News
A Tale of Two Pubs
[photo: Volunteers for What’s for Tea? organised by The Hive in Winsford] The last two loans released by Co-operative & Community Finance to pubs were to very different enterprises in quite different communities. One is the Cornwood Inn near Ivybridge which is the only pub in a remote village in the Dartmoor National Park. The […]
Inspiring stories – October Books delivers the goods!
We recently asked the organisations we’ve previously lent to and supported to share stories of lockdown trading, to celebrate the resilience and ingenuity of the sector at this time. We’re delighted to share Southampton’s bookshop co-operative October Books amazing story – they have developed a thriving delivery service and kept their busy events calendar going, […]
Inspire the sector – help us celebrate co-ops that have kept co-operating!
Has your Co-op and Community Finance supported co-op, community pub, or community business continued trading through lockdown? We’ve heard some wonderful stories of co-ops pulling out the stops and supporting their communities through lockdown – pubs providing meals on wheels and socially distanced deliveries, bookshops delivering care packages and community shops introducing full grocery deliveries […]
Community Businesses and COVID-19 Research Project – Deadline Extended!
Updated 28th May 2020: The deadline has been extended to the 31st May – apply now! Power to Change is running a longitudinal research project with the Young Foundation to learn more about how Community Business has adapted, managed and innovated so far and as we progress through the COVID19 outbreak They want to hear […]
UPDATED Guidance Round Up – COVID-19
*We updated this blog on the 21st May to include the Coronavirus Community Support Fund It’s now a little over seven weeks since the UK Lockdown was announced, in an effort to control the spread of COVID-19. Things have changed – some a little, some a lot – and so here’s our latest round up […]
Co-ops in the Time of COVID-19
As we enter our second tranche of a three-week lockdown, it is perhaps a good time to pause and reflect on the momentous events of the last month, its effect on Co-op and Community Finance (CCF), its clients, staff and board members. Our Operations Manager, Alain Demontoux, pauses for thought. Here at CCF, half the […]
Welsh employee-owned packaging firm increases production
At a time when many businesses have temporarily closed, an employee-owned company in south Wales has increased production to cope with a big rise in demand for its packaging services. In recent weeks PrimePac Solutions Ltd in Ebbw Vale has been inundated with orders to package sanitising and cleaning products. It has also bought a […]
Co-ops, Community Business and Coronavirus
Thank you to all our clients who have contacted us recently about concerns amid the COVID-19 situation. We are really glad that you are making contact and asking questions – please do continue to do this. The situation is changing rapidly and we would encourage you all to get the most up to date news […]
Community buys shop just before deadline
The residents of a small village in rural Northumberland are celebrating saving the only shop in the village, for the second time. Slaley, located six miles from Hexham in the North Pennines, has an estimated population of 550. It also has the unusual distinction of having both a community-owned shop and a community-owned pub (the […]
Update from Power to Change – COVID-19
Power to Change has suspended all current funding programmes, including More Than A Pub, as it is focusing its attention on supporting community businesses affected by COVID-19. All future rounds of this programme are currently paused. Please note: Any applicant part way through the More Than A Pub application process will be considered for Power […]
Community Shops – a letter for you to send
Plunkett Foundation Chief Executive James Alcock has written an open letter to the groceries industry highlighting the threat to supply for community shops, and calling for support for both these shops and the vulnerable residents they serve, during the COVID-19 outbreak. Specifically, the letter calls for reduced minimum orders, priority deliveries to rural and more […]
Community pubs in a time of COVID-19
The Government announcement on Friday 20th March that all pubs, cafes and restaurants were to close as part of the coronavirus response was unsurprising and a necessary step in these unusual times. It’s imperative that we all work together, that we co-operate, for the greater good of our communities right now. We are glad to […]