The Community Shares Booster Fund has extended its offer of flexible funding, thanks to a top‑up of support from Access – the Foundation for Social Investment. This will enable the fund to continue supporting the community shares market throughout 2025 and beyond.    Community shares are a way for people to invest in businesses that benefit […]

The ABCs of Community Assets, a new training programme from Stir to Action aiming to inspire a nation of new community asset leaders, is open for bookings, now. Running from the 12th of March to the 9th July 2025, the programme – featuring workshops and study visits – will support local groups to find out […]

Expand your knowledge to include less common and innovative approaches to business and governance. When it comes to setting up a new organisation, or supporting others to do so, all legal frameworks, whether private, mutualistic, or charitable, are a response to some simple questions: Who should own it? Who should benefit from its value? And […]

Co-op and Community Finance is proud to work with The Centre for Democratic Business on understanding the role and future of Britain’s Social Clubs, and helping to support the path to revival for these vital community spaces.   We are pleased to share the findings of their survey, below, and support the call for targeted […]

The Royal Countryside Fund’s Supporting Rural Communities grant programme is now open to expressions of interest from until the 21st February. The Fund believes that transformative, community-led initiatives across the UK, are ‘unlocking the huge potential for positive change in rural communities’. They want to support these locally rooted organisations to deliver innovative projects and […]

For us here in the UK, the second International Year of Co-operatives could not come at a better time. As has been widely reported, the Labour Government has committed to doubling the size of the co-operative and mutual sector. The work has already started, with the movement uniting behind the pledge and mobilising to support […]

We are so proud to be sponsoring and attending next year’s Future Co-ops conference in Lichfield on 31st January – 1st February. The government has announced an ambitious target to double the size of the co-operative sector. Given this commitment, and at the start of the International Year of Co-operatives, the Future Co-ops 2025 conference […]