News

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

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

Legal Notice: Change of Registered Address
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 […]

Save the Date! Our AGM is coming soon.
Members, friends, supporters and interested parties – please save the date now for our 2025 AGM It will be held online at 1pm on Wednesday 18th June 2025. More info and papers to follow.

Empowering Change: Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
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’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 – […]

Free Business Support for Social Clubs!
Are you part of a social club looking to secure a thriving future? Do you want to expand your business plan to create new revenue streams and boost your community impact? And are you interested in exploring flexible, patient finance options to help bring your vision to life? Join our free webinar series to explore […]

Triple A for Team ICOF
You may be used to seeing photos of Business Development Manager Tim, and Lending and Relationship Manager Kevin out and about but there are two more people that make up the Co-op & Community Finance team. If you have a loan with us, you will certainly have dealt with them. We’re talking today about the […]

Reflecting on Our Away Day – Strengthening Our Commitment to EDI and the Co-operative Movement
At Co-operative and Community Finance, our annual Away Day is a valuable opportunity to reflect, collaborate, and strengthen our commitment to supporting the co-operative movement and advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) within our organisation. This year’s event focused on reinforcing our core values, identifying what drives success within our team, and recognising areas that […]
Celebrating the Year of Co-ops, together
It’s hard to believe that two years ago, we were celebrating our fiftieth birthday. That milestone felt momentous, and yet here we are, with time still rolling, at the ripe old age of almost 52. The Rochdale Pioneers seeded the co-operative movement and 181 years later the International Co-operative Alliance reports that 12% of the global […]
£40 million fund open for charities and community energy groups
The Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme distributes funds, paid by companies who may have breached Ofgem rules, to Registered Charities, Community Interest Companies, Co-operative Societies and Community Benefit Societies, to deliver energy related projects that meet the scheme priorities and benefit people in England, Scotland and Wales. The core priority is to help people who […]
Nominations are open NOW for the Plunkett UK Awards 2025 Rural Community Business Awards
The Awards, sponsored by Lands Improvement, will celebrate the best in Rural Community Business at a ceremony on Thursday 3 July 2025 at the Royal Society of Chemistry in London These annual awards are an opportunity to celebrate the outstanding achievements of community-owned businesses across the UK, and the dedicated and inspiring individuals behind their […]