Become a member
About membership
Membership is the cornerstone of our work at Plunkett UK. The strength of our network of community business members, partners and supporters cannot be underestimated – without our members, we would not be able to represent the interests of rural communities and champion community ownership across the UK with the media, funders, policy makers, and other stakeholders.
Community Business membership
We’ve been the voice of rural community business since 1919, and we know that establishing and running a community business can bring a wide range of benefits for communities, but it can also bring challenges. Designed specifically for community businesses, this membership ensures your business is part of a national network, providing access to enhanced information, advice and support (whether that’s from the Plunkett UK’s specialist advisers or from other community businesses). It enables you to collaborate in the market place for better deals, and it helps you to reduce running costs. We also actively encourage our members to help us develop our services to make sure we’re continuing to meet the needs of the sector.
As a Community Business member you will receive:
- Enhanced support: Get priority access to support from our network of expert advisors on all aspects of running your community business. Book a free annual health check for your community business to identify areas of opportunity for growth. You will also benefit from a discount on Plunkett’s Model Rules service when you establish as a Community Benefit Society, or if you are an existing CBS, members can update Model Rules free of charge.
- Resources and information: Log in to the Plunkett Member Hub to access our extensive library of member exclusive resources and webinar recordings of training sessions on a wide variety of topics.
- Network: Share knowledge and experience with others in the community business sector through our networking groups. Find the right products and services with our directory of recommended suppliers. Get help with your project from Plunkett’s partners through our Corporate Volunteering Programme.
- Events, webinars and training: Hear from the experts at a variety of training hub events both online and across the UK, which offer advice, practical support, training and networking opportunities. You will benefit from free access to our programme of webinars as well as reduced ticket prices on the Plunkett community business conference and training workshops.
- Influence: Access the latest research and publications before anyone else. Shape the charity’s views and work, gain a national platform, and help us to influence the future of the rural community business sector together, by contributing to our policy work, research, or applying to be part of the Community Business Membership Panel
- News: Stay up to date with events, supplier offers and funding opportunities with our monthly Members’ Update newsletter as well as the latest news from the world of community business.
Celebrations with the team at Invermoriston Community Shop. Photograph by Iain Ferguson, The Write Image
Community Business Membership fee:
- £225 + VAT annually
OR
- £18.75 + VAT monthly
Choose to pay by Direct Debit, BACS or card
If you have any questions about membership, please call us on +44 (0)1993 630022 or email membership@plunkett.co.uk
Supporter membership
Supporter membership is for any individual or organisation that shares Plunkett’s values and wants to help us to help community businesses. Community is important to us all. Community businesses are a way of helping rural communities to thrive – they bring people together to achieve so much more than might seem possible alone. As a supporter, your membership contributes directly to the advice and practical help we have provided to rural communities for more than 100 years, as well as helping us to strengthen the rural voice in national policy. Members like you ensure that we can continue to offer support, guidance and advocacy to communities to help them to take control of their challenges and overcome them together.
As a Supporter member you will receive:
- Access to Plunkett webinars and networking opportunities – including voting rights at our Annual General Meeting – and discounts on membership events and training courses.
- Member alerts to keep you up to date on Plunkett’s news. When something important happens that will affect our work, rural communities and the community ownership sector, you’ll be the first to know
- Member specific notifications of Plunkett’s publications, consultations and reports
- Access to a Google maps list of community businesses, so you can support local businesses, wherever you are
Supporter Membership fee:
Individual Supporters
- £22.50 per year
Supporter Organisations
- £225 + VAT per year
If you have any questions about membership, please call us on +44 (0)1993 630022 or email membership@plunkett.co.uk
