To support our strategic ambition to grow the community ownership movement in all parts of the UK, we are today launching a refreshed brand for Plunkett.

We are excited to introduce you to a new look for Plunkett UK, our new operational name.

The refreshed branding incorporates a suite of colours, an updated logo and a strapline which reaffirms our commitment to the sector we are so proud to be a part of.

The incorporation of ‘UK’ into our name reflects that our services are widely available to communities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It reinforces that we are the only organisation which exclusively supports rural community businesses UK-wide.

In this context, Plunkett should be seen as a collaborator and partner first and foremost. We will use our UK experience, knowledge, and expertise to shape our approach to supporting new communities and existing businesses. We will work with local and national partners to reach the communities most in need of support and ensure that our services add value to the movement in different locations across the nation.

Plunkett Foundation will be retained as the registered name of our charity.

The Plunkett UK logo is the visual centrepiece of our refreshed brand. The logo consists of two core elements – an icon and a wordmark.

The leaf icon, which is also an abstracted initial ‘P’, is a unique and distinctive visual signature for Plunkett UK that has a direct relevance to our core area of operation – the UK’s rural communities.

It is also significant in recognising the tireless endeavours and vision of Dr Margaret Digby CBE, who was a champion for the co-operative movement last century. She worked for Plunkett Foundation for a total of 50 years, first as Research Assistant, then Secretary for most of that period, and finally a Consultant. At times, Margaret single-handedly kept the charity going. She then became an Honorary Trustee in 1977, eight years before she died, aged 82.

Margaret was the first to introduce a tree for Plunkett’s logo, which has evolved into a leaf over time, and we felt it was therefore appropriate to use our brand refresh as a way of bringing her back to prominence within the organisation’s identity.

We have selected a colour palette for Plunkett UK that is comprised of hues connected with the natural world. Our primary colour is a muted shade of green (Juniper) and we lead with this colour in all of our communications. Juniper is supported by six other colours (see below) that bring flexibility and variation to all our communications. Our priority will be to use the palette in the most accessible way, to help everyone to access the services of Plunkett UK.

In some cases, we will use a version of our logo in association with a refreshed strapline – ‘Supporting rural community-owned businesses’.

We chose this simple, four-word phrase to appear with the name of the charity, because it clearly and concisely states our fundamental mission and unique selling point.

Whilst rural remains the predominant focus of our work and connects to the charity’s mission and objectives, our services will remain available to all meaning that Plunkett UK will continue to work with urban communities too, where the needs arise.

Our Plunkett 2022 – 2026 strategy remains the central influence on our work, and our vision for resilient, thriving and inclusive rural communities across the UK remains unchanged.

It is our intention to use the refreshed brand as a way of reaffirming our commitment to partnership working across all four UK nations to empower community-owned businesses to create innovative, inclusive and impactful spaces which benefit local communities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

As we launch the brand refresh, James Alcock, Chief Executive, says, “Plunkett is such a special organisation with a well-respected brand going back well over 100 years. So many people and communities have such deep affection for Plunkett which means we approached the refresh with some trepidation!

“However, we felt the time was right – not just to establish a new colour palette – but to find a way of representing the organisation more accurately in terms of what we do, where and why. The consultation we undertook demonstrated that many people who had benefited directly from our support only knew us for that one thing and didn’t appreciate the history behind the organisation. Many people didn’t realise the deep rootedness of the organisation in the co-operative movement and the social economy. They perhaps weren’t aware of the depth of business support we provide and to the breadth of business models throughout the UK. We found too that many weren’t aware of the relationships we have with governments, funders and policymakers to represent members.

“I’m immensely proud of all this work that Plunkett does today. I hope the new modern take on our brand reflects this, and the ambition and confidence we have to tackle rural inequities and to bring about the changes that make up innovative, impactful and inclusive rural communities. I also hope our members feel this refreshed look reflects their contribution to the movement and that they are proud to belong to it.”

We are grateful to brand agency PANDA, one of our recommended membership suppliers, for partnering us on the brand refresh.

James Alcock, Plunkett UK’s CEO, visiting a community-owned shop in Devon last week

Join the movement: Become a member today

Why not join over 600 individuals, community businesses and corporate partners and become a member of Plunkett UK? Your membership, which for individuals’ costs just £20 per year, will support our ambition to grow the community ownership movement across the nation.

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