Plunkett UK has been awarded a multi-year grant from The Linbury Trust towards our community business service, which helps all forms of rural community-owned business at all stages of setting up and running, throughout the UK.
The funding secured over the next three years will support Plunkett to safeguard this service and respond to a growing demand of communities seeking support, and ultimately achieve a growth in the total number of community businesses trading, and enhance their impact on local communities.
Plunkett is proud to have supported the creation of almost 850 community-owned businesses, but there are over 12,000 other settlements throughout the UK which experience often-hidden poverty, service deprivation, and other aspects of disadvantage on account of their rurality.
With support from The Linbury Trust, Plunkett will continue to operate its national advice line, which typically handles over 750 enquiries each year, and provide critical advice and training to communities setting up or running community-owned businesses.
James Alcock, Plunkett’s Chief Executive, says:
“We are thankful to The Linbury Trust for their support and delighted to have secured this substantial funding. First-and-foremost it will enable us to continue our high-quality, specialist business support for rural communities that are setting-up and running a wide range of businesses in community ownership.
“In partnership with The Linbury Trust, we can go even further in making a tangible difference for over-looked rural communities, accelerating growth in areas of financial and service deprivation. We will be supporting community businesses to focus on being equitable and inclusive, reflecting communities around them; how to consider their environmental impact; and scaling up a wider range of community-owned businesses beyond shops and pubs.”
The Linbury Trust is a UK-based grant-making foundation and part of the wider Sainsbury Family Trust network.
Stuart Hobley, Director at The Linbury Trust, says,
“From village shops to farmer’s markets, community-owned businesses are central to rural life, supporting both local economies and local people. This funding will help Plunkett UK will help community businesses to grow and thrive.
“We are pleased to be able to support this valuable work and very much look forward to hearing more in the months ahead.”
Volunteers at Bishop Wilton Community Shop & Cafe, Yorkshire
Plunkett has been successfully promoting the community-ownership model for over 100 years and is the only organisation which solely supports rural community-owned businesses UK-wide.
Research has evidenced the likelihood of a start-up community business reaching trading stage increasing from 1 in 10 to 1 in 3 with Plunkett’s support.
Those we have supported to open have a remarkable long-term impact, including a five-year survival rate of 99% and a 20-year survival rate of 94%.
