Facing the Future Together

The only face-to-face conference for every rural community business

Thursday 6 July
IET Birmingham, Austin Court

Interactive workshops get to the heart of issues

Plunkett conferences are friendly and welcoming

We want you to join community businesses, industry experts, specialist business advisers and sector partners for a lively day of inspiring talks and workshops.

Facing the Future: Together boasts a packed programme of high profile speakers, interactive workshops and one-to-one advice surgeries covering the topics that we need to explore. You’ll get up-to-date on best practices and new approaches to help your community business increase volunteer engagement, improve your finances and maximise your social impact.

Most importantly, you’ll meet, share experiences with and learn from other community business leaders from across the UK.

With a full programme on offer, you could bring your fellow committee members, business manager, tenant or keen volunteers and make it a team away day.

The conference is friendly, welcoming and informative for everyone

Conference Topics and Themes

The day of learning and networking will focus on how community businesses can face the future, together. Keynote sessions, expert panels and interactive workshops will address the priority areas in Plunkett’s five-year strategy, examining how community businesses can:

Provide a wider range of services that communities need and value
Stimulate the local economy through localised supply chains
Boost opportunities for employment, training and volunteering, particularly benefitting those who are most disadvantaged and excluded in today’s society
Offset climate change through environmentally-friendly practices
Harness digital technologies to enhance business performance
Promote diversity and inclusion by creating a safe and welcoming space for all

Claire Spendley, Head of Community Business at Plunkett, said: “I’m really excited to be able to bring community businesses together to learn from each other and share experiences, after such a prolonged period of change and challenge, for the first Plunkett conference since 2019. Whilst we understand that the communities we work with are still navigating a challenging operating environment, we know that community businesses up and down the UK are pulling together to make a genuine, positive impact for local people – and we want to share these stories and inspire those involved in community business to see the opportunities they have to make a difference”.

Who is the conference for?

Are you involved in a community business? Then this event is for you!

Designed in collaboration with Plunkett Foundation members, the programme includes a mix of sessions to appeal to community businesses of all shapes and sizes; from new groups to well-established and trading, from all corners of the UK, and for all business types.

As well as appealing to committee members, the conference is a great opportunity to offer professional development to your staff or tenant, and encourage volunteers who may be considering a committee role. You could book as a group to make the most of the different topics and sessions (see our ticket offers!).

“Plunkett plays an important role in encouraging community businesses to run as thriving, sustainable businesses, to ensure they are competitive, and invest in their people. There is no substitute for coming face-to-face to discuss these issues” – Sam Ross, Plunkett Member and Secretary at Farmborough Community Shop

Book today to save 20% on early bird rates!

If you’re interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at the conference, please contact membership@plunkett.co.uk

Programme and Event Information

Keynote Stream

Arrive, register and meet exhibitors from 09:30

10.15 – Opening Panel: Facing the Future: Together

The opening session will set the scene for the day – acknowledging the prolonged period of challenge community businesses have weathered, through the pandemic, cost of living and energy crisis, and reflect on the opportunities and challenges facing the sector and rural communities across the UK.

10.45 – Break

11:00 – Panel 2: Creating Inclusive Community Business: A Rural Perspective

During this session, panellists will consider how community businesses can create innovative, inclusive and impactful spaces for local people – exploring what community businesses are currently doing to promote diversity and inclusion, by creating safe and welcoming spaces for all, and what more they can do to benefit those who are most disadvantaged and excluded in today’s society. We’ll also reflect on the challenges of operating in rural areas that impact on diversity, such as the ongoing migration of young people out of the countryside and the lack of affordable rural housing.

11.45 – Social Impact Stories: An interview with…Jodie Barwick-Bell, Chair, The Bank @ Chopwell

During this interview, we’ll hear how Chopwell Regeneration Group successfully transformed a former bank into a thriving community hub; and the wide range of activities and services now offered, that are really making a difference in their local community.

12:00 – Panel 3: The Road to Net Zero: Community Businesses as Climate Champions

This panel session will explore how community businesses can make a positive impact in the midst of a climate emergency, both by improving their own operations and by encouraging their communities to take climate action.

12:45 – Lunch: network and meet the marketplace exhibitors

13.30 – Social Impact Stories: An interview with…

During this interview, we’ll hear directly from a community-owned business – this is your chance to understand their journey into community ownership, and hear about how their project is making a difference in their local community.

13:45 – Plenary: Trends, Challenges and Opportunities: Retail and Hospitality

This plenary session will feature two keynote speakers, who will provide a state of the nation update and share the current trends, challenges and opportunities for community businesses operating in the retail and hospitality sectors. Following the presentations, delegates will have the opportunity to ask questions of speakers.

14:30 – Break

14:45 – Panel 4: Ask the Funder: How to Successfully Attract Grant Funding

During this session, panellists will explore the common pitfalls that community organisations should try to avoid when applying for funding, as well as sharing top tips to give community businesses the best chance of success

15.30 – Social Impact Stories: An interview with…

15:45 to 16.15 – Closing keynote: Adam Henson, Farmer, TV Presenter and Author

Workshops

We have created two workshop streams with eight interactive sessions that will get to the heart of the issues that community businesses say they’re most concerned about: People and Finances.

The 45-minute workshops are available on a first-come, first-served basis on the day and you can pick and choose the sessions you want to attend from either stream. If you’re attending as a group, you might like to split up to cover the different themes.

Alongside the main programme, community businesses can also take part in one-to-one adviser surgeries, to address issues you might be facing such as governance and volunteers, finance and fundraising, or the early stages of setting up.

Investing in people

This page will be updated as workshop faciliators are confirmed:

11.00 – Creating Good Governance and Resolving Conflict

Session facilitator: David Alcock, Partner, Anthony Collins

Getting governance right from the start is vital in helping to ensure your committee runs smoothly. Aimed at both early stage and trading businesses, this workshop will cover the key roles and responsibilities for committee members, the importance of using your governing documents and code of conduct, how to overcome common problems around the governance of community businesses.

12.00 – Volunteer Engagement and Succession Planning

Session facilitator: Donna McArdle, Adviser for Plunkett Foundation

Aimed at both new and trading businesses, this workshop will help you to understand how to recruit volunteers to get involved in your business, how to attract a more diverse range of volunteers, how to keep them engaged with the project and how to plan for succession.

13.45 – Have Your Say: Shaping Plunkett’s Advocacy Work

Session facilitator: Georgina Edwards, Policy and Research Manager, Plunkett Foundation

As MPs on all sides of the political spectrum will start gearing up later this year for a UK general election, now is the time to push for national policies that will create an enabling environment for community businesses to get set up and thrive. Join us for a workshop to shape Plunkett Foundation’s top policy and advocacy priorities for the coming year. This will be an interactive session exclusively for Plunkett Foundation members, where you will have the opportunity to share with us what you think should be at the top of politicians’ lists to support the sector.

14.45 – Tell Your Story: Measuring and Reporting Social Impact

Session facilitator: Ishita Ranjan, Senior Project Manager, Good Finance

Having a great story to tell about the impact your business is making on the wider community is key to attracting funding and social investment. In this workshop, you’ll learn how to measure your social impact, using both qualitative and quantitative methods, and how to effectively report on the difference you make to local people.

Finance and fundraising

This page will be updated as workshop faciliators are confirmed:

11.00 – How to Finance Your Community Business

Session facilitators: Tim Coomer, Co-operative and Community Finance and Chris Buckham, Adviser for Plunkett Foundation

Whether you are an early-stage community business, looking to find out more about how to raise the funds to get your project off the ground, or are you an established business looking to launch a second share offer, or raise funds to expand or diversify, this workshop will show you how. In this session, Tim Coomer from Co-operative & Community Finance will outline the benefits of social investment, and Chris Buckham, Chair of Bretforton Community Shop and Adviser for the Plunkett Foundation, will answer all of your questions about community shares.

12.00 – Cost of Living Crisis: Making the Numbers Stack Up

Session facilitators: Alison Macklin, Community Business Manager, Plunkett Foundation and Charlotte Foster, Adviser for Plunkett Foundation

Community businesses across the UK are feeling the pressure of increasing operating costs, reduced footfall, and customers spending less. This workshop will look at the ways in which you can ensure your community business remains viable in challenging times – from reducing overheads to thinking creatively to diversify income. You’ll hear from both a community shop and a community pub specialist, then separate into groups to look at issues specifically affecting your type of business.

13.45 – Community Ownership Fund: Get Your Application Right

Session facilitator: David Miskin, Adviser for the Plunkett Foundation

If you’re an early stage group looking to take on an asset that is at risk of being lost to your community, this workshop is for you! David Miskin will share his experience of advising a number of community businesses who have been successful in their application to the Community Ownership Fund, and you’ll hear directly from a community business who managed to purchase their asset thanks to COF funding.

14.45 – Dealing with Profit: Share Withdrawal, Rainy Days and Giving Back to Your Community

Session facilitator: Alan Collard, Adviser for the Plunkett Foundation

Aimed at trading businesses, this workshop will help you to understand how to manage your income and profits when you’re operating successfully – from dealing with share withdrawal, paying interest on share capital or even setting up charitable funds.

Speakers

This page will be updated as speakers are confirmed:

Opening panel: Facing the Future: Together

James Alcock, Chief Executive, Plunkett Foundation (Panel chair)
Dame Caroline Mason, Chief Executive, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation
Rose Marley, Chief Executive, Cooperatives UK
Mark Purvis, Deputy Director, England, National Lottery Community Fund
Tim Davies-Pugh, Chief Executive, Power to Change

Panel 2: Creating Inclusive Community Business: A Rural Perspective

Claire Spendley, Head of Community Business, Plunkett Foundation (Panel chair)
Woosh Raza, Director of People, Culture and Inclusion, NCVO
Sabrina Pace-Humphreys, Social justice activist and co-founder of Black Trail Runners
Imandeep Kaur, Co-founder and Director, CIVIC SQUARE

Panel 3: The Road to Net Zero: Community Businesses as Climate Champions

Helen Aldis, Head of Strategic Development, Soil Association and Plunkett Foundation Trustee (Session chair)
Graham Duxbury, Chief Executive, Groundwork UK
Janine Michael, Director of Development and Communications and Interim Deputy Chief Executive, Centre for Sustainable Energy
Josie Cadwallader-Hughes, Sustainability Director, Thakeham
Sam Ross, Farmborough Community Shop

Plenary: Trends, Challenges and Opportunities: Retail and Hospitality

Harriet English, Head of Engagement, Plunkett Foundation (Session chair)
James Lowman, Chief Executive, Association of Convenience Stores
Emma McClarkin OBE, Chief Executive, British Beer and Pub Association

Panel 4: Ask the Funder: How to Successfully Attract Grant Funding

Lewis Bowman, Head of Finance, Plunkett Foundation (Panel chair)
Kelcey Wilson-Lee, Director of Programmes, Architectural Heritage Fund
Maddy Taylor, Head of Operations, The Princes Countryside Fund
Helen Bridge, Community & Charity Manager, Aviva Community Fund
John Dawson, Head of Market Development and Investment, Community Shares Unit (Booster Fund)

Closing Keynote

Adam Henson, Farmer, Broadcaster and Author

Marketplace

The marketplace will be a bustling gathering of Plunkett-recommended suppliers that we have vetted. They offer products and services that can help you save time and money, so that you can run your community business more efficiently and effectively.

You’ll have the chance to meet representatives from insurers to EPOS, repayable finance to wellbeing services and refill products to cellar services.

Details coming soon…

Venue & Booking Information

Venue

IET Birmingham: Austin Court
80 Cambridge Street
Birmingham
B1 2NP

Located in Birmingham city centre, close to main transport links, the venue has been chosen for its accessibility and sustainability credentials.

How to find us

Accessibility

Accessibility is well-considered at Austin Court with lifts, ramps, hearing and visual assistance, and limited disabled parking, as well as provision for different cultural and dietary needs – please tell us your requirements when you register.

We are committed to making the conference inclusive for everyone. There are free tickets for carers and discounted tickets for young community business members aged 25 and under. Contact us on membership@plunkett.co.uk if you need help to make your booking, or if there are any barriers to you attending, including ticket or travel costs.

Venue access Information