We are delighted to be a sponsor of the Plunkett Foundation Rural Community Business Awards 2019.

We are thrilled to sponsor the ‘Connecting the Community’ Award in the Plunkett Foundation Rural Community Business Awards 2019 – good luck to the shortlisted businesses in this category, Thurlton Community Store CIC, Trawden Forest Community Shop And Hub and Neroche Woodlanders Ltd.

In total, 21 amazing organisations including community shops, pubs farms and even a woodland, have been shortlisted across seven awards categories.

Plunkett Foundation and Co-operative and Community Finance have worked together on supporting rural community business for many years. We are partners in the vibrant More Than A Pub Programme and both organisations, and the teams within them, are committed to supporting communities to take control of their economic activity and future. It’s an honour and a privilege to work with so many committed groups of people up and down the country who are taking their local economic activity into their own hands, and we’re thrilled to see seven of our own borrowers on the shortlist.

The Awards Ceremony takes place on Wednesday 27 November at Burlington House in London – our fingers are crossed and we wish all the shortlisted businesses the very best of luck.