Plunkett UK is joining partners in celebrating ten years of the Community Shares Booster Fund, marked by the publication of a new impact report and the announcement of a dedicated successor investment fund.
Since its launch in 2015, the Community Shares Booster Fund has provided development grants and matched investment to community businesses raising finance through community shares. The fund has supported hundreds of community-led enterprises, helping local people save and strengthen the businesses and spaces at the heart of their communities.
The Booster Fund has been led by Co-operatives UK and delivered in partnership with Community Shares Unit partners Locality and Plunkett UK. It has also benefited from the expertise and support of Community Shares ICOF, Co-operative and Community Finance, Power to Change, Access – The Foundation for Social Investment, and the Architectural Heritage Fund.
New dedicated investment fund announced
Building on the success of the Booster Fund, Co-operatives UK has announced plans to establish a new dedicated investment fund for community shares.
Working alongside Community Shares Unit partners Locality and Plunkett UK, Co-operatives UK has joined forces with Community Shares ICOF (CSI) to transfer the Booster Fund’s investment function into CSI. The new fund, expected to launch later in 2026, will reinvest returns generated from Co-operatives UK’s £5 million community shares portfolio into new community share offers.
The ambition is to unlock further investment into community-owned businesses and support the continued growth of the community shares economy, helping more communities take ownership of the assets and services that matter most to them.
John Dawson, Head of Market Development at Co-operatives UK, said:
“Over the past decade, the Booster Fund has become the ‘go-to’ place for support in England with community shares. It has tested and evolved a unique model of match investment that has proved hugely successful for many communities and raised millions of additional pounds of investment.
“Now we want to do more – and we know the appetite is there from communities. We are looking forward to continuing to boost community enterprise with the new fund and invite others to support us with these plans.”
Reflecting on the milestone, Mary Boullin, Head of Community Business at Plunkett UK, said:
“The Booster Fund has made a real difference to rural communities working to take ownership of the businesses at their heart. We’ve seen first-hand how the grants and match-funding it offers help turn ambitious community share offers into reality, and we’re proud to have supported this work in partnership with Locality and Co-operatives UK. Congratulations on ten years!”
Community shares in action:
One example of the Booster Fund’s impact can be seen at The Drewe Arms in Drewsteignton, Devon – a Plunkett member.
When local residents faced the loss of their much-loved village pub, they recognised that it was about far more than a place to enjoy a drink. Following the closure of the village shop and post office, the pub represented one of the last remaining spaces where people could come together, combat isolation and build community connections.
With support and advice from Plunkett, the Drewsteignton Community Benefit Society was formed, and they began exploring how community ownership could secure the pub’s future.
A key step was launching a community share offer, and the group successfully applied to the Community Shares Booster Fund for a development grant of £4,820 to help prepare their campaign.
Jane Martin, Director of Drewsteignton Community Benefit Society, said: “It was brilliant getting a development grant from the Booster Fund. It gave us confidence, as well as the ability to seek professional support to prepare the share offer.”
Today, The Drewe Arms stands as a thriving community-owned pub and a testament to what local people can achieve when given the right support and investment.
Read the report
From community-owned pubs and shops to renewable energy projects and local services, the Community Shares Booster Fund has helped communities across England turn ambitious ideas into reality. To discover more about the fund’s achievements over the last ten years and its impact on community ownership, read and download the report.
