July 2025

A colour photograph of lending and relationship manager Kevin standing with Margaret Trotter of fourcorners in front of a banner with a red 50 and the word fourcorners. A teal flash over the bottom right hand corner reads celebrating 50 years at four Corners.

July 25, 2025

Celebrating 50 Years of Fourcorners: A Personal Reflection

Lending and Relationship Manager Kevin often gets out and about around the country, meeting prospective borrowers, partners and those we have already supported. Sometime he gets to celebrate with them…

“I recently had the pleasure of attending the 50th anniversary celebration of Fourcorners, an organisation that has been a bold and unwavering force in socially engaged film and photography since 1973. It was a privilege to stand among friends, supporters and creatives—people who continue to carry forward its pioneering spirit.

The evening was more than a party—it was a vivid tribute to the radical history of Fourcorners. From Ron Peck’s groundbreaking Nighthawks, the UK’s first feature set in the gay community, to Ruhul Amin’s Kind of England, their legacy is deeply woven into the story of British independent cinema. Their work has given a voice to underrepresented communities and tackled critical issues like racism, through exhibitions such as Remembering Altab Ali.

Over the decades, Fourcorners has expanded from a modest collective to a leading centre for creative development, supporting hundreds of people annually through training and cultural programmes. Its commitment to Bethnal Green and its diverse community, especially those impacted by unemployment, ill health or marginalisation, remains unwavering.

What I admire most is how Fourcorners listens and evolves. Its work isn’t just about art—it’s about access, empowerment, and transformation. The organisation continues to shape new narratives, nurture talent, and confront social inequalities through creativity.

Fifty years is an incredible milestone. Fourcorners is not just history; it’s a living, breathing example of what art can achieve when it dares to be radical, inclusive, and kind.”

Fourcorners. won the The Diversity Award at our 50th Anniversary Gala Dinner in 2023 – Margaret Trotter accepted the award, accompanied by Rebecca Brace.

July 18, 2025

Housing co-op secures loan as residents prepare for change

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A housing co-op in North Wales has obtained a loan package to refinance loan stock as members look to secure financial sustainability.

Ty Brethyn Housing Co-operative is situated a short distance from Llangollen, a small market town by the River Dee in Denbighshire, Wales. The property consisting of a former Victorian Mill, several outbuildings and approximately 5 acres of land, was incorporated as a fully mutual housing Co-operative in 2007.

Formally purchased with the intention of being a Buddhist community with a retreat space, the property was also previously used for several other projects and businesses including a bakery and mead brewery, with the now converted buildings serving as accommodation for the housing co-op’s nine residents. Co-operative & Community Finance were delighted to provide Ty Brethyn with a loan package to enable the refinancing of their loan stock as long term members of two households move from the housing co-op to live locally elsewhere.

With a strong ethos and emphasis on community sustainability and environment, Ty Brethyn Housing Co-op describes itself as being a small, friendly, open-minded community where residents value living ethically, with compassion and a spirit of generosity. In working with Co-operative & Community Finance, Gwen Sanderson, Secretary of Ty Brethyn Housing Co-op said: “Attracting finance as a small business has been complex. We are very glad of the loan from CCF to enable us to continue to offer homes in this extraordinary setting, and build on the enduring hard work of previous cooperative members.”

Tim Coomer, Business Development Manager at Co-operative & Community Finance said: “I am so pleased we have been able to support Ty Brethyn Housing Co-op, tucked away in a secluded valley with babbling stream and woodland this former watermill is indeed a very special place. I was really taken with the fantastic members I met and their careful ethical management and conservation of the land and buildings; fulfilling their desire of living the good life.”

To find out more about Ty Brethyn Housing Co-operative you can visit their Facebook page. If would be interested yourself in investing in Ty Brethyn, through interest bearing loan stock, then contact tybrethyn@hotmail.com for more information. And to find out more about how Co-operative & Community Finance provides supportive loan finance to help people take control of their economic lives and create social benefit, visit our website or contact us directly.

July 16, 2025

Locals shape direction of village pub after community takeover from commercial brewery

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Residents of Ickleton have taken their beloved pub into community ownership from its commercial brewery owners after raising loan finance and successful community share offer.

The Lion at Ickleton (previously known as The Ickleton Lion and before that, The Red Lion) has been serving locals in the village of Ickleton, Cambridgeshire since 1728. After recent years of disappointment in owners Greene King Brewery, the community came together to take ownership of the pub after being designated an Asset of Community Value by the local parish council in 2014.

Ickleton Community Pub Limited was registered as a Community Benefit Society with the assistance of Plunkett UK in May 2024, and thereafter went about an in depth consultation and community engagement agenda with locals including setting up public meetings, WhatsApp groups, surveys, social media pages, as well as organising events, activities and fundraisers. After positive engagement and feedback from residents and local businesses, the society undertook a community share offer raising an impressive £441k and along with loan finance from Co-operative & Community Finance were able to agree a purchase price with Greene King to take ownership of the pub.

The committee is made up of members with a range of skills and experience and have opted for a hands-on approach to shape the direction of the community pub and its activities. Wanting as much community involvement and control as possible, the society have decided that hiring staff and directly managing the pub rather than taking on tenants would be the best way to achieve this goal.

Community involvement – The Lion at Ickleton

Steve Allen, Treasurer at Ickleton Community Pub said: “It’s been incredibly rewarding to see the community come together to back this project – not just financially, but through countless hours of hard work and dedication. Raising over £440,000 through our share offer was no small feat, and the additional support from Co-operative & Community Finance really helped turn our dream of community ownership into a reality. Their backing has given us the means to bring our beloved pub back to life as a proper hub at the centre of village life.”

In purchasing the pub, the committee hopes to strengthen the community by providing new facilities, creating places for people to gather, supporting sustainable living and boosting the local economy.

Kevin Lloyd-Evans, Lending and Relationship Manager at Co-operative & Community Finance said: “We were proud to support this inspiring community-led project, where local people came together to save their pub and transform it into a vibrant hub. Our loan helped bring their vision to life – proof that when communities lead, real change happens.”

You can find out more about the Lion at Ickleton and their journey by visiting their website or watching the BBC ‘Look East’ Feature from June 2025 below.