News Archive
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. […]
Leading Scottish home care business set for further growth
One of the leading providers of home care in Scotland is set for further growth thanks to a refinancing package involving three ethical lenders. Loans from Co-operative & Community Finance, The Co-operative Loan Fund and Big Issue Invest have given Highland Home Carers, an employee-owned business with nearly 250 staff, the capacity and incentive to […]
Staff own the business and now the building
One of the UK’s leading suppliers of decorated school uniform, which is employee-owned, has bought back the freehold of its headquarters for less than it sold it for nine years ago. Co-operative & Community Finance made one of its largest-ever loans to help Sheffield-based School Trends to raise the funds to complete the purchase. School […]
Co-operative reclaims social housing
Members of a North West housing co-op have purchased their home after receiving a loan from us. Now they want to help others do the same. The four members of Castle Rockdove Housing Co-op have been living together for a number of years but formally set up as a co-operative two years ago, after being […]
Co-operative Living Freehold Society Purchases First Property
Nearly forgotten Victorian home saved by co-op A neglected Victorian home in Manchester has been bought by the Co-operative Living Freehold Society, with plans for a much-needed boost of environmental refurbishment. This is thanks to a loan from Co-operative & Community Finance who brokered a deal with other lenders. The property is a semi-detached three-storey house […]