and whereby profits are reinvested in to the business or enterprise instead of going to shareholders and owners.

The Strengthening Rural Communities: Information, Advice and Support guide, and the accompanying film, are available on the Plunkett website (www.plunkett.co.uk). Hard copies are available by e-mailing info@plunkett.co.uk or by calling 01993 810 730.

Strengthening Rural Communities across the Northwest (http://www.plunkett.co.uk/whatwedo/src/Index.cfm) was a support programme for social enterprises and community-led initiatives that worked with rural communities to help improve and develop the local services in their communities.

Further details can be obtained on the various projects involved including community-owned shops, a furniture recycling scheme and a music therapy trust. Other initiatives included a horticultural project which provides fresh produce via a mobile shop and which also creates invaluable training opportunities for adults with learning difficulties.

The Plunkett Foundation (www.plunkett.co.uk) is a national organisation which promotes and supports co-operatives and social enterprises in rural communities. In a world in which rural communities are seeing challenges to services, jobs and community vitality, the Plunkett Foundation builds on a tradition to help rural communities find the answers to tackle the problems they face. Through its commitment to co-operatives and social enterprises, the Foundation provides support, networks and knowledge offering practical solutions that help create thriving places where people live and work for future generations. The Plunkett Foundation works with the Office of the Third Sector (http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector.aspx) to promote social enterprises in rural communities.

The Northwest Regional Development Agency works to deliver economic success in England’s Northwest by building the competitiveness of businesses, people and places. Our investment and strategies are working to secure long-term positive change for our rural areas by improving productivity, helping businesses grow and diversify and supporting sustainable communities.

Northwest Rural Community Councils is an organisation comprised of the three rural community councils in the North West region. Including Cheshire Action (www.cheshireaction.org.uk), Community Futures (www.communityfutures.org.uk) and Action with Communities in Cumbria (www.ruralcumbria.org.uk

FEB 2010 - ENTERPRISE SPIRIT OF RURAL COMMUNITIES MUST BE UNLOCKED SAYS TORY SHADOW MINISTER

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 is a new direction. Rural values of enterprise and independent innovation, is much more durable than any amount of public money endorsed by public spirit.”

Alun Michael MP, Vice President of the Local Government Association said: “We need to bridge the gap between rich and poor and to connect people living and working in rural communities, and, those who ‘want’ to live in rual areas but for reasons such as a lack of affordable housing can’t. Social enterprise therefore is part of the solution.” He also said: “The principal of ‘Right to Try’ moves us out of the comfort zone and asks what do we need to do to sustain our communities and to make them better places to live in?”

Key areas highlighted at the event were the need for better business advice on social enterprise, better powers for purchasing community assets and the need for changes to legislation to support co-operatives and social enterprises. An action plan identifying key elements of the conference will also be published in coming months by the Plunkett Foundation.

Peter Couchman, Chief Executive Officer of the Plunkett Foundation said: “Rural communities want to take ownership of the issues affecting them but are often prevented from doing so because of barriers around a lack of rights and a lack of support. We are exploring why and how these barriers must be removed, to enable more communities to take control of what matters most to them, through community-ownership.”

The conference was supported by the Big Lottery Fund, the Post Office and the Office of the Third Sector.
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Editors’ Notes
Ema Murphy on 01993 810730 or 07733 228 038 or email: ema.murphy@plunkett.co.uk.

‘The Right to Try’ concept goes beyond political rhetoric to explore a specific and practical proposition to return power to rural communities: the ‘Right to Try’. If a village shop is threatened with closure, the community should have the right to try to save it. If lack of affordable housing is a concern, rural communities should have the right to try to secure land and raise finance. If a bus operator plans to withdraw a service, the community should have the right to try to put in place an alternative service. The scales need to be tilted more firmly towards the community by removing the barriers to the development of community-owned enterprises.

Jim Paice MP was appointed Opposition Spokesman on Agriculture and has remained on the front bench ever since. Following the 2001 General Election, he was appointed Shadow Minister for Police. Then in September 2004 he was promoted to Shadow Secretary of State for Agriculture and Rural Affairs. He has been the spokesperson for Agriculture and Rural Affairs unbroken since that time. Jim is also Chair of Conservative Rural Action.
The Plunkett Foundation promotes and supports community-ownership, co-operatives and social enterprises in rural communities. It provides support, networks and knowledge to help rural communities to be aware of, understand and implement practical solutions to the challenges that they are facing. It works with a range of organisations who share the same values to develop support programmes for rural co-operative and social enterprises.
The Plunkett Foundation has recently supported the producers of The Archers, the longest running radio soap on BBC Radio 4, with its storyline to save the last remaining shop in Ambridge. The villagers are currently setting-up it’s first community-owned shop to keep the heart of the village alive and to save this much needed service.
The Plunkett Foundation works with the Office of the Third Sector (www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector.aspx) to promote the role that social enterprise can play in rural communities in England. As part of the Cabinet Office, the Office of the Third Sector (OTS) leads work across government to support the environment for a thriving third sector (voluntary and community groups, social enterprises, charities, cooperatives and mutuals), enabling the sector to campaign for change, deliver public services, promote social enterprise and strengthen communities. The OTS was created at the centre of government in May 2006 in recognition of the increasingly important role the third sector plays in both society and the economy.

The Big Lottery Fund (BIG) awarded the Plunkett Foundation’s Making Local Food Work initiative £10 million from the BIG’s Changing Spaces Programme. The Changing Spaces programme was launched in November 2005 to help communities enjoy and improve their local environments. The programme is funding a range of activities from local food schemes and farmers markets, to education projects teaching people about the environment.

Full details of the work of the Big Lottery Fund, its programmes and awards are available on the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk

The Post Office
With around 12,000 branches nationwide, the Post Office has the largest retail network in the UK, with more branches than all of the high street banks combined. Around 99 per cent of the UK population lives within three miles of a Post Office branch and more than 23 million customers visit every week. The Post Office offers over 170 products and services to its customers. In addition to traditional mails and postage, the Post Office offers travel and financial services, from travel money to car insurance, banking facilities, bill payments, telephone and broadband, gift cards, lottery products and licence applications. Post Office Ltd is a separate limited company within the Royal Mail Group.
For more information about the Post Office, call 08457 22 33 44 or visit
www.postoffice.co.uk.

03 FEB 2010: FECKENHAM COMMUNITY-OWNED VILLAGE SHOP WINS NATIONAL BEST VILLAGE SHOP AWARD AT THE COUNTRYSIDE ALLIANCE AWARDS

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).

The 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. The Plunkett Foundation supports rural communities wanting to set up and run a community-owned rural shop, providing practical assistance through a network of community retail advisers, its website, various publications and a national office.

Feckenham Village Shop was helped by financial support and advice through the Village CORE programme, managed by the Plunkett Foundation, in partnership with the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and Co-operative and Community Finance. It provides financial start-up packages and advisory support to communities and has supported 48 community-owned rural shops since the programme started four years ago.

Peter Couchman, Chief Executive of the Plunkett Foundation said: “The successes of Feckenham community-owned village shop, demonstrates what can be achieved by rural communities given the right support. This award is a tribute to the hard work and dedication of their growing group of volunteers.”

A record three community-owned shops were crowned regional winners with the other two being in Blockley, Gloucestershire and Berrynarbor in Devon. A total of eleven community-owned shops were finalists in the awards.

This winning community-owned shop has also been supported by Making Local Food Work, to assist them with creating better links with their local producers and to enable them to stock and sell more locally produced food.

For further information please contact Ema Murphy at the Plunkett Foundation on 01993 814386 or at ema.murphy@plunkett.co.uk.

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NOTES TO EDITORS

The Plunkett Foundation (www.plunkett.co.uk) is a national organisation based in Woodstock, Oxfordshire helps rural communities to take control of issues important to them through community-ownership. The Plunkett Foundation works with other organisations that share its aims of helping rural communities respond to challenges to jobs, services and community vitality. Community-owned rural shops are one example of the growing number of rural social enterprises in the UK. A social enterprise is a business with primarily social objectives whose surpluses are principally reinvested for that purpose in the business or in to the community.

The Plunkett Foundation works with the Office of the Third Sector (http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector.aspx) to promote the role that social enterprise can play in rural communities in England. As part of the Cabinet Office, the Office of the Third Sector (OTS) leads work across government to support the environment for a thriving third sector (voluntary and community groups, social enterprises, charities, cooperatives and mutuals), enabling the sector to campaign for change, deliver public services, promote social enterprise and strengthen communities. The OTS was created at the centre of government in May 2006 in recognition of the increasingly important role the third sector plays in both society and the economy.

The Village CORE Programme (http://www.plunkett.co.uk/whatwedo/core/Core.cfm) is a three year support programme managed by the Plunkett Foundation in partnership with the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation (http://www.esmeefairbairn.org.uk/) and Co-operative and Community Finance (http://www.co-opandcommunityfinance.coop/). It provides financial start-up packages and advisory support to communities looking to set up a community-owned rural shop. The Village CORE Programme will have supported 60 community-owned rural shops over the three years.

Making Local Food Work (http://www.makinglocalfoodwork.co.uk) is a five year programme supported by £10 million from the Big Lottery Fund’s Changing Spaces Programme, which aims to help communities connect with the land and to have easy access to locally produced, healthy food. A consortium of seven organisations, led by the Plunkett Foundation, is pooling its expertise to develop and promote different types of community food enterprise, giving advice to people all over England looking to re-engage and help others access good, fresh, local produce with clear origins. The programme aims to secure the long term future of thriving communities that are strongly connected with the land, that understand where their food comes from, and are empowered to respond to their own needs using community-led solutions.

The Countryside Alliance Awards (www.countrysideallianceawards.co.uk) are designed to celebrate the achievements of unsung rural heroes. The grand final will be held at the Houses of Parliament on Wednesday 3 February 2010.

5 JANUARY 2010 - COMMUNITIES MUST BE ENGAGED IN THE FUTURE OF FOOD, SAYS MAKING LOCAL FOOD WORK

The Government’s Food 2030 report needs to go a step further by engaging communities in food production and food security according to Making Local Food Work, a partnership of organisations which help communities to take ownership of their food and where it comes from.

Peter Couchman, Chief Executive of the Plunkett Foundation which leads the Making Local Food Work partnership said; “While we welcome this as the first major food report in sixty years, we feel that the vision set out in the report does not reflect the change in the relationships that consumers increasingly want to have with the food they eat and who produces it.”

Making Local Food Works supports community food enterprises such as community supported agriculture, community-owned shops and farmers’ markets in areas ranging from sparse rural communities to large cities.

Peter also said: “The report we feel proposes a 20th century outlook to a 21st century problem. Consumers want to be able to actively shape the future of food. The report largely omits the trend of communities across the UK increasingly taking control of food production and food security through developing direct relationships between the people who produce and consumer food.”

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For media enquiries, please contact Ema Murphy on 01993 814386 or 07733 228 038 or email ema.murphy@plunkett.co.uk.

Notes to Editors

Making Local Food Work (http://www.makinglocalfoodwork.co.uk/) is a five-year programme funded by £10 million from the Big Lottery Fund’s Changing Spaces Programme. Making Local Food Work aims to secure the long term future of thriving communities that are strongly connected with the land, that understand where their food comes from and are empowered to respond to their own needs using community-led solutions. A consortium of seven organisations, led by the Plunkett Foundation, is pooling its expertise to develop and promote different types of community food enterprise, giving advice to people all over England looking to re-engage and help others access good, fresh, local produce with clear origins. The partnership includes Campaign to Protect Rural England, Co-operativesUK, Country Markets Ltd, FARMA, Plunkett Foundation, Soil Association, and Sustain.

The Plunkett Foundation (http://www.plunkett.co.uk/) is a national organisation based in Woodstock, Oxfordshire dedicated to improving rural livelihoods through co-operative and social enterprise. The Plunkett Foundation works with other organisations that share its aims of helping rural communities respond to challenges to jobs, services and community vitality. It was founded in 1919 by Sir Horace Plunkett, the pioneer of agricultural co-operation in Ireland and in 2009 it celebrated 90 years of helping rural communities to believe in what they can achieve together.

The Big Lottery Fund’s Changing Spaces programme was launched in November 2005 to help communities enjoy and improve their local environments. The programme is funding a range of activities from local food schemes and farmers markets, to education projects teaching people about the environment.

The Big Lottery Fund, the largest of the National Lottery good cause distributors, has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since its inception in June 2004. It was established by Parliament on 1 December 2006. Full details of the work of the Big Lottery Fund, its programmes and awards are available on the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk.

24 November 2009 COMMUNITY-OWNED SHOP GOES AHEAD ON THE ARCHERS

Ambridge, the village which the world’s longest running radio soap The Archers is based upon, has chosen community-ownership as the answer to saving the last shop in the community. The Plunkett Foundation supports rural communities to set up and run community-owned shops. It has worked with the show’s producers to highlight how real communities are combating village shop closures, by taking control of the very thing they are faced with losing.

Currently in Ambridge, the only shop and post office is going to close. After serious consideration at a recent Parish Council meeting, villagers decided that the best way to keep the shop open is to set up a community-owned shop joining 220 other rural communities across the UK.

Peter Couchman, Chief Executive Officer of The Plunkett Foundation says: “Community-ownership is often the only viable way of saving or reintroducing vital rural services like a village shop. The Plunkett Foundation is the first place that rural communities turn to when looking to save or reintroduce a vital service through community-ownership and we can provide the specialist advice and support needed to save or reopen a shop. We hope The Archers storyline will encourage more people in rural areas to take action.”

In the past three years, the Plunkett Foundation in partnership with the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and Co-operative and Community Finance has supported 45 community-owned shops to open through the Village Core programme. Out of these a record number of 27 have opened this year proving how effective the shops are, even in the most challenging economic times.

For further information on community-ownership visit www.plunkett.co.uk.

For media enquiries, please contact Elizabeth of Mar on 07870 276 375 or elizabethofmarpr@yahoo.co.uk.

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NOTES TO EDITORS

The Plunkett Foundation (www.plunkett.co.uk) is a national organisation based in Woodstock, Oxfordshire dedicated to helping rural communities through community-ownership. The Plunkett Foundation works with other organisations that share its aims of helping rural communities respond to challenges to jobs, services and community vitality. Community-owned shops are one example of the growing number of community-owned rural enterprises in the UK. The Plunkett Foundation supports and provides practical assistance through a network of community retail advisers, a dedicated website, various publications and a national office.

The Village CORE Programme (www.plunkett.co.uk/whatwedo/core/Core.cfm)
is a dedicated support programme for rural communities looking to set up a community-owned shop managed by the Plunkett Foundation in partnership with the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation (www.esmeefairbairn.org.uk) and Co-operative and Community Finance (www.co-opandcommunityfinance.coop). It provides financial start-up packages and advisory support to communities looking to set up a community-owned rural shop.

The Plunkett Foundation works with the Office of the Third Sector (www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector.aspx) to promote the role that social enterprise can play in rural communities in England. As part of the Cabinet Office, the Office of the Third Sector (OTS) leads work across government to support the environment for a thriving third sector (voluntary and community groups, social enterprises, charities, cooperatives and mutuals), enabling the sector to campaign for change, deliver public services, promote social enterprise and strengthen communities. The OTS was created at the centre of government in May 2006 in recognition of the increasingly important role the third sector plays in both society and the economy.

Interviews, high resolution images and case studies of a range of community-owned rural shops are available on request.

2nd October 2009 - COMMUNITY ASSET OWNERSHIP PROGRAMME LEVERS £20M INTO THE EAST OF ENGLAND

The Building Community Assets programme levered almost £20m into the East of England following support from the East of England Development Agency an independent evaluation has found.

Building Community Assets was a two year capital grant programme totalling an investment of £4.9m which helped social enterprises and other third sector organisations to take ownership of land and buildings in the East of England. Eight flagship projects in total were supported with capital grants of up to £750,000 to fund the purchase and development costs of assets in order to facilitate a greater level of economic and social outcomes.

Amongst the successful applicants were organisations seeking to develop accommodation through community land trusts, business incubation premises, furniture recycling operations and community and youth centres. Each organisation focussed on addressing the economic and social exclusion experienced by people in their community. Successful applicants also had to demonstrate proposals which would lead to increased viability of their organisations in terms of business growth and increased employment.

The independent evaluation of Building Community Assets also highlighted the value of the bursary awards which were provided to help organisations to become ‘investment ready’ through business planning, feasibility studies and assistance with professional services including legal, planning and architectural advice. 33 organisations were supported with bursaries of up to £15,000 – most of whom have been successful in securing capital funding from outside of Building Community Assets programme.

Building Community Assets was managed by a consortium of specialists in social enterprise: Co-operative and Community Finance, the Plunkett Foundation and Social Enterprise East of England.

Disability Essex, a social enterprise which supports people living with disabilities through clubs, training, and outreach healthcare, was supported by Building Community Assets through a capital grant of £750,000 following a bursary of £15,000. It was able to build a purpose-built, and accessible multi-use centre from which to locate their headquarters, training centre, and community centre which better supports their operational needs and provides a rental income. The new building has reduced maintenance costs, can accommodate an increased number of users, will safeguard and lead to new jobs, and increases their income generation potential.

The independent evaluation of Building Community Assets concludes that through the programme the East of England Development Agency and the Building Community Assets consortium successfully achieved its objective of investing in a small number of flagship social enterprise and other third sector organisations. It also demonstrated the value of asset ownership and development as having a positive impact on the regional economy.

The Building Community Assets consortium has produced a practical guide for communities considering purchasing land and buildings. The guide is intended to provide an insight into the range of organisation supported through the programme including their core objectives, their proposals and achievements through Building Community Assets and beyond. A separate section at the end of the guide provides signposts for further information and advice on acquiring community assets including potential sources of funding. Copies of the guide are available online via the consortium partner’s websites. Hard copies are available from the Plunkett Foundation and Social Enterprise East of England.

The full programme evaluation and its recommendations is available at

http://www.plunkett.co.uk

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For media enquiries, please contact Mike Perry at the Plunkett Foundation on mike.perry@plunkett.co.uk or 01993 810730.

Notes to Editors:

Building Community Assets was a fund established by the East of England Development Agency to support the development of sustainable, catalytic community assets that were genuinely transformational in scale. EEDA established the fund at the end of 2006 following extensive consultation with third sector organisations about their needs or funding and support and the best ways of developing capacity for social enterprise and asset based development. The fund comprised a total of £4.915M and ran from June 2007 until March 2009. Building Community Assets was managed by a consortium of specialists in social enterprise: Co-operative and Community Finance, the Plunkett Foundation and Social Enterprise East of England.

East of England Development Agency (EEDA) is one of the nine Regional Development Agencies in England, responsible for the sustainable development of the regions economy. EEDA works across the six counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. EEDA was the sole funder of the Building Community Assets programme.

Building Community Assets Guide is a practical guide which was produced by the Plunkett Foundation on behalf of EEDA and the Consortium Partners intended to for the use of social enterprises and other third sector organisations considering the purchase or development of community owned assets. The Guide is available from the Plunkett Foundation in hard copy and also on the Plunkett Foundation website.

An External Evaluation of the programme was carried out by Marilyn Taylor Associates between March 2008 and May 2009. The aim of the evaluation was to evaluate, both qualitatively and quantitatively, the role of the Building Community Assets programme in improving the performance of social enterprises through community asset ownership and also the performance and effectiveness of the Programme Consortium in managing the programme and reaching the target audiences.

Co-operative and Community Finance (C&CF) - who specialise in providing loan finance and business advice to community controlled and co-operative businesses. C&CF were the lead partner of the consortium, responsible for overall programme management and client reporting, and for grant application assessments. They were the primary contact for capital applicants.

Plunkett Foundation (PF) - a national organisation which promotes and supports rural co-operative and social enterprise and through this approach assists rural communities respond to challenges to jobs, services and community vitality. PF were responsible for the assessment and management of the bursary awards and for setting and managing this evaluation.

Social Enterprise East of England (SEEE) - a membership and networking organisation for social enterprises which aims to support and promote the social enterprise sector as a valuable part of the region's economy and for its significant social impact. SEEE was responsible for publicising and promoting the BCF programme, using their specialist regional knowledge, contacts and membership to reach out to potential applicant organisations.

Download Press Release

06.07.2009

NEW CAMPAIGN TO HELP RURAL COMMUNITIES TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE ISSUES AFFECTING THEM IS LAUNCHED

An innovative new campaign that helps rural communities to take control of the issues affecting them is being launched at the Royal Show this week (Tuesday 06 July) by the Plunkett Foundation.

Communities Taking Control is the Plunkett Foundation’s major new campaign to promote to rural communities what is possible when rural people believe in what they can achieve together. From communities owning and running essential rural services to taking control of their food and where it comes from, rural communities across the world are increasingly taking control if the issues affecting them. The Communities Taking Control campaign will highlight the impact that communities taking ownership has across the UK and give people and communities the tools to take control of the issues affecting them.

Launching the campaign, Peter Couchman, Chief Executive of the Plunkett Foundation said: “Rural communities across the world are increasingly taking control of the issues affecting their everyday lives. From the availability of essential services to providing employment and opportunities for rural people, our Communities Taking Control campaign aims to demonstrate to rural communities across the UK what is possible when rural people believe in what they can achieve together.”

The Plunkett Foundation is an organisation which helps rural communities to believe in what they can achieve together. It promotes and supports community-owned enterprises such as co-operatives and social enterprises in rural communities across the UK and internationally and has been doing so for 90 years.

The Village Shop at Feckenham, Worcestershire, is one of over 210 community-owned rural shops in the UK and this number is increasing by around 30 each year. It stocks a wide range of everyday groceries as well as many locally produced foods. There are 60 volunteers who help to run the shop. “It’s 19 years since we had a shop,” says John Calvert, chairman of the board of the Feckenham Community Shop Association Limited, which governs the store. “We used to have about eight and a post office. Now people are prepared to travel and they like to do all their shopping in one place.” Almost three years ago, when the villagers set about designing a parish plan for the 700 inhabitants of Feckenham they discovered that what people wanted most was a shop.

They wanted the convenience. They wanted to be able to buy local produce. Perhaps most of all they wanted a place where they could pop out and meet people. The question was how to achieve it. The Village Shop opened in January 2009 and is owned and run by the community in Feckenham.

Stroud Community Agriculture in Gloucestershire is one of 60 Community Supported Agriculture enterprises in the UK. It is a co-operative which is owned by 200 local members which is pursuing a new model for sustainable farming in the England. The risks and rewards of farming are shared between the farmers and consumers to enable. The owner-members hire farmers to run the farm for them but they also do volunteer work on the farm. Members who join the co-op commit themselves to supporting the farm and providing a fair income for the farmers. Farmers can then develop the health and fertility of the farm, its wildlife and the environment. Through this approach, communities can take control of their food and where it comes from. Community Supported Agriculture enterprises across England are being supported by the Plunkett Foundation led Making Local Food Work programme.

Dr. Stuart Burgess Chair of the Commission for Rural Communities and the Government’s Rural Advocate said: “As Rural Advocate I have the opportunity to witness the tremendous community spirit and vitality within communities across rural England. I have seen numerous examples of enterprise, initiative and opportunity and have heard about innovative plans to explore how a social enterprise business may offer an alternative way of managing the delivery of local services. The ‘Communities Taking Control’ campaign is a further opportunity for rural communities to demonstrate the value of community ownership and what can be achieved when people pull together. I wish the campaign well and look forward to hearing about further examples of creative solutions and how people’s experience and learning is being shared around the country.”

For further information please contact Mike Perry at the Plunkett Foundation on 07779 112130.

High resolution images of a range of rural communities taking control of the issues affecting them are available on request.

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NOTES TO EDITORS

Communities Taking Control is the Plunkett Foundation’s major new campaign to promote to rural communities what is possible when rural people believe in what they can achieve together. From communities owning and running essential rural services to taking control of their food and where it comes from, rural communities across the world are increasingly taking control if the issues affecting them. The Communities Taking Control campaign will highlight the impact that communities taking ownership has across the UK and give people and communities the tools to take control of the issues affecting them.

The Plunkett Foundation (www.plunkett.co.uk) is a national organisation based in Woodstock, Oxfordshire that is dedicated to improving rural livelihoods through co-operative and social enterprise. The Plunkett Foundation works with other organisations that share its aims of helping rural communities respond to challenges to jobs, services and community vitality. Community-owned shops are one example of the growing number of rural social enterprises in the UK. A social enterprise is a business with primarily social objectives whose surpluses are principally reinvested for that purpose in the business or in the community. The Plunkett Foundation supports rural communities wanting to set up and run a community-owned shop, providing practical assistance through a network of community retail advisers, its website, various publications and a national office. In 2009 the Plunkett Foundation is celebrating 90 years of helping rural people to believe in what they can achieve together.

Making Local Food Work (http://www.makinglocalfoodwork.co.uk/) is a five-year programme funded by £10 million from the Big Lottery Fund’s Changing Spaces Programme. Making Local Food Work aims to secure the long term future of thriving communities that are strongly connected with the land, that understand where their food comes from, and are empowered to respond to their own needs using community-led solutions. A consortium of seven organisations, led by the Plunkett Foundation, is pooling its expertise to develop and promote different types of community food enterprise, giving advice to people all over England looking to re-engage and help others access good, fresh, local produce with clear origins. The partnership includes Campaign to Protect Rural England, Co-operativesUK, Country Markets Ltd, FARMA, Plunkett Foundation, Soil Association, and Sustain.

The Big Lottery Fund’s Changing Spaces programme was launched in November 2005 to help communities enjoy and improve their local environments. The programme is funding a range of activities from local food schemes and farmers markets, to education projects teaching people about the environment.

The Big Lottery Fund, the largest of the National Lottery good cause distributors, has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since its inception in June 2004. It was established by Parliament on 1 December 2006. Full details of the work of the Big Lottery Fund, its programmes and awards are available on the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk

24.06.2009 SUPPORT FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES LOOKING TO SET UP COMMUNITY-OWNED SHOP EXTENDED

Further support for rural communities looking to set up and run a community-owned shop is now available following the announcement from the Plunkett Foundation that the pioneering Village CORE Programme is to be extended for a further three years.

The Village CORE Programme is a support programme for rural communities looking to set up and run a community-owned rural shop. It has supported 36 community-owned shops to open since May 2006 and a further 17 are due to open by the end of the year. The extended programme will be able to support a further 60 communities across the next three years.

Feckenham Community-Owned Village Shop in Worcester received advice and financial support through the Village CORE Programme

The Village CORE Programme is a partnership between the Plunkett Foundation, the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and Co-operative and Community Finance. It provides a combination of grant and loan finance up to a maximum total of £40,000 matched with the equivalent community contributions of up to £20,000 alongside specialist enterprise support from the Plunkett Foundation. The Plunkett Foundation supports rural communities wanting to set up and run a community-owned rural shop, providing practical assistance through a network of community retail advisers, its website, various publications and a national office. In 2009 the Plunkett Foundation is celebration 90 years of helping rural people to believe in what they can achieve together.

There are now over 200 community-owned rural shops in the UK and this number is growing by around 30 each year. The shops come in various shapes and sizes, reflecting the needs of the community in which they are based. Some are based in purpose-built premises whilst others are based in previous shop premises, village halls, portacabins, churches and pubs and others find a use for a previously unused community building.

Nenthead Community Shop and Post Office is one of the community-owned shops to benefit from the Village CORE Programme. Nenthead is a small and isolated community in the Northern Pennines and is England’s highest village. Originally a mining community, Nenthead once had a series of shops and services to support the workers and their families. In 2006, the last remaining shop closed leaving the community with a 10 mile round trip needed to reach the nearest shop and with limited access to transport.

Nenthead Community-Owned Shop and Post Office in Cumbria

At this point the community decided to take action with six residents forming a committee with the aim of re-establishing a shop in Nenthead which would be community-owned. In 2007 Nenthead Community Shop Ltd opened for business. A Nenthead resident and committee member explained how much the community had missed the shop over the summer: “In a rural community like Nenthead a shop is more than just a place to buy groceries. It’s where you find out the news and especially for people without transport, it’s the main place where you meet others and can have a chat.”

Like many community-owned rural shops, it provides a wide range of groceries including fresh fruit and vegetables and a range of local products. It also provides a Post Office alongside other services including access to cash, community information and a small seating area. Nenthead Community Shop provides employment for six part-time staff and is also reliant on a group of volunteers from the community.

Peter Couchman, Chief Executive of the Plunkett Foundation said, “The extension of the Village CORE Programme is fantastic news for the growing number of rural communities looking to set up and run a community-owned shop. We have seen communities transformed through this process and we look forward to helping more communities to help themselves over the next three years.”

Ian Rothwell, Development Manager of Co-operative and Community Finance says, “To those outside of rural communities, it can be difficult to understand the importance of a local shop but they really are vital to small communities. Often, they provide much more than food as they serve as a meeting hub for local residents and help to create community cohesion, which is why we’re so keen to support them.”

Dawn Austwick, Chief Executive of the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, said: "The Village Core Programme is a dynamic attempt to help rural communities revitalise themselves. It takes an enterprising approach to achieving its aims, addresses a significant gap in provision and looks to develop good practice - all things which are at the heart of the funding decisions that Esmée Fairbairn makes. We were impressed by the energy of those working on the programme, and the record of delivery in local communities, and therefore our Trustees have made a further grant to support this work."

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- ENDS -

NOTES TO EDITORS

The Plunkett Foundation (www.plunkett.co.uk) is a national organisation based in Woodstock, Oxfordshire that is dedicated to improving rural livelihoods through co-operative and social enterprise. The Plunkett Foundation works with other organisations that share its aims of helping rural communities respond to challenges to jobs, services and community vitality. Community-owned shops are one example of the growing number of rural social enterprises in the UK. A social enterprise is a business with primarily social objectives whose surpluses are principally reinvested for that purpose in the business or in the community. The Plunkett Foundation supports rural communities wanting to set up and run a community-owned shop, providing practical assistance through a network of community retail advisers, its website, various publications and a national office. In 2009 the Plunkett Foundation is celebrating 90 years of helping rural people to believe in what they can achieve together.

Co-operative & Community Finance (www.co-opandcommunityfinance.coop) provides sympathetic loan finance to help people take control of their economic lives and create social benefit. They exclusively serve the co-operative and social enterprise sector, and over 36 years they have supported hundreds of businesses ranging from small community-run enterprises to large award-winning organisations.

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation (www.esmeefairbairn.org.uk) is one of the largest independent grant-making foundations in the UK. It aims to improve the quality of life throughout the UK. It does this by funding the charitable activities of organisations that have the ideas and ability to achieve change for the better. The Foundation takes pride in supporting work that might otherwise be considered difficult to fund. Esmée Fairbairn’s primary interests are in the UK's cultural life, education and learning, the natural environment and enabling people who are disadvantaged to participate more fully in society. In 2009 the Foundation expects to make grants of approximately £25 million across the UK.

For further information please contact Mike Perry at the Plunkett Foundation:
Tel: 01993 810730
E-mail: mike.perry@plunkett.co.uk
Website: www.plunkett.co.uk

High resolution images of a range of community-owned rural shops supported through the Village CORE Programme are available on request.

01.06.2009 - Ryburgh Community-Owned Rural Shop featured on BBC1’s the One Show for the launch of Village SOS

Ryburgh Village Shop in Norfolk, one of over 200 community-owned rural shops in the UK, has been featured as a shining example of what rural communities can achieve together on Monday’s edition of the BBC1’s the One Show for the launch of Village SOS.

Ryburgh Village Shop opened on 2nd March this year after support from the Plunkett Foundation. It is one of ten community-owned rural shops to open in March and April 2009 alone and one of an estimated 40 to open during 2009. The new shop and Post Office is located in an old granary and stocks a wide range of produce from local free-range eggs to beer produced by local brewers from the malt from the maltings situated immediately next door to the shop. The shop supplies locally grown vegetables through a box scheme and will also soon have an internet point within the café.

The shop was supported by the Plunkett Foundation, the national organisation which supports rural communities wanting to set up and run a community-owned shop. The Plunkett Foundation provides practical assistance to rural communities through a network of community retail advisors, a website, a national office and various supporting publications.

There are over 200 community-owned rural shops in the UK and this number is growing by about 40 each year. The shops come in various shapes and sizes, reflecting the needs of the community in which they are based. Some are in purpose-built premises whilst others can be found in previous shops, village halls, portacabins, churches, pubs or can often find new life for a disused community building.

Ryburgh Village Shop received support from the Village CORE Programme, a dedicated support programme for communities looking to set up and run a community-owned rural shop. The Village CORE Programme is managed by the Plunkett Foundation in partnership with Co-operative & Community Finance and the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation. It provides advisory support along with a £40,000 funding package comprised of a £20,000 grant matched with a £20,000 loan which is also matched by community contributions. This programme, which will have supported 60 new community-owned rural shops to open by September, has recently been renewed for a further three years.

The Plunkett Foundation is also helping community-owned rural shops to stock and sell more local food through the Making Local Food Work programme. Making Local Food Work is helping 650 local food community enterprises to improve access to and awareness of local food for one million people.

The Plunkett Foundation is the organisation which promotes and supports co-operative and social enterprises including community-owned shops in rural communities both in the UK and internationally. It provides practical solutions for rural communities helping to create thriving places where people live and work now and in the future. In 2009 the Plunkett Foundation is celebrating 90 years of helping rural communities to believe in what they can achieve together.

Feel Inspired? Now it’s your turn!

If you would like to set up or know more about community-owned rural shops, we can help you.
Please get in touch by visiting: www.plunkett.co.uk
or by emailing: ruralcommunityshops@plunkett.co.uk
or by calling: 01993 810730

[ENDS]

The Plunkett Foundation (www.plunkett.co.uk) is a national organisation based in Woodstock, Oxfordshire that is dedicated to improving rural livelihoods through co-operative and social enterprise. The Plunkett Foundation works with other organisations that share its aims of helping rural communities respond to challenges to jobs, services and community vitality. Community-owned shops are one example of the growing number of rural social enterprises in the UK. A social enterprise is a business with primarily social objectives whose surpluses are principally reinvested for that purpose in the business or in the community. The Plunkett Foundation supports rural communities wanting to set up and run a community-owned shop, providing practical assistance through a network of community retail advisers, its website, various publications and a national office.

The Village CORE Programme (www.plunkett.co.uk/whatwedo/core/Core.cfm)
was a three year support programme managed by the Plunkett Foundation in partnership with the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation (www.esmeefairbairn.org.uk) and Co-operative and Community Finance (www.co-opandcommunityfinance.coop). It provided financial start-up packages and advisory support to communities looking to set up a community-owned rural shop. The Village CORE Programme will have supported 60 community-owned shops over its three years.

Making Local Food Work (http://www.makinglocalfoodwork.co.uk) is a five year programme supported by £10 million from the Big Lottery Fund’s Changing Spaces Programme, which aims to help communities enjoy and improve their local environments. A consortium of seven organisations, led by the Plunkett Foundation, is pooling its expertise to develop and promote different types of community food enterprise, giving advice to people all over England looking to re-engage and help others access good, fresh, local produce with clear origins. The programme aims to secure the long term future of thriving communities that are strongly connected with the land, that understand where their food comes from, and are empowered to respond to their own needs using community-led solutions.

The Plunkett Foundation works with the Office of the Third Sector (www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector.aspx) to promote the role that social enterprise can play in rural communities in England. As part of the Cabinet Office, the Office of the Third Sector (OTS) leads work across government to support the environment for a thriving third sector (voluntary and community groups, social enterprises, charities, cooperatives and mutuals), enabling the sector to campaign for change, deliver public services, promote social enterprise and strengthen communities. The OTS was created at the centre of government in May 2006 in recognition of the increasingly important role the third sector plays in both society and the economy.

14.05.2009 Communities see local food as the antidote to Recession

Communities taking control of their food can save money and eat well in spite of the Recession and global price increases. That’s the message from Making Local Food Work, a Big Lottery funded programme that aims to change the way a million people buy their food. By coming together and linking directly with local producers, community members can benefit from economies of scale, the freshest produce and knowing exactly where their food comes from and how it was produced.

Almondsbury Community-Owned Shop in Gloucestershire is one such example: Opened and owned by local residents, it provides a wide range of groceries for the community. The shop carries out regular price comparisons with the major supermarkets and wholesalers, selling key items at the same or cheaper prices. Chairman Alun Evans attributes this to the flexibility of being community owned: “Customers know what these items are worth and they know that they won’t find such fresh produce in the supermarket. We’re flexible enough to stock it as soon as it comes into season and to change our prices to match the supermarket or the wholesaler’s recommended retail price, whichever happens to be cheaper.”

By cutting out the middle man, local food schemes like community-owned shops, food co-ops and buying groups can make fresh, healthy food available at prices that are affordable for all. This means that households on a tight budget can still access a range of local foods whilst the producer is guaranteed a fair price.

Headlingly Fowl and Pig Co-ops in Leeds were established by a groups of friends and neighbours who wanted access to affordable local food with clear, traceable origins. They approached a local producer at a nearby farmers’ market with an offer; they would guarantee to buy a certain level of products each week over a six month period. In exchange the farmer would offer a lower price to the group’s members. This local food community enterprise has led to benefits to both the farmer, in terms of a guaranteed market, and consumer through lower prices and knowing exactly where the food comes from.

Communities across England are being supported by Making Local Food Work to develop similar schemes. A consortium of key organisations from the food and social enterprise sectors, led by the Plunkett Foundation; the programme hopes to put communities firmly back in the driving seat, making fresh, healthy, affordable local food a reality for everyone.

Getting involved in growing the food is another way to save money. In Warwickshire, Canalside Community Food grows organic vegetables for its 104 members, each of whom has either a £12 or an £8 share in the harvest every week. Local people who have recently lost their jobs can volunteer to work for a handful of hours a week in lieu of payment. There are currently six members on this ‘Workshare’ scheme and they are finding added value beyond the free food, as they learn new skills and make new friends. Workshare volunteer Amy Footer has found it invaluable: “I only recently moved to the area and so being on the Workshare has enabled me to meet people and feel a part of the community. I really enjoy the sense of satisfaction I get from this type of work and as I’m only receiving a part time wage from my office job it’s also really helped me to keep my food costs down.”

Jan Trefusis, Communications Officer for Making Local Food Work said, “Through a wide variety of approaches, local food community enterprises are proving that by getting together, you can take control of the affordability and accessibility of local food.”

For more information on how you can take control and how Making Local Food Work can help you, go to www.makinglocalfoodwork.co.uk

PHOTO: Farmers, employees, members, volunteers and pets all pull together at Canalside CSA.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Making Local Food Work (http://www.makinglocalfoodwork.co.uk) is a five-year programme funded by £10 million from the Big Lottery Fund’s Changing Spaces Programme. Making Local Food Work aims to secure the long term future of thriving communities that are strongly connected with the land, that understand where their food comes from, and are empowered to respond to their own needs using community-led solutions. A consortium of seven organisations, led by the Plunkett Foundation, is pooling its expertise to develop and promote different types of community food enterprise, giving advice to people all over England looking to re-engage and help others access good, fresh, local produce with clear origins. The partnership includes Campaign to Protect Rural England, Co-operativesUK, Country Markets Ltd, FARMA, Plunkett Foundation, Soil Association, and Sustain.

Alternative Case Study:

Some enterprises exist with the express purpose of making fresh, healthy food available to everyone. This is the case for the Hungry Snail food co-op in Wakefield. Established three years ago, it trades at local community venues including schools and a traveller site, as well as delivering within a three mile radius. For founder Henry Fisher, it’s all about involving people creatively in the local healthy food chain, and customers appreciate it: “People just enjoy coming and chatting to me. It’s a trusting relationship and they remark at how cheap the food really is: They can buy premium range produce at value range prices.” In addition to providing access to quality food, the scheme also encourages people to grow their own, selling surpluses through the co-op. Hungry Snail plans to obtain its own allotment for growing and, true to its ethos, the group is also involving the community by planting fruit trees around local housing estates

Press Release Word Document available here

High resolution images available on request

11.03.2009 Community-owned rural shops provide hope in challenging times for retailers

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This month sees the opening of an unprecedented number of community-owned rural shops with three opening in March alone. These are among 60 community-owned rural shops that will receive funding and specialist support under the Plunkett Foundation’s hugely successful Village CORE Programme.

The success of the Village CORE Programme comes at a time when headlines are being dominated by news of the closure of some of the most famous names on the high street. The fact that community-owned rural shops are opening at an increasing rate, even in the current economic climate, demonstrates what is possible with the right support when rural people come together to tackle a common challenge.

The Village CORE Programme was open for applications from rural communities that wanted to set up and run a community-owned shop, and the response was overwhelming. The Plunkett Foundation was inundated with requests from rural communities throughout the country, all of whom either had no shop or faced the prospect of losing their only shop. Avebury Community Shop in Wiltshire opens later this month. The loss of the only shop in April last year has meant that the community have had a twelve mile round trip to the nearest grocery stores. Elderly residents and those without cars have been most affected by the shop’s closure but everyone has felt its loss, particularly since it came shortly after the village school was closed.

After months of fundraising, and with financial support and advice provided under the Village CORE Programme, Avebury Community Shop will open in the appropriately named Hope Cottage. It’s set to play a major role at the heart of the village and as Dave Scattergood, chairman of the shop’s steering group says, “the shop will be both a social hub and an essential community service”. The community has already been revitalised as everyone has pulled together to turn the dream of a new shop into reality.

The challenges facing rural communities are heightened by greater distance, a more dispersed population and lack of access to jobs and services. Increasingly, rural social enterprises such as community-owned rural shops are stepping up to the mark to overcome such challenges through a variety of innovative projects.

There are currently approximately 190 community-owned rural shops in the UK and this number is growing by around 20 each year. The shops come in various shapes and sizes, reflecting the needs of the community in which they are based. Some are housed in purpose-built premises whilst other are based in previous shops, village halls, portacabins, churches and pubs.

Ryburgh in Norfolk is another rural community that had seen the closure of its shop but, through the determined efforts of the community and support from the Village CORE Programme, it can now enjoy the benefits of a new shop, Post Office and café which opened in early March. Like the majority of community-owned shops, Ryburgh Village Shop will be stocking as much local produce as possible, something that’s also a key consideration for the new shop in Feckenham, Worcestershire, that’s being opened later this month by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.

For further information about the shops at Avebury, Ryburgh and Feckenham or for more examples of shops to have benefited under the Village CORE Programme please contact Elizabeth of Mar at the Plunkett Foundation on 07870 276 375 or at elizabethofmarpr@yahoo.co.uk

NOTES TO EDITORS

END

26.02.2009 Berrynarbor Community-Owned Rural Shop in National Awards Success

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The Plunkett Foundation is pleased to announce that a community-owned rural shop supported by its hugely successful Village CORE Programme has won a coveted award for best village shop and post office in the South West of England.

Berrynarbor is a small village located on the North Devon coast. In 2004 the community faced the prospect of losing the village shop and post office when the postmaster retired. Residents decided to take action and formed a co-operative to save the shop. As Alex Parke, of Berrynarbor Community Shop and Post Office explains, the shop and post office are “one of the key facilities, the heart of any village” and a future without them was unthinkable.

Berrynarbor is one of over 190 community-owned rural shops in the UK and this number is growing by around 20 each year. The shops come in various shapes and sizes, reflecting the needs of the community in which they are based. Some, like Berrynarbor, are based in purpose-built premises whilst other are based in previous shops, village halls, portacabins, churches and pubs. The Plunkett Foundation supports rural communities wanting to set up and run a community-owned rural shop, providing practical assistance through a network of community retail advisers, its website, various publications and a national office.

Berrynarbor Community Shop and Post Office has gone from strength to strength. After four years of dedicated and determined fundraising and planning, and with financial support and advice from the Village CORE programme, the shop moved into purpose-built premises in 2008. It continues to be staffed by nearly 30 volunteers, who, along with the shop’s managers, form the enthusiastic team behind this thriving rural social enterprise.

The shop – which has a small café and plans to install an internet point – stocks a wide range of local produce, from freshly-baked bread and pies, to cider, ice cream and locally-reared meat. Berrynarbor is also taking part in a Plunkett Foundation-led pilot scheme to encourage shoppers to ‘Look for Local Food’ as part of the Making Local Food Work programme, and recent figures show that approximately one third of the food sold in the shop is local. This reflects the shop’s determination to be an asset not just to the village but to producers, suppliers and the local economy as a whole.

The success of Berrynarbor Community Shop and Post Office over the past five years demonstrates what can be achieved by rural communities given the right support. Berrynarbor will now join the other regional finalists at a reception in the House of Lords next month, where the national winners of the Countryside Alliance Awards will be announced.

For further information please contact Elizabeth of Mar at the Plunkett Foundation on 07870 276 375 or at elizabethofmarpr@yahoo.co.uk

NOTES TO EDITORS

The Plunkett Foundation (www.plunkett.co.uk) is a national organisation based in Woodstock, Oxfordshire that is dedicated to improving rural livelihoods through co-operative and social enterprise. The Plunkett Foundation works with other organisations that share its aims of helping rural communities respond to challenges to jobs, services and community vitality. Community-owned rural shops are one example of the growing number of rural social enterprises in the UK. A social enterprise is a business with primarily social objectives whose surpluses are principally reinvested for that purpose in the business or in the community.

The Plunkett Foundation works with the Office of the Third Sector (http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector.aspx) to promote the role that social enterprise can play in rural communities in England. As part of the Cabinet Office, the Office of the Third Sector (OTS) leads work across government to support the environment for a thriving third sector (voluntary and community groups, social enterprises, charities, cooperatives and mutuals), enabling the sector to campaign for change, deliver public services, promote social enterprise and strengthen communities. The OTS was created at the centre of government in May 2006 in recognition of the increasingly important role the third sector plays in both society and the economy.

The Village CORE Programme (http://www.plunkett.co.uk/whatwedo/core/Core.cfm) is a three year support programme managed by the Plunkett Foundation in partnership with the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation (http://www.esmeefairbairn.org.uk/) and Co-operative and Community Finance (http://www.co-opandcommunityfinance.coop/). It provides financial start-up packages and advisory support to communities looking to set up a community-owned rural shop. The Village CORE Programme will have supported 60 community-owned rural shops over the three years.

The Countryside Alliance Awards (www.countrysideallianceawards.co.uk) are designed to celebrate the achievements of unsung rural heroes. The UK Winners’ Reception will be held at the House of Lords on Wednesday 18th March 2009.

END

16.01.2009 New guide to strengthening rural communities launched by the Plunkett Foundation

A guide to how rural communities can use social enterprise to meet the challenges of the current economic crisis has been launched by the Plunkett Foundation.

At a time when the economic situation means that rural communities are facing more challenges than ever, this inspiring and informative guide shows communities how to use social enterprise approaches to take control of the issues affecting their everyday lives.

The Strengthening Rural Communities: Information, Advice and Support guide – which includes a film featuring several North West social enterprises such as the community shop and post office at Nenthead near Alston, Cumbria – focuses on the broad range of advice that rural social enterprises need to get established or to expand their services.

Packed with case studies, tips and useful contact details, the guide is designed to inspire rural communities looking to improve their access to services, and to give them the tools they need to set up their own community-led initiatives.

“The purpose of the guide and film”, says James Alcock, Project Manager at the Plunkett Foundation, “is to highlight the achievements of the organisations supported by the Strengthening Rural Communities across the North West programme in addressing the gap in vital rural services, including access to retail services, finance, and healthcare.”

Funding came from the Strengthening Rural Communities Across the North West programme. The programme was funded by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and managed by the Plunkett Foundation in conjunction with the North West Rural Community Councils.

David Hunter, Head of Rural Development at the NWDA, said, “This innovative work
has shown that small scale investments can make all the difference to a community project and we are keen to build on its success within the region. There have been real achievements in rural communities across the North West and I hope the guide and film can help inspire new ideas in the current economic climate and help communities to thrive in the future.”

Nenthead Community Shop Ltd, which is highlighted in the guide and film, is one of a number of examples of communities across the North West that’s using social enterprise to take control of the issues affecting their everyday lives.

Nenthead is a small and isolated community and at 1,500 feet is England’s highest village. Originally a mining community, Nenthead once had a series of shops and services to support the workers and their families. In 2006, the last remaining shop closed when its owners retired. The challenges this presented to some residents was significant, particularly as there was a 10 mile round trip to the nearest shop and limited access to public transport in that area. Following support from Strengthening Rural Communities across the North West, a community-owned and managed shop and post office was established to provide a social hub for the community.

James Alcock concludes, “The guide and film demonstrate that the solutions and models used by the communities are transferable. They provide practical ideas and information for other rural communities to use along with a directory of where to go to for further advice and assistance.”

For further information on the Plunkett Foundation and its work please visit www.plunkett.co.uk or contact us on info@plunkett.co.uk or 01993 810730.

Notes to Editors:

Strengthening Rural Communities across the North West (http://www.plunkett.co.uk/whatwedo/src/Index.cfm) was a support programme for social enterprises and community-led initiatives that worked with rural villages to help improve and develop the local services in their communities. It supported more than 58 social enterprises and community-led initiatives throughout Cumbria, Lancashire and Cheshire. The programme was funded by the NWDA and managed by the Plunkett Foundation in conjunction with the North West Rural Community Councils. Projects supported ranged from community-owned shops, to a furniture recycling scheme, and a music therapy trust. Other initiatives included a horticultural project which provides fresh produce via a mobile shop and which also creates invaluable training opportunities for adults with learning difficulties.

that offer practical solutions for rural communities and help to create thriving places where people live and work now and in the future. The Plunkett Foundation works with the Office of the Third Sector to promote social enterprises in rural communities (http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector.aspx).

The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) leads the economic development and regeneration of England’s North West and is responsible for:

• supporting business growth and encouraging investment
• matching skills provision to employer needs
• creating the conditions for economic growth
• connecting the region through effective transport and communication infrastructure
• promoting the region’s outstanding quality of life

For further information visit: www.nwda.co.uk

Northwest Rural Community Councils is an organisation comprised of the three rural community councils in the North West region. This includes Cheshire Action (www.cheshireaction.org.uk), Community Futures (www.communityfutures.org.uk) and Action with Communities in Cumbria (www.ruralcumbria.org.uk).

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21.11.2008 ENTERPRISE FOR EMPOWERMENT - THE PLUNKETT FOUNDATION’S EIGHTH NATIONAL RURAL SOCIAL ENTERPRISE CONFERENCE

Matthew Taylor MP, Malcolm Hayday – Chief Executive of Charity Bank – and Graham Worrell, Chair of Social Enterprise North West, head an impressive line-up of speakers at the Plunkett Foundation’s Eighth National Rural Social Enterprise Conference, taking place in Cheshire on 26th and 27th November.

The Conference is the annual two-day forum for anyone involved in rural social enterprise, and it provides an unrivalled opportunity for policy makers, practitioners and all those involved in rural social enterprise to discuss the vital issues affecting the sector.

This year’s Conference is held in association with Social Enterprise North West – the voice for social enterprise in the North West region. The theme of ‘Enterprise for Empowerment’ will be explored through a combination of keynote speeches, workshops – covering everything from ‘Building Communities through Asset Ownership’ to ‘The Economy and Opportunities for Rural Social Enterprise’ – and invaluable question and answer sessions and networking opportunities.

Speaking at last year’s Conference, Hazel Blears MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, emphasised her belief in the importance of empowerment and ‘devolution right to the doorstep’, stressing that there’s no better advocate for local needs than local people themselves. This year’s Conference will develop those themes, covering everything from financing rural social enterprise development, to community investment.

It’s impossible to overstate the positive impact that social enterprise can have on rural communities. Seeing really is believing, and delegates will have an exciting opportunity to visit one of four flourishing social enterprises, including The Fordhall Community Land Initiative (a farm owned by more than 8,000 shareholders) and the Children’s Adventure Farm Trust, which provides free holidays for disabled and disadvantaged children. Initiatives such as these are truly life-enhancing. Two hugely inspiring short films will be launched at the Conference, providing even more examples of the results which can be achieved when people work together to tackle the issues facing their communities.

The Plunkett Foundation is the UK’s leading exponent of rural social enterprise, and has an impressive record of agenda-setting within the sector. With rural deprivation a very real and pressing concern, the Conference is the perfect forum for discussing and developing ways to facilitate social enterprise that continues to transform lives and empower rural communities.

For further information please contact Elizabeth of Mar at the Plunkett Foundation on 07870 276 375 or at elizabethofmarpr@yahoo.co.uk

NOTES TO EDITORS

The Eighth National Rural Social Enterprise Conference takes place on Wednesday 26th and Thursday 27th November at Wychwood Park, near Crewe.

Social Enterprise North West is the voice for social enterprise in the North West region.

Matthew Taylor MP is author of Living Working Countryside, the Taylor Review of the Rural Economy and Affordable Housing.

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20.11.2008 - Social Enterprise Day Sees the Launch of Two Inspiring New Films by the Plunkett Foundation

Social Enterprise Day takes place this Thursday, and the Plunkett Foundation is celebrating the occasion with the launch of two inspiring new films which will be available to view on its new website – an indispensable resource for anyone with an interest in rural social enterprise. From villages wanting advice on how to set up a community-run shop, to policy makers interested in the latest research, Plunkett’s new website will be an essential tool for everyone wanting to find out more about the sector.

The two new films are a powerful demonstration of the impact of Plunkett’s activities and the extent to which social enterprise can improve the lives of those living in rural communities. One film explores how a community shop and ‘All-in-One’ centre in Oxfordshire has become the focal point of the village, while the other celebrates the success of the ‘Strengthening Rural Communities across the North West’ programme, which was managed by Plunkett in partnership with the North West Rural Community Councils. The film showcases five of the many diverse social enterprises which were supported by the programme, including a flourishing horticultural care project where adults with learning difficulties are given invaluable and truly life-enhancing opportunities, and a music therapy enterprise.

The Plunkett Foundation is the UK’s leading centre of expertise in rural co-operative and social enterprise, with 90 years of practical experience in promoting and supporting social enterprises. As an acknowledged expert in the field, Plunkett has a key role in advising government on issues affecting the third sector and in representing the views of the sector to decision makers. Plunkett is just as at home advising individuals and community representatives on the issues directly affecting them.

As well as the films, the new website (which is online from Thursday at www.plunkett.co.uk) combines an Information Centre and all of the latest social enterprise news, with key research findings, policy documents, free fact sheets and inspiring case studies.

Plunkett’s expertise lies in giving people the power to help themselves and in creating sustainable solutions to rural issues through social enterprise – an ethos very much in keeping with the spirit of Social Enterprise Day.

For more information about The Plunkett Foundation please contact Elizabeth of Mar on 07870 276 375 or at elizabethofmarpr@yahoo.co.uk.

Notes to Editors

Social Enterprise Day, which is part of Enterprise Week (http://www.enterpriseweek.org.uk/), is held annually to celebrate and promote social enterprise throughout the UK.

Click here to download the press release 3MB

High resolution photographs of Tackley 'All in One Centre' and the five social enterprises featured in the Strengthening Rural Communities across the North West film are avaible by contacting the Plunkett Foundation on 01993 810730 or emailing info@plunkett.co.uk