Supportive loan finance to help people take control of their economic lives and create social benefit.
We exclusively serve the co-operative and social enterprise sector.
Over the last 40 years we’ve supported hundreds of businesses, from small community-led enterprises to large award-winning organisations. All of our funds are democratically owned and controlled by our members. We lend to those that practice the principles of co-operation, social ownership and sustainable development. Our rates are competitive and we don’t require personal guarantees.
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Recent lending
500 year old pub saved
The people of Ash, near Sandwich in Kent, have succeed in buying the 500-year old Chequer Inn that has been closed for four years. The pub had previously been bought by a developer but the villagers blocked the planning application and persuaded the local authority to make the pub and Asset of Community Value. They […]
Another village pub saved by community ownership
The residents of the small village of Winterbourne Bassett in Wiltshire are celebrating a new acquisition – their local pub, which has been bought by a community benefit society set up just five months ago. Many of the ‘new owners’ gathered in the pub last weekend to toast their success and start the refurbishment. One […]
Going, going, gone! Sold to the community.
The New Year started well for the people of Cookshill and Caverswall, neighbouring villages on the outskirts of Stoke on Trent. On 5 January their long fight to save their pub from demolition came to an end when the Auctioneers Arms was bought by Caverswall Community Society. Some 130 local people had bought shares in […]
News & Views
Innovative ventures in food and farming
In 2017 we continued to work with the Real Farming Trust and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation to deliver the Just Growth programme. This 18-month initiative was set up to nurture community enterprises that are farming and producing food in a responsible way. Six projects received a funding package made up of one third loan finance, one […]
Helping multi-stakeholder co-ops to grow
During 2017 we helped two very different multi-stakeholder co‑operatives to expand and develop. RetrofitWorks RetrofitWorks, based in London, is a multi-stakeholder co-operative whose members include both owners/managers of housing stock such as local authorities, housing associations and charities, and tradespeople and building companies. Megan Williams, Projects Manager at RetrofitWorks, said: “RetrofitWorks brings together the supply […]
2017 – The Year of the Co‑operative Pub
2017 was the Year of the Co‑operative Pub. We saw a big growth in demand for finance from communities wanting to take ownership and control of their local assets, especially pubs. Just over three-quarters of the finance we released in 2017 went to 10 community benefit societies involved in pubs and hospitality. More Than A […]