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Help shape the future of community shares standards

Co-operatives UK are reviewing the impact of the community shares Standard Mark to inform the next phase of their standards work. 

Over the past decade, the Standard Mark has become a vital part of the UK’s community shares market.

Launched in 2015 by the Community Shares Unit (CSU), it acts as a national ‘kitemark’ for high-quality share offers. It’s awarded by licensed practitioners who independently assess whether an offer meets the key principles of transparency, fairness, and community benefit. To date, more than 400 community share offers have been awarded the Standard Mark, helping to raise millions in investment and build confidence with funders and the public.

Co-operatives UK now want to look at how the Standard Mark can continue to support and strengthen high-quality community share offers. They’ve launched a short survey and are seeking input from:

  • Community benefit societies that have run, or are planning, a community share offer
  • Licenced practitioners and advisors using the standards framework in practice
  • Funders, policy makers and institutional investors who rely on the Standard Mark to guide investment decisions
  • Sector partners and networks who work to promote community shares and democratic finance

Take part in the survey here

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.

Celebrating 50 Years of Fourcorners: A Personal Reflection

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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.

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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.

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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.

A two part image. On the left-hand side is a photograph of a large number of pound coins lying together. On the right hand side a diagonal edged blue background sits behind the cooperative community finance logo and text reading £875 million of dormant assets for social investment.

£87.5m of dormant assets funneled into social investment by UK Government

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Published on the 2nd June 2025, the UK Government’s new Dormant Assets Scheme Strategy commits £87.5 million to good causes across England.

‘Dormant Assets’ are pots of money from accounts or financial products from – e.g. – abandoned bank accounts and unclaimed pensions. When all efforts to contact the owners of the funds have been exhausted, business who have chosen to participate in the scheme transfer the funds to Reclaim Fund Ltd (RFL) a not-for-profit public body owned by HM Treasury. That money is then made available for good causes through the The Dormant Assets Scheme. CCF, through some of its programmes and partnership funds, uses funds from Dormant assets, through The Access Foundation, to invest across the community co-operative, community business, charity and social enterprise sectors.

RFL retains enough cash to pay customers who claim at a later date, and then releases what remains above that to The National Lottery Community Fund (TNLCF), who is the named distributor of all dormant assets funding. Then, as gov.uk explains,  “TNLCF in turn apportions the money it receives from RFL between the 4 nations of the UK. While DCMS can provide broad policy directions to TNLCF for the English portion of funding, the Devolved Administrations and TNLCF are responsible for dormant assets funding in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.”

The £87.5million for social investment is just part of the story. Based on existing assets, estimates and forecasts, the government expects a total of £440 million to be available through the Scheme by 2028. They expect to distribute the funds to four key areas as below.

  • £132.5 million for the provision of services, facilities or opportunities to meet the needs of young people
  • £132.5 million for the development of individuals’ ability to manage their finances or the improvement of access to personal financial services
  • £87.5 million to Access – The Foundation for Social Investment £12.5 million will reach organisations that support improved youth outcomes, and £12 million of scale-up funding for a Black and Ethnically Minoritised-led social investment fund, Pathway Fund
  • £87.5 million for community wealth funds

Our friends and partners Access, and Better Society Capital (was Big Society Capital) work alongside Youth Futures Foundation, and Fair4All Finance to deliver on this strategy.

Access – who do not directly grant funds to organisations but instead funnel money through organisations like ours – are currently consulting on their investment Policy and application processes. If you are part of, or are connected to, the social investment market, the VCSE sector, they want to hear from you. They’re running two webinars, on the 18th and 25th June and the deadline for responses to the consultation is midday on Tuesday the 15th July.

Find out more about what Access are doing and how to have your say here.

 

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Community secures further investment to complete rebuild of historic Grade II listed pub

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A much-loved but previously fire damaged village pub has received additional funding to enable completion of ambitious restoration plans.

 A decade ago The George Community Pub in Wickham Market (situated in the River Deben Valley of Suffolk) was almost destroyed by fire kickstarting an inspiring journey of local volunteers coming together to save the historic Grade II listed building.

The pub had previously received funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund together with funds secured from successful community share offers, Community Share Booster Programme, Co-operative & Community Finance, and other grant providers. However, due to issues relating to the condition of the building (which had deteriorated further since initial inspections), inflationary costs, challenging technical works and scheduling problems an extension to the project budget was required to enable completion of the rebuild and associated renovation.

Co-operative & Community Finance were delighted to provide an additional loan package via our ‘More Than a Pub’ programme along with extra funds from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, small grants, extra community shares and donations to progress the project. Tim Coomer, Business Development Manager at Co-operative & Community Finance said: “I’m sure this will be an overused idiom to describe the George, but this really is a Phoenix from the Ashes project. And one where the tenacity and stamina of all those involved cannot be understated. I have been blown away by the passion and determination of the society and the community of Wickham Market to bring their pub back. I wish them the greatest success and a very well-earned pint!”

Now open, the community pub has recruited a team of staff and along with a dedicated Community Engagement Officer plans are already in place to proactively engage with community groups setting up a programme of workshops, lectures and social activities in the upstairs activity room where 20 groups have already signed up to use the space.

Mike Cooper, Secretary & Finance Officer at The George Inn Community Pub said: “It has been a long and very rewarding project to bring back to life the last remaining pub in Wickham Market. We are so grateful to all our funders and, in particular, The National Lottery Heritage Fund for the core funding and Co-operative & Community Finance for stepping in with the last and vital loan package that has enabled us to complete the rebuild. Tim and his colleagues have been very helpful and encouraging with their support, which has allowed us to finally open The George – to the benefit of the local community.  It is truly More than a pub.”

The legacy ‘More Than a Pub Fund’ scheme provides loan finance of between £75,000 to £150,000 available to Community Owned Pubs on a term ranging from five to twenty years. Co-operative & Community Finance also helps support groups to access grant funding to help them develop business plans and pay for surveys through the Reach Fund. Please contact Co-operative & Community Finance for the full terms and conditions, and to discuss how your Community Owned Pub venture can be supported.

You can find out more about The George Community Pub by visiting their website.

 

A text based image. White text on a pale blue background reads Legal notice New Address.

Legal Notice: Change of Registered Address

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Please update your records: we have changed our address.

As of May 14th 2025, the registered address for The Co-operative and Community Finance family of companies comprising

  • ICOF Ltd
  • ICO Fund plc
  • ICOF Community Capital

and the companies we manage on behalf of The Co-operative Loan Fund and Community Shares ICOF Ltd has changed

FROM Futureleap, 1 – 3 Gloucester Road Bristol BS7 8AA

TO 195-197 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 2SB 

Since Covid, we have not had a regular office base. We’ve been working from home and using Futureleap as a coworking space when we needed to get together. Their situation has changed – it’s now a Waitrose! – and so we have moved to the lovely Bristol Office Hub on Whiteladies Road.

This makes no difference to anything other than correspondence. If you wish to send us a physical letter, please only use

195-197 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 2SB

 

With thanks!

Alain Demontoux, Operations and FCA Compliance Manager, and the team at ICOF

An image comprising text and a photograph. To the right hand side multiple hands of different skin tones are linked so that their fingers coved to form my heart shape. On the left-hand side blue text on a pale background reads empowering change: our commitment to diversity and inclusion. Underneath this is the cooperative community finance.

Empowering Change: Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

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At Co-operative and Community Finance (CCF), we believe that every voice matters.

Our commitment to promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) is reflected in both our internal workplace culture and the communities we support. To deepen our understanding and drive meaningful change, we recently conducted surveys focusing on both our team members and the organisations we work with.

Gaining Insight: Listening to Our People and Partners

Internally, our EDI and Workplace Experience Survey revealed that our team generally feels a strong sense of belonging and values open dialogue. Both staff and board members expressed confidence in our fairness and progress on EDI, while also offering thoughtful suggestions to enhance communication and ensure every perspective is recognised. Meanwhile, a demographic survey provided deeper insights into the diversity within our community, highlighting the importance of refining our initiatives to meet evolving needs.

Externally, our survey of Borrowers gathered valuable insights into the composition of leadership teams, representation of lived experiences, and approaches to supporting disadvantaged communities and addressing climate change. Key takeaways include:

  • Many organisations are actively promoting diversity within their leadership teams, with a notable emphasis on gender equality.
  • Supporting disadvantaged communities remains a core focus, with Borrowers working to address social and economic barriers.
  • Environmental sustainability is gaining attention, with some organisations taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint.

Moving Forward: Turning Insights into Action

Guided by this feedback, we are enhancing our surveys to capture a broader range of experiences and perspectives. Internally, we are standardising scales for clarity, expanding questions to be more inclusive, and ensuring that both staff and board members have tailored opportunities to share their insights. For Borrowers, we are refining our questions to gather more comprehensive data while respecting their time and privacy.

Our next steps include improving internal communication, expanding initiatives that foster a sense of belonging, and advocating for greater equity within the communities we serve. We extend our gratitude to everyone who participated in these surveys—your insights empower us to drive meaningful change.

Join us on this journey as we continue to build a future where diversity and inclusion are at the heart of everything we do.

A photograph of six female football players in front of a crowd of supporters, from member owned Clapton FC with their arms around each other's shoulders and waists, from the back. They are wearing purple shorts and their football shirts have three broad stripes - red at the top, gold in the middle and purple across the bottom,

We’ve got a new look

Eagle eyed readers might have noticed some changes to our website over the last few weeks – we’ve been rolling out our new look and we’re excited to share it with you, today.

We’ve updated our website and we’re grateful to our fantastic borrowers who gave permission for us to use their wonderful imagery – you’ll start to see these photos, which represent the breadth of our work, pop up elsewhere in our on and offline materials, soon. We’ve even managed to include an action shot of Anne and Tim at one of our meetings as background on our About Us page!

Our offer, mission and values remain the same.

We’re here, as we’ve been for 52 years so far, to provide the right finance to co-operative businesses, at the right time, helping them to be part of a thriving, diverse UK co-operative economy with ready access to capital.

Do explore the new website and let us know what you think – and of you’re looking to build a better future, through co-operative or community business, we’d be delighted to talk to you about that, too.

 

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Co-operative & Community Finance, 195-197 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 2SB
0800 464 7262 | info@coopfinance.coop | Privacy Statement | Terms of Use | Co-operative & Community Finance is the trading name of Industrial Common Ownership Finance Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the FCA in the conduct of investment business. Firm reference number 171201 | Website by alpha.coop