As 2024 draws to a close, we want to express our gratitude to our corporate partners and funders for their support
It has been another incredible year for the community business sector. Thanks to the generosity of our partners, we have supported the opening of 26 new community-owned businesses and provided over 4,600 hours of free support to communities across the UK.
It is estimated that 1.1 million people across the UK benefit from having a community-owned business in their area. Especially at Christmas, when feelings of isolation and loneliness can be high, community businesses offer a space where people feel they belong.
All of our partners’ support has been invaluable, not only bolstering our core business services but also enabling us to host fundraising events, award ceremonies, report launches, the National Community Business Conference and more. In this blog, we highlight some of the events that took place this year thanks to our partners, and extend our thanks to every organisation that has supported us!
In October, we celebrated the spirit of community-owned businesses at our Rural Community Business Awards, generously sponsored by Bestway Wholesale.
It was an inspiring evening, highlighting the remarkable achievements of community businesses and the dedicated individuals behind them. We were thrilled to honour eight winners from across the UK.
“It is a pleasure to partner with Plunkett UK and the wider community business sector, not just for this special event, but throughout the year. Rural communities across the country are now thriving thanks to the impact of businesses owned by local people. It was an honour to pay tribute to the resilience and strength of these communities.”
Mindy Mondair, Head of Marketing, Bestway Wholesale.
This was made possible thanks to the individual award sponsors:
On the same day, partners, suppliers and community businesses all joined together for a time of learning and networking at our National Community Business Conference. This year, it was the only Business Conference dedicated to community businesses in the UK, and this was made possible thanks to headline sponsor, Webmart.
The day included an opportunity for those to hear from expert speakers in the panel sessions, workshops facilitated by specialist advisers and a market place available to network with others and meet a range of community business suppliers. Thank you to Utility Aid, Charity Bank, Suma Wholefoods, and Anthony Collins Solicitors LLP who all sponsored a panel and their representatives who spoke!
“We are proud to have partnered with Plunkett UK, we know the good they are doing as a charity in delivering better business for people, communities, the economy, and the environment, and are delighted to be supporting them in sponsoring the National Community Business Conference.”
Tom Maskill, Chief Client Officer, Webmart.
Raising money for our cause
In September, a dedicated team of ten colleagues from Central Co-op took on the National Three Peaks Challenge, completing it in just 25 hours. Their incredible effort raised over £6,500!
In early October, we hosted a Charity Auction at Cokethorpe School near Witney, Oxfordshire, generously sponsored by Wise Investment. We welcomed 80 guests to celebrate the remarkable work being done to aid rural communities. The event raised over £14,000.
We have also received generous donations from Saga, Evenlode Investment, Diageo, and the B4 Network for hosting a pub quiz night in March! These donations, along with all fundraising support, are instrumental in advancing our mission to help community businesses create and sustain vital hubs for their communities.
Support with Plunkett Reports
We were proud to partner with Thakeham in hosting our ‘Community Ownership: A Better form of Business Report’ launch event at the House of Lords. Delegates gathered in a remarkable location next to the River Thames, where we learned how community-owned businesses are growing in number and remain a robust, sustainable model according to the report’s research.
We are thankful to Thakeham for our continued partnership in pioneering a new approach to incorporating community-owned businesses within new housing developments. This proactive creation of new businesses could be transformative for future sector growth, becoming a powerful resource to support local integration and promote inclusivity in new communities.
In April, we published our Impact Report, which highlighted the profound impact of community ownership and showed the largest growth in the number of community-owned businesses since the pandemic.
Generously sponsored by Blenheim, its Chief Executive Officer, Dominic Hare, said: “We encourage community business leaders to make the most of the valuable advice and support available through Plunkett, and to seek Plunkett’s help every step of the way. We know Plunkett will continue to support new and existing businesses to navigate challenges, while advocating for better support for the sector.”
It would not have been possible to achieve what we have over the last twelve months without the kindness and generosity of individuals and organisations, and are looking forward to continuing our partnerships and making new ones in the New Year!
We are immensely grateful to all our partners for their ongoing support. Click the button below to learn more about them.
Get in touch!
If your company believes in the power of communities and would like to explore ways in which you could get involved with the work of Plunkett, please do get in touch with us by:
Emailing: Gemma.Sills@plunkett.co.uk
Calling: 01993 630022.
