Community Shares Unit

It's back! Our new practitioner training is now live. This is a great opportunity to learn all about the basics of community shares and all the technical details too. Find out more and secure your place now >> www.uk.coop/events-and-t...

What you’ll get: ✅ 7 expert-led sessions ✅ A cohort of peers to learn and network with ✅ Pre- and post-session reading ✅ The chance to complete assessments and become a Registered practitioner ✅ One year’s free Supporter membership

@locality.org.uk @plunkettuk.bsky.social @cooperativesuk.bsky.social @goodfinanceuk.bsky.social @powertochange.org.uk @coopfinance.bsky.social @dtascotland.bsky.social @cwmpas.bsky.social @communityenergyengland.org @esmeefairbairn.bsky.social

🏠New share offer from Two Up Two Down in #Liverpool for community led housing to 'Buy Back #Anfield, Brick By Brick'! 🧱Check them out here - invest.twouptwodown.org.uk @cooperativesuk.bsky.social @tomchance.bsky.social

🐴Share offer from Sweffling Community Pub Limited in #Suffolk to support the community ownership and long-term future of the Sweffling White Horse pub. 🍺Investments from £50 each. swefflingcommunitypub.uk/index.php/sh...

crowdfunder.co.ukSheffield Live! Community Share OfferTo raise £150k to refurbish the former Tap and Barrel at 42 Waingate, Sheffield as a new centre for community arts and media

Who owns your media? Check out the new share offer for community owned media and arts centre in a former #sheffield city centre pub by @sheffieldlive.bsky.social Invest from £100. www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/sheffieldl...

Sheffield Live@sheffieldlive.bsky.social

...and you can get involved www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/sheffieldl...

crowdfunder.co.ukSheffield Live! Community Share OfferTo raise £150k to refurbish the former Tap and Barrel at 42 Waingate, Sheffield as a new centre for community arts and media

Community Shares Unit reposted

21 Sept

Our @comshares.bsky.social training on 7 October is for organisations that have completed a share offer and now need to keep their members engaged. How do you balance a large membership, non-local supporters and member churn? Our training addresses all of this and more 👉 buff.ly/A8QTJjb #comshares

18 Sept

👩‍👧‍👧Make the most of your members! Expert training on effective engagement, especially for after you have run a community share offer. Learn from others and come and ask any questions. 7th Oct online 👇 www.uk.coop/events-and-t...

@plunkettuk.bsky.social @goodfinanceuk.bsky.social @locality.org.uk @cooperativesuk.bsky.social @coopfinance.bsky.social @ethexuk.bsky.social @crowdfunder.bsky.social @dtascotland.bsky.social @cwmpas.bsky.social @communityenergyengland.org

18 Sept

14 Sept

New share offers with the Standard Mark listed on our portal from: ☑️@ittakesacity.bsky.social ☑️Save the Traf pub group ☑️Aston on Clun Community Shop Full details on & how to invest here: www.uk.coop/start-new-co...

uk.coopTraining: Community Shares Finance Guide - managing community share capitalA session for societies using community shares capital to understand their legal responsibilities, and how to manage their members financial investments.

3 Sept

Free online training: Community Shares Finance Guide - managing community share capital. Next Thursday online, book now! www.uk.coop/events-and-t...

cc: @plunkettuk.bsky.social @locality.org.uk @cooperativesuk.bsky.social @coopfinance.bsky.social @dtascotland.bsky.social @goodfinanceuk.bsky.social @powertochange.org.uk @cwmpas.bsky.social @communityenergyengland.org @democraticfinance.bsky.social

3 Sept

Celebrating 10 years of our Booster Fund supporting & investing in community share offers: 📈 £5m invested in 98 share offers 📷 £20m unlocked from more than 26,000 community investors 📷 🚀 184 development grants awarded to enable share offers to launch www.uk.coop/resources/re...

View full thread

uk.coopReport: Boosting Community Ownership – 10 years of the Community Shares Booster FundThis report reflects on a decade of the Community Shares Booster Fund: the original ambitions, what has been achieved along the way and recommendations for future investments in supporting the communi...

Over the decade, Booster has developed to offer a unique patient & affordable social investment product; helping more communities to be successful, take on & develop assets & build strong local economies. Now, we can announce plans to grow Booster further in a new fund! www.uk.coop/resources/re...

@locality.org.uk @plunkettuk.bsky.social @goodfinanceuk.bsky.social @powertochange.org.uk @access-si.bsky.social @archhfund.org.uk @cooperativesuk.bsky.social @coopfinance.bsky.social @esmeefairbairn.bsky.social @bettersocietycapital.com @ethexuk.bsky.social @crowdfunder.bsky.social

View full thread

The fund has achieved huge leverage, investing alongside 26k community investors, for each £1 we invested, they invested a further £3.99

..and Booster has enabled more communities to succeed, with a focus on less affluent communities, helping them to attract further investment to their projects.

This unique form of social investment has been 'existential' for getting many projects moving and catalysing further investment.

Community Shares Unit reposted

6 Aug

🎉 Read our new report celebrating 10 years of the @comshares.bsky.social Booster Fund’s huge impact in kick-starting community regeneration. The report shows how community shares have helped people across England save local assets, boost localities & build stronger local economies.🧵 (1/5)

linktr.eecomshares Official: Instagram, Threads | LinktreeLinks from the Community Shares Unit (a partnership of Co-operatives UK, Locality and Plunkett UK).

Advance notice! We are finalising the next cohort of Community Shares Practitioner Training for 2026-27. 🧑‍🎓 Full details will be in our upcoming email newsletters, sign up here to hear first: linktr.ee/comshares

View full thread

The course will cover: -community engagement -governance -biz planning + financials -documentation development -the Standard Mark -managing the share capital post-raise

And gives you the confidence, building blocks and qualifications to start supporting communities to explore, consider, prepare and launch a succesfull community share offer

linktr.eecomshares Official: Instagram, Threads | LinktreeLinks from the Community Shares Unit (a partnership of Co-operatives UK, Locality and Plunkett UK).

The course is a comprehensive training programme to learn all about community shares, from the basics to the technical details. Running Oct-Mar, & led by @cooperativesuk.bsky.social and guest community shares experts.

14 July

Keys to the Future New report from @locality.org.uk & @powertochange.org.uk on scaling up community ownership and assets “Perhaps the greatest social investment opportunity for communities comes in the form of community shares” @esmeefairbairn.bsky.social Read more below⬇️

Locality@locality.org.uk

Community ownership is proven to drive local renewal. But while political support is growing, investment still falls far short of demand. New research from @locality.org.uk @powertochange.org.uk sets out how we can scale #CommunityOwnership nationwide. 📖 Read more: https://bit.ly/4h0aMo1

Community Shares Unit reposted

13 July

Community ownership has a vital role to play in building stronger local economies and more resilient, connected communities. We welcome the new report from our partners @locality.org.uk and @powertochange.org.uk. 🧵👇 #comshares #coops @comshares.bsky.social

Locality@locality.org.uk

eventbrite.co.ukSut i Farchnata Cynnig Cyfranddaliadau / How to Market a Share OfferSut i Farchnata Cynnig Cyfranddaliadau gyda Wyn Roberts / How to Market a Share Offer with Wyn Roberts

9 July

From our friends at @cwmpas.bsky.social this free webinar 'How to Market a Share Offer' next week www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sut-i-farc...

co-operativesuk.cmail20.comBooster investment still available + community right to buy fund

9 July

Latest email newsletter on all things community shares has gone out, check it out here if you missed it co-operativesuk.cmail20.com/t/t-e-wkijkh...

Community Shares Unit reposted

thenews.coopCo-op Congress: How community energy can give power to the peopleLast week's UK CO-op Congress, organised by Co-operatives UK in Birmingham, included a look at the government’s Local Power Plan

25 June

Writeup from #CoopCongress 'How community energy can give power to the people' www.thenews.coop/co-op-congre... from @coopnews.bsky.social @cooperativesuk.bsky.social

25 June

Writeup from #CoopCongress 'How community energy can give power to the people' www.thenews.coop/co-op-congre... from @coopnews.bsky.social @cooperativesuk.bsky.social

Community Shares Unit reposted

22 June

Co-operate and we can change the world. #CoopFortnight is here, and This Beautiful Idea by Tony Walsh captures what #coops make possible: member-owned businesses making a difference in communities across the UK – and around the world. Watch, repost and help spread the word. #ThisBeautifulIdea

ethex.org.ukICOF Community Capital - Renewable Energy - Community Shares - Ethex investment opportunityInvest in ICOF and help provide growth capital to projects delivering renewable energy, sustainable farming and low‑carbon business operations. Investments target 3% annual interest paid in additional...

23 June

😎The ICOF Community Capital share offer by @coopfinance.bsky.social closes soon. They have already raised an impressive £360k, with space for some final investors. An interesting share offer, given the CITR tax relief available: www.ethex.org.uk/invest/icof-... @ethexuk.bsky.social

22 June

🔆Free @cooperativesuk.bsky.social webinar on 1st July: The Power of Community Energy Come along and learn about co-ops creating and running community energy projects, inc. hearing from some co-operators themselves! www.uk.coop/events-and-t...

Community Shares Unit reposted

12 June

Big news from #CoopCongress. Rachel Blake MP, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, announced that govt will soon appoint a mutual & co-operative sector champion. It'll be an important and new touchpoint with gov. As Rachel said: “The member-owned model does something different, and I think vital.”

Community Shares Unit reposted

18 June

This beautiful idea is almost here. “Co-operate and we can change the world” is this year’s #CoopFortnight theme, inspired by Tony Walsh’s poem This Beautiful Idea. Co-op Fortnight starts Monday 22 June. Meet back here to see a performance of the full poem. And get involved 👉 www.uk.coop/fortnight

Community Shares Unit reposted

16 June

A new legal right to buy community assets needs practical support behind it. That is why we welcome the £61m Community Right Buy Fund – announced by Housing, Communities & Local Gov Secretary of State Steve Reed – with finance and capacity support for communities: www.uk.coop/news/communi... #coops

5 June

Are you coming to @cooperativesuk.bsky.social Congress next week? Looking forward to slots on We have the (community) power and hearing from GB Energy about the Local Power Plan. More here - www.uk.coop/events-and-t...

uk.coopCommunity share offers with the Standard MarkCheck out community share offers which have launched with the Community Shares Standard Mark.

3 June

Interested in live investment opportunities? New Community Share offers with the standard mark from @maydaysaxonvale.bsky.social @ecoetalk.bsky.social & Hull Community Pub added to our directory of offers here www.uk.coop/share-offers

hulldailymail.co.ukThe New Clarence community-owned pub launches share offerThe New Clarence hits first crowdfunding milestone - now it is open to all with a HU postcode

2 June

Hull’s first and only community-owned pub launches share offer to create one-of-a-kind function room www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hull-ea...

2 June

Help investors to spread the cost with payment by instalments. New guidance on how to do this with community shares: www.uk.coop/resources/co... @cooperativesuk.bsky.social @coopfinance.bsky.social

Community Shares Unit reposted

The structure matters. If companies are owned by shareholders who may never set foot in the communities they affect, decisions follow that logic. Returns come first. Everything else becomes secondary. Think about water companies. It’s not failure. It’s how the system is designed to work.

Co-operatives UK@cooperativesuk.bsky.social

UK companies are doing what they’re designed to do. Generate returns for shareholders. Did you know, many of those shareholders aren't in the UK. ONS data shows how much ownership has shifted overseas & with it, where dividends go (spoiler alert, it's a whopping 58%): www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inve...

We have a new + detailed section in our finance guide on 'Handling interest payments on community shares' Check it out here: www.uk.coop/resources/co... @cooperativesuk.bsky.social @plunkettuk.bsky.social @goodfinanceuk.bsky.social @ethexuk.bsky.social @locality.org.uk

Community Shares Unit reposted

Looking to grow your organisation or explore new funding options? The Reach Fund offers grants of £5k–£15k to prepare for social investment, including Community Share Offers. As an approved Access Point, we can support you to apply: 👉 www.uk.coop/news/co-oper... @cooperativesuk.bsky.social

uk.coopCommunity share offers with the Standard MarkCheck out community share offers which have launched with the Community Shares Standard Mark.

20 May

We've updated our listings of live and current community share offers with the Standard Mark inc: ⭐Staffordshire Community Energy ⭐Low Carbon Hub ⭐ICOF Community Capital www.uk.coop/start-new-co...

6 May

A new resource outlining the benefits of using the Community Shares Standard Mark to develop high-quality share offers that attract investment, promote sustainable growth, and align with their community mission. www.uk.coop/resources/us...

6 May

covering.. What is the Community Shares Standard Mark? Why should societies aim for the Standard Mark? What other Societies have been awarded the Standard Mark? The process for a share offer to be awarded the Standard Mark How to fund the Standard Mark? Why use the Standard Mark? How to get started

uk.coopUnlocking bigger investment through tax reliefs and community sharesHow can you unlock larger individual investments in your share offer? There are two tax reliefs which can help make this happen.

23 Apr

💶What tax relief incentives can you offer on a community share offer to encourage bigger investments? Read our blog and take a look at our upcoming training to find out more: www.uk.coop/blog/unlocki...

@ethexuk.bsky.social @crowdfunder.bsky.social @locality.org.uk @plunkettuk.bsky.social @cooperativesuk.bsky.social @coopfinance.bsky.social @access-si.bsky.social

23 Apr

21 Apr

Need investment in your share offer? Match investment from our partner Community Shares ICOF are still available through the Booster Fund. See more and how to apply here: www.uk.coop/resources/bo...