The 12 Months of Plunkett

Building on the positive momentum from 2023, as highlighted in our Chief Executive James Alcock’s New Year blog, we remain steadfast in our commitment to growing the sector. At the start of 2024, we welcomed a new face to the Plunkett team: Andrew Dubock, our Communications Manager, who shared a blog celebrating the strong collaborative spirit of community businesses.

Our support for various types of community-owned businesses was also featured in a five-minute segment on BBC’s The One Show. Filmed at York Supplies in Birmingham, the first community-owned hardware store in England, the piece included insights from James Alcock, discussing the surge in enquiries from diverse business ideas.

February marked the unveiling of our fresh new identity, complete with a new operating name – Plunkett UK – to reflect our commitment to serving all four nations. We also introduced a new ‘leaf icon’ as a central element of our refreshed brand visuals, inspired by Margaret Digby and ‘The Little Nut Tree’. Margaret is a significant figure in the history of The Plunkett Foundation, now Plunkett UK.

Within a week of the brand refresh, we were thrilled to be featured on BBC One’s Countryfile in a segment about community-owned businesses in Devon. The feature highlighted villagers in Loddiswell looking to buy their pub and the established shop and café at Parracombe. Our Chief Executive, James Alcock, was interviewed about the state of the sector and the support Plunkett provides.

In March, our Head of Engagement, Harriet English, attended the Coop Retail Societies Conference, providing an excellent opportunity to network and express our gratitude to the many societies that collaborate with us.

We also celebrated some wonderful success stories from community pubs this month. The Fox and Goose, West Yorkshire’s first-ever community-owned pub, marked its tenth anniversary! Additionally, The Three Tuns, a community-owned pub in Guilden Morden, welcomed a visit from Dr Nik Johnson, the Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, to record a podcast. We promoted the grants programme we are running with the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority to save community assets.

We are incredibly grateful to the B4 Network in Oxfordshire for raising £1,200 for our work through a charity pub quiz!

In April, we were thrilled to announce that last year saw a rate of growth in the community business sector, a rate not seen since the start of the pandemic. Our 2024 Impact Report, sponsored by Blenheim Palace, revealed a 4% increase in the sector in 2023, with 787 community-owned businesses trading by the end of December. By April, this number had risen to 800 businesses!

The report also highlighted the significant impact these businesses have on their local communities. By adopting green initiatives to protect the environment, boosting the local economy by using local suppliers, providing employment opportunities, fostering inclusion, and offering essential amenities that communities need and cherish.

In West Sussex, a ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the opening of a pioneering community-owned shop at the heart of Thakeham’s Woodgate development near Pease Pottage. This event celebrated a significant milestone in our placemaking partnership with Thakeham.

Our unique partnership, provides a blueprint for creating similar businesses in future Thakeham developments. Our shared goal is to create sustainable, thriving, and inclusive communities. Our Head of Engagement, Harriet English, discussed this partnership with Tristan Robinson, Thakeham’s Director of External Affairs and Social Value, in a recent episode of the Plunkett Pod.

Election season was a busy period at Plunkett UK as we championed our movement and membership to the new Government. With Labour coming into power for the first time since 2010, their manifesto included pledges to double the size of the cooperative sector and introduce a community ‘right to buy’. In his response, James Alcock, Plunkett’s CEO, emphasised that, as an apolitical organisation, we will continue to engage with the new government and elected MPs to ensure our network is well represented.

Following the General Election, we continue to encourage our members to take action by emailing their MP and inviting them to see their community-owned business.

Our Post-Election Call for Action document gives practical tips for effective engagement and includes ideas for how to position yourself and things to consider for a visit, plus ways we can support you.

As part of our vision for resilient, thriving, and inclusive rural communities across the UK, we aim to empower community-owned businesses to make a difference through our impact areas. In August, we showcased these areas in our impact blog series.

September marked our annual AGM, which highlighted significant growth with 35 new community businesses opening during the calendar year—an increase of 4%. We also provided extensive support for the “Unleashing Community Ownership” report published by the Co-operative Party. We collaborate with partners and are active members of the Rural Coalition to ensure the government fully understands the needs of rural communities.

A busy month of events! It was fantastic to meet members, partners and policy-makers, and celebrate all the brilliant things community businesses are doing to create sustainable, thriving and inclusive places, with Plunkett’s support.

Our National Community Business Conference gave opportunities for representatives from community businesses across the UK to receive advice, be inspired and network with others. That same evening, Plunkett’s 2024 Rural Community Business Awards recognised the people and organisations who are at the heart of our movement. A big thank you and well done to all the amazing finalists in each category and congratulations to the winners!

During October, we’ve also hosted a successful fundraising auction and launched the 2024 edition of our state-of-the-sector research report.

Recruiting volunteers is essential for any community business. In November, we shared a blog featuring insights from the Scout movement on how to boost volunteer numbers in a community business, where there’s always plenty to do! Be sure to read the blog for some useful tips. We also highlighted how our staff members benefit from our volunteer staff scheme, allowing them to contribute more to their communities.

Christmas is traditionally a season of goodwill and generosity. We shared simple ideas for how you, your friends, and family can give or fundraise to support Plunkett’s ongoing work with rural communities. Additionally, we participated in a festive fundraising event in Oxford with nine other charities. Our Communications Manager, Andrew Dubock, attended in his Christmas jumper alongside Pete Smyth from The White Horse, Stonesfield.

Raise’24, a campaign initiated by the B4 business network, has been running throughout the second half of 2024. We appreciate the access B4 membership gives us to well-connected people and organisations leading to new partnerships. Our community business model resonates with many in the network.