Plunkett Foundation's impact and performance
Here you can download our Impact Reports highlighting how we helped rural communities in the previous year, and our financial accounts in our Annual Reports.
Plunkett Foundation Impact Report 2012
Plunkett Foundation Impact Report 2011
Better Business
Our Better Business report is the most comprehensive research into the performance of community-owned shops ever to be published. It provides some of the most valuable statistics in the sector in support of a co-operative approach to rural social enterprise.
A Better Form of Business - Community-Owned Village Shops (2012)
COMMUNITY-OWNED RURAL SERVICES
Rural Broadband - Reframing the Debate
This report, produced jointly by Plunkett Foundation and the Carnegie UK Trust, explores the issues of rural broadband and the solutions that community enterprise can provide.
Rural Broadband - Reframing the Debate Report
Rural Broadband - Reframing the Debate Summary
The Community Farm - a successful community share issue case study.
Investing in Community Shares - http://www.communityshares.org.uk/sites/default/files/investing_in_community_shares_a-z_final_1_7_10.pdf
Community Investment: Using Industrial and Provident Society Legislation - http://offline.cooperatives-uk.coop/live/images/cme_resources/Public/In%20the%20Spotlight/ITS%20Sept/Community-Investment-guide.pdf
Community Shares: Practitioner’s Guide to Governance and Offer Documents - http://www.communityshares.org.uk/sites/default/files/practitioners_guide_final_7_7_10.pdf
Investing in Community Shares - http://www.communityshares.org.uk/sites/default/files/investing_in_community_shares_a-z_final_1_7_10.pdf
Simply Legal - a guide to legal structures - http://offline.cooperatives-uk.coop/live/images/cme_resources/Public/MakingLocalFoodWork/SimplyLegal.pdf
Simply Finance - a guide to finance for community food enterprises - http://www.uk.coop/simplyfinance
Simply Governance - a guide to the systems and processes involved in community food enterprises - http://www.uk.coop/simplygovernance.
Addressing Rural Isolation in Central and Eastern Regions: The Role of Community Shops.
Strengthening Rural Communities: Information, Advice & Support Guide & DVD
This informative booklet highlights the rural social enterprises that were supported through the Strenthening Rural Communities across the North West project.
A Practical Guide for Communities Considering Purchasing Land and Buildings
The Plunkett Foundation developed this guide on behalf of the Building Community Assets consortium members Co-operative and Community Finance and Social Enterprise East of England. Building Community Assets was a capital grants programme funded by the East of England Development Agency which supported a range of community organisations and social enterprises to own assets to secure their long term future.
Advice Sheets for Community-Owned Rural Shop
The Plunkett Foundation has developed a series of advice sheets covering all aspects of setting up and running a village community owned shop. You can either access them as pdf files from the page below or if you prefer you can purchase a full set in hard copy.
Enterprising Approaches to Rural Community TransportWith funding from the Department for Transport, Plunkett and CTA conducted the first comprehensive research study of the sector in 2006 and compiled an evidence-base of the extent to which it already uses social enterprise approaches. The results show that almost all rural CT operators trade to some extent, but there is significant potential for them to increase their long-term sustainability by optimising multiple income streams.
Rural Lifelines – Older People and Rural Social EnterprisesThis 2004 publication summarises research carried out by the Plunkett Foundation, PRIME, Age Concern and the Countryside Agency on the relationships between older people and rural social enterprises. The research sought to test the hypothesis that older people are major beneficiaries of social enterprises in rural areas, in view of the services which they receive from them, but are also significant participants in the management and operation of these same enterprises.
Enterprise4Inclusion
FOOD AND FARMING
Influencing consumer buying behaviour - http://www.makinglocalfoodwork.co.uk/templates/asset-relay.cfm?frmAssetFileID=815
Local Food and Climate Change - http://www.makinglocalfoodwork.co.uk/templates/asset-relay.cfm?frmAssetFileID=623
Community Investment in Community Supported Agriculture - http://www.soilassociation.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=5wx%2fk2q0d6I%3d&tabid=373
Simply Legal - all you need to know about legal forms for community enterprises - http://www.makinglocalfoodwork.co.uk/templates/asset-relay.cfm?frmAssetFileID=595
Social Business Toolkit - http://www.makinglocalfoodwork.co.uk/about/toolbox/Toolbox.cfm
The Real Choice - How local foods can survive the supermarket onslaught
This report shows how local foods – grown, processed and consumed in the same district – can flourish, provided the growth of supermarket chains is restrained by sound planning policies. These 'local food webs' bring a range of social, environmental and economic benefits and help to conserve some of our most beautiful countryside.
GENERAL CO-OPERATIVE INTEREST
Co-operation - A Beautiful Idea
This booklet explains, in less than 80 pages, the theory and practice of co-operation and mutualism. It's author is Plunkett Fellow Edgar Parnell. Available in both printed and eBook versions. Printed copies are available for £5 plus postage and packaging. 10 or more copies are available from Plunkett by emailing info@plunkett.co.uk. eBooks and smaller orders are available from http://www.co-oppundit.org/publications_.html
Reinventing Co-operation the Challenge of the 21st Century
A book designed to dispel the myths and misunderstandings that surround the co-operative business model and to set out, in straightforward language, the essentials of understanding and organising a co-operative. (This volume is the revised and expanded version of the best-selling Reinventing the Co-operative, no longer in print.)
Edgar Parnell (Plunkett Foundation) 1999, 312 pp.
ISBN 0 85042 136 5 £24.95 plus P&P
The Little Nut Tree: The Memoirs of Margaret Digby
An insight into the life and times of one of the co-operative movement’s champions and most tireless workers.
(Plunkett Foundation) 1979, 415 pp.
ISBN 0 85042 026 1 £5.00 plus P&P