Co-operative & Community Finance is looking for a Treasurer to support the Industrial Common Ownership Finance Ltd (ICOF) board and small staff team. Our well established organisation, which supports a range of co-operative businesses with loan finance is looking for a confident ‘numbers’ person to help us grow steadily over the next few years.
We would like someone who has a high level of financial understanding with experience of accounting and bookkeeping to monitor and challenge the operations of ICOF Ltd and its subsidiaries on behalf of the board.
A person with knowledge and experience of co-operatives, employee ownership and community organisations would be desirable as would experience of both company and society accounting. We encourage strategic thinkers, creativity, and people with willingness to both speak out and work effectively on a board.
There is no remuneration attached to the role but reasonable expenses are paid. The role requires a commitment to attend four meetings a year and further occasional executive and audit committee responsibilities.
For further information about the role please contact Tim Coomer, Business Development Manager. tim@coopfinance.coop
07342 674673
Here at Co-operative & Community Finance we are absolutely delighted to be sponsoring Ways Forward 5 – Roads to a Democratic Economy. This important conference aims to discuss and debate co-operative and radical alternatives to austerity and capitalism and help shape our shared vision of a prosperous, caring society based on a democratic economy. Speakers include John McDonnell, Labour’s shadow chancellor & Molly Scott Cato, Green MEP. Secure your places by booking at www.eventzilla.net/web/event/ways-forward-5-2138869147
The event takes place Friday 20th January 2017 at Central Hall, Oldham Street, Manchester from 9:30am to 4:30pm. We hope to see all you all there for what proves to be a fantastic event.
We are seeking people to join our board and help plan the strategic direction of Co-operative & Community Finance and keep us on course.
We are looking for fresh ideas and enthusiasm from people who are committed to co-op values and community control. You do not need to have a financial background to apply.
Board members are expected to attend four meetings a year, usually held in Bristol, and to engage by email or phone in between.
For more information please contact Tim Coomer
tim@coopfinance.coop
07342 674673
Plunkett Foundation, our lead partner in the £3.62m programme for community pubs announced in March, is inviting community groups in Nothern England to a free, two-day tour of local pubs that have been saved successfully as co-operatives.
Plunkett Foundation is offering places to groups at the early stages of considering community ownership as an option for saving their local pub. The two-day tour will take in three thriving examples of co-operative pubs – The George and Dragon in Hudswell, The Foresters Arms in Carlton (both North Yorkshire) and The Dog Inn in Belthorn, Lancashire.
The tour offers people a unique opportunity to hear first-hand from communities who have already saved their pub as a co-operative, as well as the chance to speak one-to-one with the advisers responsible for supporting a large number of communities to save their pub – and other assets and services – using community ownership. It will also be a chance to network with others in a similar situation, to share experiences and support each other.
Agenda:
Day One: 21 July
10:00 Arrive, and tour of the George & Dragon
11:30 Expert workshop: Social Impact
12:30 Lunch
Travel to hotel (Scotch Corner)
17:00 Travel to Foresters Arms
18:00 Arrive at Foresters Arms; networking
19:30 Dinner
Return to hotel
Day Two: 22 July
09:00 Meet at hotel to travel to The Dog Inn
11:00 Welcome talk and short tour of The Dog Inn
12:00 Lunch
13:00 Expert workshop: Finance & Community Shares
14:00 Return to hotel. Close.
Included in the tour is:
One night’s accomodation at TravelLodge, Scotch Corner, Skeeby
All travel between the hotel and the three co-operative pubs
Lunch on Day 1 at the George & Dragon
Dinner on Day 1 at the Foresters Arms
Lunch on Day 2 at The Dog Inn
Two expert workshops: Social Impact and Finance & Community Shares
*Please note that soft drinks and alcoholic drinks are not included.
Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. This tour is aimed at community groups in the early stages of trying to save their pub. It is kindly funded by the More Than A Pub programme with support from the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation.
Booking must be made in advance, and we cannot accommodate anyone who hasn’t already reserved a place due to the nature of the tour. To book, or to find out more, please email our Events Manager Sarah Horth on sarah.horth@plunkett.co.uk or call 01993 810730.
We have released our first two loans via Just Growth, the funding programme for community food and farming projects launched in July 2015. The recipients are the Ecological Land Co-operative and Veg Box People. Just Growth is a Real Farming Trust project. Eligible ventures that raise finance from community investment or crowd funding can have it matched with a grant (funded by Esmée Fairbairn Foundation) and a loan from Co‑operative & Community Finance.
Ecological Land Co‑operative (ELC)
ELC was set up in 2009 to help people become smallholders. It aims to buy land, obtain planning permission, and install the infrastructure to create clusters of three or more affordable residential smallholdings. The smallholders build their own sustainable homes.
This campaigning and pioneering co-operative has a complex structure that includes 122 investor members, who have invested a total of £384,000, seven worker members (both employees and volunteers) and 19 steward members, some of whom are smallholders.
The first project, on a 22 acre greenfield site in mid-Devon, was granted planning permission in 2013. It is now home to three smallholdings that operate as independent businesses but work co-operatively to manage the whole site. ELC provided a timber barn, a solar electrical system, a rainwater harvesting and treatment system, road access and a package of practical support.
ELC’s next project is the development of a 19-acre site in East Sussex. Executive Chair Zoe Wangler said: “The funding package has enabled us to reduce the price at which we will be able to offer smallholdings in our next development. This will help make the land even more accessible to new entrants to ecological horticulture and mixed farming.”
Veg Box People
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. Eight growers and over 40 buyers are currently involved.
Veg Box People is a worker co-operative, currently with three members. It buys local organic vegetables, packs them into boxes and delivers them to customer collection points. They have used the loan to increase their packing area and to buy a delivery van.
Melvyn Newton of Manchester Veg People said: “We are expecting the number of customers and collection points to increase a lot over the next year.”
The scheme aims to improve links between growers and consumers and Veg Box People customers are invited to visit the growing sites.
I am writing to introduce myself as the New Business Development Manager at Co-operative & Community Finance. You may be aware that there have been a couple of changes to the team this year and I have been recruited to take over Ian Rothwell’s role as he moves into the Investment Manager position. This follows Ian Taylor’s pending retirement after over 25 years at ICOF and CCF.
My role is to help raise the profile of the organisation, build partnerships and develop finance packages. I have worked as a social and community enterprise adviser for over 10 years prior to taking up this position and bring experience of working with a range of charities and community and co-operative businesses.
As a development worker or adviser in the co-operative/community business sectors I am keen to make contact with you. Firstly to let you know I’m here and secondly to make myself available if you would like to discuss any opportunities to work together in future. CCF has always worked closely with development workers and advisers in the sector and I am eager to maintain these links and promote co-operation. Perhaps you have clients that would benefit from loan finance or need interim finance to support a community share issue or perhaps you have funds that require management through our FCA authorised back office facilities. Perhaps you are considering a bidding opportunity that could benefit from a lending partner? Whatever your circumstances it would be great to talk to you.
CCF has a range of finance options available with loans from£10k – £150k for organisations that are democratically controlled by their members; across a range of community and co-operative sectors. We pride ourselves on quick investment decisions, low loss rates and flexible finance arrangements for your clients.
If you wish to contact me to find out more about my role or a chat please email me at: tim@coopfinance.coop or call me on 07342 674673.
A major new support and finance programme to help people take control of their local pub for the benefit of the community has been announced by Community Pubs Minister Marcus Jones MP.
More than a Pub: The Community Pub Business Support Programme is a £3.62 million, two-year programme that will see a comprehensive package of business development support, advice and loan and grant funding being delivered to community groups in England to help them establish community-owned pubs that can clearly demonstrate how they will bring significant social, economic and environmental benefits to their communities. Jointly funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government and Power to Change, the programme will be led by Plunkett Foundation and delivered in collaboration with leading organisations within the sector including Co-operative & Community Finance.
The programme aims to support 80 community-owned pubs to open over two years and will offer a flexible package of support including access to an advice line, events, workshops, peer-to-peer study visits, and business development advice. It will also offer flexible bursary awards to fund very early stage activity, such as community consultation work, and a grant and loan package.
Forty communities have already successfully taken ownership of their local pub under community ownership, and a further 1,250 have been listed as ‘assets of community value’ under community rights, highlighting the important role that pubs play in local communities.
Co-operative & Community Finance has helped several communities save their local pubs by providing long and short-term loan finance and by underwriting share issues (via the Community Shares Fund).
One example is The Fox and Hounds in Denmead on the outskirts of Portsmouth which reopened under community ownership In December 2014, after it had been derelict for over two years. The local community raised nearly £500,000 to buy and refurbish the 150 year building. The community share issue attracted £326,000 from 190 investors and the remainder came from loans from Co-operative & Community Finance and The Co-operative Loan Fund and a grant from Solent Local Enterprise Partnership.
Business Development Manager Tim Coomer said: “We are delighted by the launch of this long-awaited support programme. It should make a big difference to many local communities. We have worked with Plunkett on a similar programme to support community-owned shops and so we are confident that this one for pubs will be popular and successful.”
Peter Couchman, Chief Executive of Plunkett Foundation, said: “This programme will significantly increase the number of community-owned pubs open and trading, bringing far-reaching benefits to local people. For many communities, pubs are not just a place to drink; they are central to peoples’ sense of place and identity, they provide an important place for people to meet and help to build community cohesion.”
To find out more about the programme please call the programme advice line on 01993 810730 or visit www.plunkett.co.uk.
We have received some unusual loan requests over the last 40 years, but never before has we funded equipment for aerial performance artists.
Our loan was used to buy a new aerial rig for Organised Kaos Youth Circus, an extraordinary social enterprise based in a former mining village in south Wales. Operating from the old church hall, that was disused and derelict, Organised Kaos has helped to revive the local community by teaching circus skills to children and young adults.
Over the last seven years the company has built a national reputation for excellence and has staged high profile performances for major events including the 2012 Olympics.
Organised Kaos was started in 2008 by Nicola Hemsley and incorporated as a company limited by guarantee in 2010. Nicola, who is now the managing director, said: “We are a social enterprise, not a charity, and that’s very important. Circus is a serious business, we charge for our services and reinvest the surplus to help achieve our social aims.”
Those aims include encouraging young people and adults to get involved in their community, participate in the arts and realise their potential.
Nicola was brought up in Gwaun Cae Gurwen and when she returned to the village after many years she was dismayed to see the church hall, that had once been the centre of social activity, standing empty and the young people facing a future with limited prospects. So she decided to do something about it.
Organised Kaos has taken a 25-year lease on the building and is gradually improving it (“our surveyor said it couldn’t be much worse” said Nicola). Now it is open six days a week running circus skills training and development sessions for a range of abilities and ages. Between 150 and 200 people aged 8 to 25 participate every week. The organisation has over 1,000 members who pay an annual £5 subscription.
“We are planning to extend the age range and provide sessions for toddlers next year,” said Nicola. “We’ve just received a grant that will allow us to install new heaters and do other works to make the building more suitable for younger children.”
The building may be in need of renovation but the equipment and health and safety features are excellent. The new aerial rig bought with our loan can support up to 10 people safely suspended from hoops, silks or trapezes.
The social enterprise derives most of its income from putting on performances. These include parades and community events, private parties, festivals and commercial events. Organised Kaos has done special performances for Google and the Chinese government. They have performed at the O2 Arena in London and at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff (this was together with a circus group from South Africa during the 2012 Olympics).
At first many people were sceptical, then surprised and then delighted by the success and popularity of Organised Kaos. Now it is seen as a shining example of the power of community-based social enterprise to engage and improve.
And the name? It stands for Keeping Adolescents Off the Streets.
Ian Taylor from Co-operative & Community Finance said: “This young and exciting group is going from strength to strength and we’re delighted to help them grow.”
A popular child care co-operative in Bristol has moved premises, bought new play equipment and improved its financial resilience with the help of a loan from Co-operative & Community Finance.
Sparks Play & Care, which provides high quality and convenient out-of-school childcare for some 150 families in the Ashley Down area of north Bristol, reopened for the new school year at new premises within Sefton Park School. The building, known affectionately as the Green Terrapin, can provide care for up to 70 children aged 3-14. There is also immediate access to outdoor play and exercise space.
The new premises is only a very short distance from the Youth Centre where the after school club had been based for 25 years. Despite the proximity, the move, and the uncertainty leading up to it, was very disruptive to the business.
Carole Theyer, chief executive of Sparks, said: “Co-operative & Community Finance were very understanding. The loan has helped with the inevitable extra costs of moving and with managing our cash flow.”
Carole helped to set up Sparks Play & Care as a workers co-operative in 2005 (it had previously been run by volunteers) and register it with OFSTED. She believes that the co-operative structure makes for a better working environment, higher quality child care and more satisfied parents.
Carole said: “We offer membership to our employees whether they are full time or part time, but do require that they are with us for at least six months initially in order to get a feel for the business and the way we operate.”
Sparks runs a breakfast club (7.30-8.45am) and an after-school club (3.15-6.00pm) during term time and a holiday club (8.15am-5.45pm) during school holidays.
The play workers aim to provide an environment that facilitates children’s freely chosen play with a large range of open access materials (art and crafts, books, dressing up, den-building materials, toys and games and computers). They plan daily activities, consulting with the children for ideas, and also try to extend their experiences culturally and awareness of the wider world.
Ian Rothwell of Co-operative & Community Finance said: “It’s so clear that Sparks provides excellent child care and that the parents love them. So we were very happy to help them with a loan to see them through the difficulty and disruption of moving premises.
“For this particular loan we used money from the Avon and Bristol Co-operative Loan Fund that had been bequeathed to Co-operative & Community Finance in 2007. It is very appropriate because Sparks was the first child care co-operative to be set up in Avon and Bristol.”
