News Archive
Pub saved from demolition
In December 2014 The Fox and Hounds in Denmead on the outskirts of Portsmouth reopened under co-operative ownership, 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 […]
Free biomass boilers
We are using two funds to help an environmental co-operative to install and maintain energy efficient biomass boilers in church and community buildings free of charge. The free boiler scheme is being pioneered by Manchester-based Biomass Energy Cooperative supported by loans from Co-operative & Community Finance and The Co-operative Loan Fund. This week the new […]
A record year!
2014 has been a very good year for Co-operative & Community Finance; we’ve released £1.4m to co-operatives, community groups and ethical organisations since January. Highlights include loans to the UK’s first co-operatively owned music venue, a student housing co-op, two community pubs, two wood recycling projects, a creative workers’ co-op, a video engineering co-op, two […]
Chilly growth for Bristol organics trader
One of the leading UK wholesalers of organic and Fairtrade products is replacing and expanding its storage facilities for chilled and frozen foods using a loan from Co-operative & Community Finance. Essential Trading in Bristol manufactures and distributes sustainable wholefoods, ecological household products and cruelty free body care items across Europe and internationally. It stocks […]
New shop for Somerset village
The villagers of Spaxton in Somerset are building a new community shop with help from Co-operative & Community Finance. Locals formed a community benefit society in January 2011, after the proprietor of the village’s only shop announced that he would soon be ceasing trading. 291 members raised nearly £30,000 through two community share offers; funds […]
Reel change for video co-op
A leading video production co-operative has upgraded essential equipment and expanded its services, after receiving a loan from us. VET (Video Engineering & Training) is one of the film industry’s leading training providers, offering professional support and development to a large, diverse client base. The co-operative also runs a Post Production facility offering a wide […]
Jazz co-op buys pub
We helped a group of jazz lovers to buy a pub and set up the UK’s first co-operatively owned music venue. On 30 April 2014 Pink Lane Jazz Co-op bought The Globe, a 19th Century pub on the west edge of Newcastle city centre, with the aim of running it as a venue for live […]
Growth for wood recycling co-op
We’ve helped Somerset Wood Recycling to buy a new van, updating its four vehicle fleet. It’s the third time this successful social enterprise, based in Weston-super-Mare, has used our flexible and supportive finance to help it grow and diversify. The business has gone from strength to strength since it started in 2006 with two workers. […]
Wood recycling enterprise expands
A successful wood recycling social enterprise in Oxfordshire has nearly doubled the size of its storage, processing and sales premises, and it has used a loan from Co-operative & Community Finance to buy new equipment. Oxford Wood Recycling aims to increase the amount of wood being reused and recycled rather than being sent to landfill […]
Closed library saved by the community
Hundreds of people from Greater Manchester have saved their local library from imminent closure by setting up a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. Friends of Denton West End Library have successfully brought the library into community ownership after purchasing the building from the local authority with loans from Co-operative & Community Finance and the Co-operative Loan Fund. […]