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October 25, 2019

From victim to survivor – from tenant to landlord

One of the oldest organisations in Yorkshire that supports survivors of domestic abuse and sexual exploitation has bought a town centre office building thanks to the co-operation of several responsible finance organisations.

On 22 October Rotherham Rise completed the purchase of the Grade II listed building in Rotherham High Street that it already occupied together with other tenants. The building, which is to be renamed Rise House, provides 1,000 sq ft of office and retail space. Rotherham Rise uses about two-thirds of the accommodation and will now receive rent from the tenants of the other offices, thereby providing a new income stream. Rise is redeveloping the ground floor retail area as a cafe, which is scheduled to open by the end of November.

Sue Wynne, chief executive of Rotherham Rise, said: “The market for rented offices in Rotherham does not favour not-for-profit organisations like us. We have had to move premises several times in the last 10 years and it’s been expensive and disruptive. We have been wanting to buy somewhere for a while now so that our working environment is stable and sustainable.”

Rise had been planning to purchase a building and saw an opportunity at the High Street premises when they moved in as tenants at the end of 2018. They then started to look at options of how to achieve this. The purchase was made possible by Co-operative & Community Finance, Co-op Loan Fund and Key Fund collaborating on a package of long-term loans. The Co-op Foundation has provided loan and grant finance for the fitting out of the cafe.

As a result of the purchase and the new income from tenants and the cafe, Rise will be in a stronger financial position and it will not have to worry about moving premises again. This leaves the organisation free to concentrate on providing its comprehensive range of services that include refuge accommodation, support services, therapeutic services, pathway services, and training in domestic abuse awareness.

Rotherham Rise was established in 1976. Today it has 30 employees and is in the process of recruiting three project workers and it is also advertising for the voluntary post of treasurer.

Sue Wynne said: “Over the last 10 years there has been a very significant increase in the demand for our services. This is a good thing because it shows a greater awareness of domestic abuse and a willingness to report it. There has been a big leap in self-referrals. It’s been a challenge for us to keep pace with demand. Our main focus has been to ensure that people in need of our support don’t have to wait too long. Looking ahead, we are developing more pathways to our services that support people throughout the journey from victim to survivor.”

Ian Rothwell, investment manager of Co-operative & Community Finance, which manages Co-op Loan Fund, said: “It is great that we were able to help such a worthwhile organisation to secure its accommodation and improve its sustainability. This is also a good example of responsible finance organisations working together to provide appropriate lending that makes a big difference to those providing support to vulnerable people.”

August 23, 2019

Village pub gives housing plan the boot

support Featured, Financing Community Ownership, News

The people of a small village in rural Herefordshire are eagerly awaiting the re-opening of their pub after they saved it from redevelopment and secured its future by buying it for the local community. With the substantial renovation nearly finished [writing at 23 August 2019] and the tenants installed, The Boot Inn at Orleton near Ludlow is expected to start selling beer (locally brewed, of course) and serving food in the next few weeks.

“We are planning to re-open slowly and make sure we have got everything right before we hold a big celebration,” said John Alderman, the chair of the community benefit society that now owns the pub.

The Boot Inn is an attractive black-and-white timber-framed building that dates back to the 17th century when it was once three shops, including a cobblers (hence the name). The pub building is grade II listed and in the large garden there is a more ancient structure reputed to be the smallest dwelling in Herefordshire that was still occupied 50 years ago. The new community owners plan to make this into a mini museum.

The pub had once been the happy heart of the village but more recently had been neglected by the last owner who wanted to redevelop the whole site (over half an acre) for housing. It closed in June 2017.

The villagers frustrated the plans by having the pub declared an Asset of Community Value. After seeking advice from various organisations and other community-owned pubs, they set up a community benefit society to raise investment via a community share issue to buy and renovate The Boot Inn. The purchase was completed in January 2019.

The substantial renovation has included the roof, kitchen, bar, living accommodation, electrics, plumbing, and a new wheelchair accessible front entrance.

The tenants appointed to run the business are Chris and Hollie Thorpe, who both have extensive experience in catering and hospitality. Chris used to manage The Boot Inn when it was a successful venture and is well liked in the village.

John Alderman said: “We have saved our local pub and secured its future. In a small rural village like Orleton the pub can be a significant employer and can provide opportunities for young people. I’m pleased to say that Chris and Hollie are creating one full-time and 12 part-time jobs.”

Ian Rothwell, Investment Manager for Co-operative & Community Finance, said: “The purchase, renovation and reopening of The Boot Inn is a big project and we were happy to provide part of the finance needed in the form of a loan. I visited when the renovation work was just starting. It’s a lovely old pub, with outbuildings and a large garden. You could see it has plenty of potential. Also, it is very reassuring to know that it has been run successfully in the past by the very same person who is going to be the new tenant.”

The community share issue has so far raised over £325,000 from 283 investors. In addition, the community received advice. a grant and a loan under the More Than A Pub programme which was set up in 2016 to support community ownership of pubs in England. This programme is funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and Power to Change, and is delivered by Plunkett Foundation working in partnership with Co-operative & Community Finance and Key Fund. The society also received a separate grant from The Pub is the Hub.

[The photo shows the first work party assembled at The Boot Inn on 3 February 2019]

July 19, 2019

“Like two cheeks of the same backside”

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A community pub in Devon that has been run successfully by volunteers for eight years, was today (19 July) bought freehold by the local community. The Stoke Canon Inn, just five miles from Exeter, is now owned by a community benefit society with 140 members who have collectively invested £120,000. This investment, together with loans from Co-operative & Community Finance and Triodos Bank, has enabled the villagers to secure the future of their local pub.

The only pub in Stoke Canon (population of 660) closed in 2007 and was sold by the pub company to a property developer. The developer renovated and let the large three-bedroom flat on the first floor but left the pub area on the ground floor empty. After a few years without a pub, the community approached the owner with a proposal to lease the trading part of the premises. An agreement was reached, and a company limited by shares, called Stoke Canon Inn Limited, was set up in April 2011 to take on the lease and run the pub. The company is run as a co-operative with each of the 107 shareholders having an equal investment and just one vote.

For the last eight years the business has been run by a team of some 30 volunteers. There is one employee who is the manager, volunteer co-ordinator and designated premises supervisor. The operation of the kitchen is franchised to a self-employed chef, who has built a good reputation for traditional pub food, Sunday roasts and barbeques.

The pub offers a wide range of activities including darts, live music, bingo, quizzes and meetings of various clubs. It is the focal point for events such as the annual firework display and the Stoke Canon Festival. In October 2018, Stoke Canon Inn was included in the Guardian newspaper’s Top 50 Pubs in the UK

Last year the owner indicated that he wished to sell the premises. The local people, who feared losing their pub for a second time, sought advice from More Than A Pub and The Pub Is The Hub and set up a community benefit society to raise investment and buy the freehold. After a successful community share issue and sale negotiation the pub was bought by Stoke Canon Community Pub Ltd.

The new community benefit society owns the premises and the original company runs the pub as a tenant. The relationship between the two organisations is “like two cheeks of the same backside” said Maggy Clark, Chair of Stoke Canon Community Pub Ltd. “Many people have shares in both. It was less complicated to set up a new structure to attract the investment we needed for the purchase than to change the rules of the existing company.”

Because the community was already running the pub, the business of serving food and drinks has continued without interruption. However, the transfer of ownership will make a big difference to other things. The community benefit society will receive rent from the first floor flat, after it has been refurbished and let, and this will help to repay the loans. Maggy Clark says that several local trades persons have offered their services at very low rates or even free because they know that the building, car park and garden belongs to the village.

“We will continue to run the pub in the same way, with a paid manager and a team of volunteers. It works well, it makes people feel good and it holds the community together,” said Maggy Clark. “I’d recommend this to anyone like me who is retired. Otherwise we’d just be gardening.”

The community received advice. a grant and a loan under the More Than A Pub programme which was set up in 2016 to support community ownership of pubs in England. This programme, which has recently been renewed, is funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and Power to Change, and is delivered by Plunkett Foundation. Co-operative & Community Finance arranges loan finance for groups that have successfully attracted local investment, usually in the form of community shares.

Ian Rothwell, Investment Manager for Co-operative & Community Finance, said: “Usually I don’t get to see the pub operational when carrying out an appraisal, but here I could see the pub in action, taste the food and meet the bar manager, chef, local activists and customers. The pub had a great feel to it and certainly the customers I met were really engaged and relished the opportunity to purchase it.”

Bar staff volunteers Pete, Maureen and Alison with manager Jodie (right), who is the only employee.

May 3, 2019

Community pub at heart of national park

support Financing Community Ownership, Lending

The people of a village in the heart of the South Downs National Park have prevented their only pub, which closed in 2017, being redeveloped as housing by buying it themselves.

On 30 April the Blue Bell in Cocking, West Sussex, was purchased by a community benefit society set up to save the pub and create new facilities for the village.

The Blue Bell is a prominent building in the centre of Cocking that has provided refreshment and hospitality for over 200 years. The business had been running successfully in recent years offering bed and breakfast accommodation and high-quality food which was popular with visitors and some locals. In July 2017 the tenant left following the landlord requiring a substantial increase in the rent. Eventually the building was bought by a property developer who planned to convert the premises into two houses.

The threat of the permanent loss of the pub galvanised local people who were already concerned that the post office and shop were likely to close when the postmaster retired. They successfully opposed the planning application and they conducted a survey and held several public meetings to gather ideas and support for the community ownership of the Blue Bell. It became clear that people didn’t just want to save the old pub: they wanted to create an inclusive community hub that provided a range for facilities and opportunities. The group made a point of talking to those villagers who said they had been made to feel unwelcome by the last tenant. Many of these residents have bought shares in the community benefit society.

The new Blue Bell will provide a warm welcome to all locals and visitors, walkers, cyclists, children and dogs. There will be reasonably priced pub food and a programme of music and other events. Part of the pub will be an information gateway for the South Downs National Park and gift shop with local arts and crafts. There will also be a small bicycle repair workshop.

Peter Gibbon, Chairman of Blue Bell Community Hub Ltd said: “This has really brought the village together and got people from all walks of life talking to each other. One relatively recent new resident told me that she was thinking of moving because she didn’t know anyone and now she wants to stay.”

The building requires significant internal refurbishment and redesign before it opens as the community hub. The accommodation upstairs needs to be made suitable for a resident tenant. It is hoped that the Blue Bell will be open for business later this year.

Peter Gibbon said: “We are continuing with our fundraising efforts. The share offer remains open and people can still invest. We are also holding various events. And we will be drawing on some grants and pledges that we could not access until we owned the building.”

The community share issue has so far raised over £100,000 from 123 local investors. In addition, the community received advice. a grant and a loan under the More Than A Pub programme which was set up in 2016 to support community ownership of pubs in England. This programme is funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and Power to Change, and is delivered by Plunkett Foundation. Co-operative & Community Finance arranges loan finance for groups that have successfully attracted local investment, usually in the form of community shares.

Ian Rothwell, Investment Manager for Co-operative & Community Finance, said: “Cocking is quite a diverse village and it is pleasing to see that the group has worked hard to include all sectors of the community. It is also great that South Downs National Park has come on board with a significant investment.”

[The picture shows local residents gathered outside the Blue Bell on a misty morning in January to promote the community share issue. Photo courtesy of Midhurst and Petworth Observer.]

March 15, 2019

Another 5 year struggle ends in victory

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The people of a small rural village near Haverhill, Suffolk, are today celebrating the community purchase of the local pub, which has been closed for five years.

The Three Horseshoes in Helions Bumpstead (population 440) joins the growing number of community-owned pubs. There are now 79 trading in England and Wales and several more getting ready to open for business. There is also a significant cluster of community-owned pubs in Essex, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. Indeed the Three Tuns at Guilden Morden, which was bought last November by the community also after a five-year struggle, is just 30 miles from Helions Bumpstead.

The Three Horseshoes had been a thriving village pub with a beautiful garden and a good reputation for food but it started to go downhill when it was bought by private owners in 2012. They failed to make a success of running the pub and closed the doors in May 2014. They tried to use the premises for other business ventures but there were objections from the local community.

Alison Meldrum, Secretary of the Helions Bumpstead Community Benefit Society, explained: “There have been a lot of delays and battles with planning permission, ACV (Asset of Community Value) status, objections and appeals, but we have finally got there in the end.

“When the pub closed the village lost its central place to meet and socialise. When we started talking to people about the community buying the pub we found that everyone was thinking the same way. It has really brought people together.”

The community share issue raised £285,392 from 153 local investors. In addition, the community was awarded £100,000 in grants and loans under the More Than A Pub programme which was set up in 2016 to support community ownership of pubs in England. This programme is funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and Power to Change, and is delivered by Plunkett Foundation. Co-operative & Community Finance arranges loan finance for groups that have successfully attracted local investment, usually in the form of community shares.

Alison Meldrum said: “Although we have got a good range of skills and experience on the management committee none of us have ever done anything like this before. The help from More Than a Pub programme has been invaluable, and the network of community pubs is excellent. There is lots of knowledge and advice available from people who have done the same thing.”

Ian Rothwell, Investment Manager for Co-operative & Community Finance, said: “It has been a long road to community-ownership for the Three Horseshoes and it is a tribute to the determination of a small group of skillful people who made sure they had the backing of the local community.”

On Saturday 23 March there will be an open day at the Three Horseshoes when people will be able to see inside their local pub for the first time in five years. Because it has been unused for so long there is a significant amount of refurbishment to do and the management committee has not yet set a date for when the pub will start trading. They have advertised for a tenant to run the pub and hope to recruit in the next month or so.

December 24, 2018

Award-winning garden co-op for disabled workers to open cafe

support Financing Workers' Co-operatives, Lending

On Christmas Eve an award-winning plant nursery, 60% of whose workers have disabilities, completed the purchase of Victorian lodge house which it plans to convert into a traditional tea room with the help of a loan from Co-operative & Community Finance.

For Bishopwearmouth Co-operative, in Sunderland, this was the perfect end to a very successful year when the relatively new business won the Social Enterprise Award at the Sunderland Echo Portfolio 2018 business awards.

The co-operative has been running a 5,200m2 garden centre near the city centre since April 2017. It also provides landscaping and floristry services. It offers work-based placements and volunteering opportunities to adults with learning disabilities, physical disabilities and enduring mental health needs. There are currently 16 employees with disabilities and 10 additional staff.

Buying the Victorian lodge house, which is adjacent to the garden centre, will allow Bishopwearmouth Co-operative to start a new income stream by running a traditional tea room for local residents and visitors to the garden centre and nearby crematorium.

“There is a lot of work to be done,” said managing director Shaun Donnelly. “New flooring, new wiring, new kitchen, new toilets and making the whole premises accessible. There is a lovely walled garden that needs landscaping. With luck the Tea Room should be open in June.”

The project has the full support of Sunderland City Council which has been nurturing Bishopwearmouth for many years. It had been operating ‘at arms length’ from the local authority since 2009 but in March 2016 it took the important step of registering as a co-operative community interest company.

“We want everyone to feel that they have ownership of the venture and have a say in what happens,” said Shaun. “We want to have a good cross section of the staff on the board. Also we want it to be a lasting asset to the community.”

Ian Rothwell, Investment Manager at Co-operative & Community Finance, said “When I visited Bishopwearmouth I was struck by how passionate everyone was about their work and also about being part of a co-op. It is a great example of the positive effect of giving workers of all abilities an equal say.”

[pictured at the Sunderland Echo Portfolio 2018 business awards on 1 November 2018, (from left) Shaun Donnelly, Nicola McDonald and David Hider from Bishopwearmouth Co-operative and Paul McEldon, chief executive of North East Business and Innovation Centre.]

December 6, 2018

New £2.2m Funding Announced for Community Run Pubs

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Co-operative & Community Finance welcomes the announcement of a new funding programme that will build on the success of the More Than a Pub programme launched in 2016. Co-operative & Community Finance is one of the key partners in the current programme that has introduced tens of thousands of people to the benefits of community ownership.

Business Development Manager Tim Coomer said: “We are delighted by this news, and look forward to working with the partnership in the spring of 2019 to design and develop a programme that builds on the great things that have been achieved so far.”

Here is the press release issued by Plunkett Foundation:

New £2.2 Million Funding Announced for Community Run Pubs

A major new funding programme from Power to Change has been announced to help communities seeking to save their local pub through community ownership. Speaking at Plunkett’s Rural Community Ownership Awards in London yesterday (5 December 2018), Vidhya Alakeson, Chief Executive of Power to Change, made the exciting announcement that will see many more communities across England take control of their local pub with the support of community business experts, Plunkett Foundation.

This funding builds on the success of the current More Than a Pub programme, which is jointly funded by Power to Change and Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, led by Plunkett Foundation in collaboration with Key Fund, Co-operative and Community Finance, The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), Co-operative Mutual Solutions, Pub is the Hub, Locality and the British Beer and Pub Association. To date, the More Than A Pub programme has supported 190 communities and seen 26 pubs open their doors under community ownership since 2016.

The community pub sector is not only thriving, it is bucking wider negative industry trends. Almost a quarter of privately-owned pubs has shut down since 2008, but community pubs have a 100% success rate.

Opening a pub under community ownership not only protects a valuable asset but also brings a wealth of social benefits and improves the wellbeing of local people, including those who socially excluded or isolated in the wider community in particular. Community pubs offer a range of services ranging from retail and post office, social clubs and volunteering opportunities.

The new programme will be active from Summer 2019 with further details to be announced in Spring 2019. This announcement indicates the commitment and support from both Power to Change and Plunkett to create a thriving community pub sector.

96 communities have already successfully opened their local pub under community ownership of their local pub, and many more currently working with the More than a Pub Programme have been listed as ‘assets of community value’ under community rights, highlighting the important role that pubs play in local communities.

Vidhya Alakeson, Chief Executive of Power to Change, said: “Community-run pubs are so valuable to the people who use them, offering a huge range of crucial services including lunch clubs for vulnerable people, training and development, gardening and cooking classes and parenting groups. The More than a Pub programme we have run with Plunkett has been an enormous success so it was a natural decision for us to continue to support this thriving and much-loved sector.”

James Alcock, Executive Director of Plunkett Foundation, said: “This announcement is an endorsement of the role community pubs play in creating thriving communities and will strengthen the community pub sector by providing further support for those working to the tide on pub closures. For many, pubs are not just a place to drink; they are central to peoples’ sense of place and identity, they provide an important space for people to meet and help to build community cohesion.”

Community Pubs Minister Jake Berry said: “Pubs have and will continue to be at the very heart of our communities. The More Than a Pub programme is a fantastic example of communities taking ownership of their local assets, and it’s great to see Power to Change supporting their innovative work for another year. I look forward to the continued partnership work in boosting the ever important agenda of empowering our local communities.”

November 30, 2018

How you’ve grown!

support Financing Workers' Co-operatives, Lending

Nearly three years ago, Co-operative & Community Finance made a loan to a veg box co-op in Manchester that was just starting to take root. It had about 40 customers and just one collection point. Now Veg Box People supplies over 300 vegetable boxes and 100 fruit boxes a week through 19 collection points. Working with a network of organic growers all within 50 miles of Manchester, it brings fresh organic produce into the heart of the city within a few hours of harvesting. This delivers maximum taste with minimum waste.

Chris Walsh, one of the founders of Veg Box People, said: “The loan was critical to our growth and banks would not lend to us. If we had not have got the loan we would be struggling. We needed to spend a chunk of money to enable our customers to order online. And it worked. Now we have over 300 customers and the future is rosy. We would like to be a lot bigger and bringing a lot more organic fruit and veg into the city and making it available to people who traditionally would not access it. There are loads of farmers who are struggling on the periphery of Greater Manchester and if we could support them by buying their produce that would be great.”

Veg Box People is part of a growing network of organisations in Greater Manchester that are passionate about creating a fair and sustainable local food system. It was set up in 2015 by the Kindling Trust in partnership with Manchester Veg People and the University of Manchester.

The Kindling Trust, established in 2009, is working to create a just and sustainable society. It supports progressive practical projects based around food – production, consumption and activism.

Manchester Veg People is a co-operative of local organic growers, commercial buyers and workers. It is a wholesaling operation that brings together producers and buyers to build a fair supply chain that makes small scale organic production viable.

Veg Box People and Co-operative & Community Finance were featured in the BBC TV series A Matter of Life and Debt (first shown 22 November 2018). The programme looked at how a loan from an ethical lender can make a life changing difference to individuals and small enterprises.

November 28, 2018

Five year battle to buy Three Tuns

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The purchase of The Three Tuns, an historic, grade II listed, 17th century pub in Guilden Morden, Cambridgeshire, has been completed following a five-year battle to save the former village watering hole. Over £250,000 in share capital has been raised by the community to buy and renovate the pub.

In total, 267 private investors have bought shares, including several held in trust for children and grandchildren. In addition, the community was awarded £100,000 in grants and loans under the More Than A Pub programme which was set up in 2016 to support community ownership of pubs in England. This programme is funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and Power to Change, and is delivered by the Plunkett Foundation. Co-operative & Community Finance arranges loan finance for groups that have successfully attracted local investment, usually in the form of community shares.

John Harrison, a member of the Guilden Morden Community Pub Management Committee, said: “It has been a long and arduous journey to save The Three Tuns but we are delighted to have this important village asset one step closer to being open as a community pub.

“The pub has been neglected for many years and our focus now is to renovate the building, decorate and sympathetically modernise throughout, and tidy up the overgrown garden. Although ambitious, we are hoping to be in a position to open the pub again next Easter and serve our first pint of beer!

“Whilst we have exceeded our initial fundraising goal there is still the opportunity to invest if people feel more confident in doing so now that it has been bought by the community. There are a lot of renovations to do, so any additional investment by existing or new shareholders would be put to good use.”

Many people from Guilden Morden and the surrounding villages have offered to help clear the pub and there has also been support from professionals to provide some pro bono help.

The community benefit society will shortly be looking to recruit a community-minded tenant to run The Three Tuns. A newly renovated two-bedroom flat will be available. With no brewery or agent ties, any potential tenant, with the support of the Management Committee, will have a free rein to shape the future of this community owned pub.

[Picture: Greg Butterworth]

November 1, 2018

Human chain helps radical bookshop move into old bank

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Over 250 people formed a human chain to help a long-established radical bookshop in Southampton to move its stock to its new premises. After an appeal to the local community some 20,000 books were transferred by volunteers 150 metres from the old shop in time for October Books to open for business on 3 November in its new shop, which used to be a bank.

The co-operative bookshop, established in 1977 and named after the Russian Revolution, bought the former NatWest Bank building, a symbol of capitalism, in August after raising nearly £0.5m through a combination of loan stock, crowd funding, personal loans and gifts, and a loan from Co-operative & Community Finance. We reported on this in our last newsletter.

The human chain attracted a huge response from the news media, including BBC, CNN, most of the national newspapers and some international ones including Washington Post. The story was shared very widely on social media.

[photo caption: Volunteers hand books down a human chain. Photo: The Southampton Collective]