Rural Community Business Awards 2025
Plunkett’s annual Rural Community Business Awards returns for another year!
We’re celebrating the outstanding achievements of our community business members, and the dedicated and inspiring individuals behind their success.
The 2025 Rural Community Business Awards, sponsored by Lands Improvement, take place on Thursday 3 July at the Royal Society of Chemistry in London.
The finalists have now been announced for this year’s awards on 3 July. You can read about finalists in all nine categories by going to the sections below.
Connecting the Community Award
Sponsored by:
This category celebrates how community businesses go the extra mile to create safe and welcoming spaces. Whether it’s hosting ‘knit and chat’ or walking groups, or perhaps holding homework clubs or intergenerational gatherings, there are many ways in which they connect their community.
Find out about our three finalists:
The George is the hub of the village and a regular meeting place for many people. This includes those that live alone and want to meet others, those working from home for a change of scenery, families to share occasions, local businesses to meet for a business lunch or a drink after work, and those walking their dogs and want to drop in for a coffee and a dog biscuit.
Regular clubs are popular and constantly growing, such as a weekly Knit and Natter group, a Chatty Café and a fortnightly board games night, bringing the community together to combat loneliness and create a sense of belonging. It also a regular meeting place for the bowls and tennis, art, gardening, book and bellringers clubs. People can feed back comments on social media, in a suggestion box, through monthly emailed newsletters and in person. There is an ongoing dialogue with other village organisations to ensure that events and activities dovetail with their initiatives.
The Maybush Inn is a safe and welcoming space for residents and those from neighbouring villages to celebrate life and to support each other at times of need. It hosts community meetings, club gatherings, special interest groups and social events including a Gardening Club, Knit ‘N Natter, Poems and Pints, a Book Swap facility and even a leek-growing competition!
Due to the welcoming, caring atmosphere, everyone feels at home; it feels like an extension of people’s front rooms. They rely on and trust each other which makes asking for help easier. More than £13,000 has been fundraised for local groups and other charities, which have supported many people whose lives have improved due to the generosity of the local community. There is a rapidly growing ‘Lovely Maybush Ladies’ group which organises events in the pub and a group of local older gentlemen meet in the snug on a weekly basis to chat about the world and his dog.
This community pub is the only facility in the village. Each month, around 50 people attend a 4Cs coffee morning with free hot drinks and cake, and transport for anyone who needs one to get out. A widow who comes said, “I feel connected again” and two friends were reconnected after 50 years at the event. Children from the local primary school sing at ‘4Cs at Christmas’. All bands throughout the year have been free, and anyone can perform at the open mic night. The pub has organised community litter picks and is the information first aid point, with community CPR training planned.
There is also a community art wall where local artists can display their work and a community room that can be used as home office, meeting space and is free for not-for-profit hire for those such as the climbers group. The pub footfall has increased by 20% in the last year, making the business secure.
Investing in Local People Award
Sponsored by:
This category acknowledges how community businesses are investing in local people through the creation of employment, training and volunteering roles. For many people living in rural areas, accessing mainstream work is difficult, but community businesses are well positioned to provide a range of opportunities that build confidence and skills, and so empower people to expand their career in the future.
Our three finalists are:
This community shop, cafe and heritage centre opened in June 2024 after a year of hard work by local company’s professionals and volunteers to transform the disused Methodist Chapel. Since opening, 15 local people are working shifts in the shop and cafe, aged from 16 to 70, including students employed casually during university holidays. A volunteer building team overseas maintenance; these generally retired people benefit from the camaraderie of teamwork. There is also a community garden with wheelchair accessible raised beds.
A Digital Hub is used by volunteers to access online training modules for topics such as safeguarding, manual handling and health and safety. The plan is to offer the hub to the community so they can access beginner IT courses and more. The community business supports volunteers from other village organisations too – for example to gain Food Hygiene qualifications so that there are trained volunteers helping with village fundraisings BBQs. The Old Chapel is committed to upskilling the local population.
This community-owned development trust operates the GALE Centre, opening 364 days a year. The recent purchase of the Shieling has started a community pub, zero-waste refinery and monthly community bake stall. The business’ community wealth-building model engages 100 local businesses to meet visitor needs, serving as a best practice example for regenerative tourism in rural development. Supporting local artists and craftsmen is also a priority, with products sold in the gift shop and homemade baking in the cafe.
Over 5% of the local population benefits financially from GALE’s efforts, with over £350,000 per annum injected into the local economy. Any trading surplus is reinvested in community initiatives, like a befriending project with Highland Hospice and a community growing project for fresh produce. During the last two winters, GALE has offered a warm bank and a pay-what-you-can cafe to help those struggling with the cost of living. This initiative ensures that no-one misses out on companionship due to financial constraints.
The most direct way this community shop invests in local people is by giving them paid work. This includes Paid Young People (PYPs) who learn new skills, such as recognising weird vegetables, EPOS, barista and serving customers – all great CV material. One PYP is on the autism spectrum and couldn’t drive or cycle, but experience at the shop allowed him to secure a full-time job at a privately-owned local cafe and delicatessen within walking distance of home.
The shop buys local products including organic vegetables, cakes, eggs, ready to cook meals and meats. Since 2020, it has returned over £40,000 from surplus to local causes. From this, the children at the primary school now have a new library, railings and fencing. The church has funds towards its greening scheme. The village hall is now equipped with state-of-the-art equipment for a Film Club allowing people to enjoy movies and National Theatre productions from the comfort of their own village.
Going Green Award
Sponsored by:
This category celebrates how community businesses are striving to lessen their impact on the environment. Across the country, they’re finding innovative ways to reduce their environmental impact, from installing recycling points and EV charging stations to offering refill services that cut down on waste.
According to our latest Impact Report, an impressive 96% of community businesses took some form of climate action last year.
Find out how our three finalists are going green:
This community shop has been reducing its reliance on fossil fuel electricity from the grid, initially by replacing old lighting with LEDs, changing tariffs to 100% renewable supply, and generally reducing usage. Through fundraising, and with Plunkett’s guidance, the shop has plans for purchasing solar panels, a battery system, new fridge and freezer appliances and air conditioning units, which will reduce the electricity demand from the grid by 60-80% over the next 12 months. An application for an EV charging station grant has so far been unsuccessful, but the committee will continue to pursue this option.
Other ongoing green initiatives include the recycling of paper and soft plastic waste by partnering with WH Smith, and reducing food waste via South West Sandwich Company who donate products to local food banks.
This community-owned pub has been acting on environmental matters in a number of ways. Through a partnership with a local park, it has taken wood from fallen trees for use in the bar’s wood burner. Solar panels have generated 9,356kwh, resulting in an estimated cost saving of just under £5,500 since being installed in 2023. Electric vehicle chargers in the car park have been used over 320 times since being installed four years ago.
The field at the rear at the pub is used to plant trees, fruit bushes and wildflowers, which increases biodiversity. Raised beds grow fruit and vegetables for use in the restaurant and by members of the community. Local produce is used for the pub and restaurant and real ales are supplied by two local breweries within 20 miles. The restaurant collects its waste cooking oil for recycling.
Located in a very remote location, the community-owned pub has recently installed a 1km long pipe to access the mains sewerage. Not needing to empty tanks is a carbon saving initiative. It is now considering a Glass Crusher machine which can be highly profitable and offers numerous environmental benefits such as repurposing tons of glass. The pub has installed 86 solar panels, with more planned, and has a cold room which means there are no fridges needed on site – again a carbon saving.
The pub has a decarbonisation plan, which is useful when applying for grants and to see progress. This plan was shared at Plunkett’s conference last year to show other groups what they could do. A travel plan encourages people to walk, bike and come by river, resulting in less traffic through the village. The main outcome is getting towards net zero goals and to save money.
Keeping it Local Award
Sponsored by:
This category celebrates how community businesses are supporting the local economy by utilising local supplies and services. They do this in many different ways, from stocking a wide range of local producers, being committed to using local trade or craft persons, supporting local food services, and much more.
Find out how our three finalists are going local:
This community shop uses local businesses, products and suppliers wherever possible – from coffee beans in the cafe to bread rolls on the shelf. Where there is a new idea, it always researches for local alternatives as a priority.
Cards and postcards are from local artist and eggs are from another local supplier. The flowers sold in the shop come from a village mum, who uses a field behind her house to grow her flowers, and her business is now taking off. A weekly tray-bake delivery is from a local villager who now has now moved to a larger kitchen. Another mum in the village started to make and sell her own specialty breads and, by the shop marketing these, she was able to expand and now supplies further afield. Through great supplier relationships, the cost of pantry staples is kept low.
Local tradespeople and craftspeople were central to restoring the pub in 2024, ensuring the investment stays within the community. The new bar top was made from a local ash tree. Rather than competing with existing food providers, the Radnor Arms collaborates with local pop-up caterers, creating space for small food businesses to thrive. The pub serves local ales and has worked with a local brewery to produce its own guest ale. It stocks local Welsh Brew Tea and cakes are from a shop down the road. There are plans to sell wine from a new vineyard in the village.
A developing network with nearby businesses aims to mutually promote local restaurants and accommodation, creating a co-operative rather than competitive rural economy. Farmers also benefit through networking opportunities at the pub, fostering stronger local ties. With Friday openings starting at 3pm, the pub now serves as a welcoming after-school meeting point for families and their teachers too!
This community-owned shop provides space for ‘Winster Corner’, an area within the shop where local authors, artists and artisans can display and offer for sale their work providing them with a valuable outlet for their endeavours. Twice a year, the shop invites local suppliers, many of whom are start-ups, to attend a tasting evening where the suppliers offer the community a chance to try samples of their products. If the response is positive, the committee will agree to stock the products in the shop. The group already work with local breweries and have just started a partnership with a new microbrewery.
The development of the shop website (provided by another local supplier) allows further accessibility to the shop’s products. Winster residents can open accounts with the shop to be settled on a monthly basis which makes for easy, hassle-free and cash-free transactions. The shop supports local tradespeople when work is required.
The ‘More Than’ Award
The ‘More Than’ Award showcases how community businesses offer a diverse range of services and amenities for local people. Whether it’s a community pub that also runs a shop or Post Office, or a village store that doubles as a co-working space, these businesses are so much more than they first appear.
Discover how our three finalists are delivering more than just a service:
The shop organises several community-focused activities include fetes, open days, theatre lunches, bacon bap mornings, and charity fashion shows. These have drawn consistent participation, nurturing strong village ties and fostering lasting relationships – as well as significantly increasing shop footfall and strengthening local loyalty. A highlight was the Victorian-themed Christmas Fayre, where all generations actively participating. By regularly extending opening hours to coincide with village events, services are more accessible to villagers and visitors alike.
Beyond social engagement, the shop provides meaningful support during challenging times. When two local children faced serious health conditions, its dedicated fundraising through events like the charity fashion show directly supported their families. The shop proactively supports residents who may struggle to visit physically through an informal phone-order and home-delivery service. At the other end of the age spectrum, it hosts educational visits from the local primary school and Brownie pack to help children develop practical shopping skills and budgeting experience.
This community pub is the only facility in the village. Each month, around 50 people attend a 4Cs coffee morning with free hot drinks and cake, and transport for anyone who needs one to get out. A widow who comes said, “I feel connected again” and two friends were reconnected after 50 years at the event. Children from the local primary school sing at 4Cs at Christmas. All bands throughout the year have been free, and anyone can perform at the open mic night. The pub has organised community litter picks and is the information first aid point, with community CPR training planned.
There is also a community art wall where local artists can display their work and a community room that can be used as home office, meeting space and is free for not-for-profit hire for groups such as the climbers group. The pub footfall has increased by 20% in the last year, making the business secure.
This community-owned development trust has two sites – the GALE Centre and The Shieling – and, across both, it offers a wide range of services that bring employment and a resilience to the community. These include: an independent visitor information centre community café, gift shop, a zero-waste refillery, a community pub, a growing beds community hub an accredited volunteer programme, a befriending service, everyday basic IT workshops, seed swap and monthly community bake stall.
It works with over 100 local businesses in the area, promoting their holiday accommodation, eateries and activity offerings to visitors, selling their art, craft and croft produce in the gift shop, and selling their home-made cakes in the community cafe and monthly bake stall. During the last two winters, GALE has offered a warm bank and a pay-what-you-can cafe to help those struggling with the cost of living. This initiative ensures that no-one misses out on companionship due to financial constraints.
The ‘One to Watch’ Award
Sponsored by:
This category celebrates the community groups who don’t yet have an open and trading community business but are on the way to creating a thriving and inclusive community space.
Find out more about our three finalists:
Damaged by fire in 2013 and the last remaining pub in the village, The George failed a property developer’s planning application, and a Community Benefit Society was formed in 2016. Around £2.5m has been raised to restore and rebuild the pub, including Community Shares, attracting 470 shareholders, the Community Ownership Fund, and The National Lottery Heritage Fund. As a 16th Century Grade II-listed pub, the project has secured the survival of many historically significant structural elements, incorporating them sympathetically into a new structure. Over 50 volunteers have taken part with more than 10,000 volunteer hours spent to date.
When open, The George plans to provide about 18 jobs for the local community. Restoration of the building allows the first floor to be an activity space, not previously available to the public. This space will be used for activities to help with issues such as social isolation and mental health, ranging from a dementia café to Pilates for Parkinson’s sufferers and from an Art Exhibition to Argentine Tango lessons! Training in disability, hearing, visual and dementia awareness is being given to volunteers to aid inclusivity.
In less than a year, the Ickleton Lion went from an ambitious idea to a community pub on the verge of reopening. What began as a small group of residents quickly became a fully incorporated Community Benefit Society. Undeterred even when the Community Ownership Fund withdrew support early on, within just 10 weeks of launching the share offer, 415 members invested an incredible £441,000.
The team has tackled major challenges, powered by over 100 passionate volunteers of all ages. A ‘Window Warriors’ group has dedicated over 60 full days to restoring the pub’s historic windows, sharing their skills in the process. They have now turned to rebuilding the bar itself. Others have donated plants from their gardens with one long-time resident saying that, “a little bit of her will bloom in the pub garden forever”. There is a desire to create a place where everyone feels welcome. For instance, a local wheelchair user has helped carry out a disability audit to identify areas for immediate improvements, and the pub aims to introduce quieter hours for neurodiverse customers.
With Langton Herring’s pub closed since 2013, a steering group was set up in 2024 to explore community ownership. After an inaugural meeting in September last year, the Friends of The Elm Tree Inn group was formed. The historical significance of the village and the pub (including links with smugglers, spies, Churchill and Barnes Wallace’s bouncing bomb) was promoted, and the campaign caught the eye of local and national media. Visitors to Langton Herring declined whilst the pub was closed. With no shop or bus service, reopening the pub to make it a thriving and inclusive place is crucial.
The group brought in the help of local volunteers’ special skills such as IT, social media, management expertise and advertising and a total of £260,000 raised in less than three weeks. A younger resident produced videos for TikTok and Instagram, which have been viewed several million times! Donations via Crowdfunder from social media alone have totalled £120,000 and have come from Azerbaijan to Australia, Brazil to Bridport, California to Chickerell, Ukraine to Upwey, and all points in between.
The Nina Foskett Award for Team Spirit
This special award is in memory of our colleague Nina, who was a shining example of teamwork and encouragement, always ready to lend a hand and support others. Through this award, we celebrate the same spirit of collaboration and encouragement that shines through in community businesses across the country. It recognises the collective effort, mutual support, and shared purpose that bring these businesses to life.
Find out how our finalists embody this same spirit:
This community shop is all about efficient and effective teamwork. It is busy, chatty and fun hub of energy – and the focal point of the village. The shop has nearly 30 volunteers. EarIy birds prefer the opening shift, others give up their lunchtimes, and others take the responsibility of the last shift, closing up, cleaning the coffee machine and cashing up. Rosie runs this team plus the fabulous team of Paid Young People. Everyone has to be flexible and people willingly swap shifts or drop what they are doing to help out.
The shop has built a loyal customer base with regular shopping and café customers from surrounding villages and further afield. It has become a destination cafe for many groups of cyclists and vintage car owners from many locations. They know they will get great service with a smile from all the team, possibly a chat, certainly delicious drinks and food, and definitely great products.
The community pub’s management team has complementary professional skills and experience. Toby, chair, uses his negotiating skills daily. Ian is the financial wizard. Liz’s strengths are HR and community involvement. Steve, Gary and Glyn understand buildings, Gary has great musical contacts for events. Peter uses his professional media skills. Jane leads on funding applications and Tim is a logistics expert.
In March 2025, a devastating fire destroyed The National Trust Cottages opposite the pub. Members of the team dialled 999, ensured the residents were safe and supported, and liaising with the church and the National Trust, helped to rescue and store as much as possible of their possessions. Ian and Toby worked all night with the landlord to provide tea and respite for the fire crews. Residents were accommodated in the Drewe’s Bunk Rooms until more permanent shelter could be found. Many gathered in the pub with musicians the next night while the fire crews still worked.
Whilst the management committee have steered the community pub project, it’s the wider Ickleton community that has really kept everyone going and turned this dream into reality. People of all ages and backgrounds have stepped forward, bringing every skill imaginable – fundraising, legal support, publicity, admin, project management, plumbing, electrics, carpentry, interior and garden design, IT – together with loads of elbow grease! The strength of the team has shone through: if one person felt like giving up, others have rallied around (and brought cake) to lift spirits and push them forward.
The renovation of the pub garden has been a real highlight: young couples with no gardening experience have joined in to learn from those with years of expertise. The group has debated, disagreed, and challenged each other, but always with one goal: doing what’s best for the pub and the community. And they have celebrated every win, big or small, with real joy. They can’t wait to pull that first pint!
Young Person Award
Sponsored by:
This award acknowledges the young people aged 15 to 25 who are helping to make a difference in their community-owned business. Their energy is infectious, and their willingness to step up in times of need makes them invaluable to their community business.
Find out about our three finalists:
Luca has been involved with the shop and café since it first opened. From a young age with his mum, he helped set up and run the shop. He started with simple tasks and errands and then, from the age of 12, he started volunteering. He then became a paid employee, preparing food and serving.
He has a busy school life but he always has time to help support the shop and café. Having someone as reliable, consistent and capable as Luca makes a huge difference to a small enterprise. He even set up the Zettle till! He runs every aspect of the film night. The technology failed recently, but he calmly worked on a solution. Having this regular event in a rural village is a fantastic offering and it is always well attended. Without Luca, it probably wouldn’t happen.
Luca shines because he is a natural with people; he is open and engaging. He is an exemplary role-model to the young volunteers and workers.
Aged 15, Archie played an active role in the Big Helpouts to strip the chapel ahead of building works. He also helped with newsletter distribution. He was one of the first volunteers to sign up to help in the shop once it opened and got his food safety certificate so that he could make sandwiches and vac-pack goods. He also helps with date checking and shelf stocking on a regular basis, even now his DoE is completed. He also plays an active role in deep cleans, stepping in to lead the task and ensure that every area has been tackled.
Last November he decided to organise East Boldre’s first ever Christmas show. Over 50 entrants participated in this very popular event baking mince pies and Christmas cakes, knitting hats and making wreaths, and Archie raised over £1,000 to benefit the local hospice. He has also worked as part of the heritage project team – cleaning gravestones and presenting at community open days.
Felix initially joined for his Duke of Edinburgh Award. He fitted in quickly and showed a good work ethic, with great interpersonal skills and a willingness to learn. At the end of his placement, he was offered a paid weekend position.
Over the last four years, he has developed in confidence. He effortlessly meets customers’ needs whilst also carrying out the little jobs that need doing to keep a place working well – he can do this without needing to be directed, with great initiative. He remains calm and polite under pressure and uses quieter moments to give isolated customers his time and attention.
When Felix turned 18, he was invited to become a daily manager and he readily accepted the challenge, taking on the busiest shift of the week – a Saturday morning! He not only manages large numbers of shop and café customers but also supports younger team members. Felix is a kind, supportive and encouraging leader.
Community Contribution Award
This award celebrates the incredible individuals behind community businesses who consistently go the extra mile. These champions go above and beyond for their communities; whether they’re keeping the business running or launching new initiatives that bring people together.
Find out more about our three finalists:
Rosie is secretary to the shop committee, but she does much more than take notes and write minutes. She manages the weekly rota, cajoling volunteers to see they have time to do just a little more than they thought. She uses her background in finance to think creatively about how the shop is managed.
But perhaps the biggest thing she does is engage with the young people in the village, encouraging some to do their Duke of Edinburgh volunteering in the shop and others simply to learn some skills that will be helpful in the future. Under her mentoring, she helps the shy and anxious become confident, competent and valuable helpers.
She introduced the paid-teenager scheme which gives them some pocket money and the shop a pool of labour for hard-to-fill shifts. As one young person she helped says, “she created a safe space for me to learn how to grow… she has become not just a mentor, she is also a friend.”
Celia was at the forefront of fundraising and establishing the shop in 2010 – and she remains a champion for the shop 15 years on.
She comes into the shop most days to support staff and volunteers and to deal with office matters. She maintains the rota for over 40 volunteers and recruits new volunteers and post office workers from the local community.
Celia initiated an afternoon to bring paid workers and volunteers together to get to know each other and share experiences. She addresses individual needs of volunteers giving them appropriate jobs and encourages team belonging. She has provided work experience for young people, some with special needs, with wonderful results.
Celia chairs the management committee, bringing enthusiasm and new ideas. She writes a piece about the shop in the village bi-monthly magazine and supports advertising new products on Facebook. She supports local suppliers to sell products in the shop. Celia’s ongoing work has a huge beneficial impact on the whole village.
When a fire in June 2023 resulted in the full closure of Brockweir Community Shop and Café for a period of 18 months, Tony was an essential help. A retiring architect, he joined the committee just one month prior to the fire. He stepped up immediately to lead on the complicated and extensive rebuild necessary under the auspices of the insurance company.
He brought ideas for improvements to the committee to consider and took full responsibility for appointing contractors, a project manager and, thereafter, liaised with them all on a daily basis. This included times when he was on holiday, ill and managing his own house improvement project.
Without Tony’s unstinting dedication and commitment, there is no doubt that the reinstatement of the building would have cost a lot more and taken considerably longer. He remained calm and determined throughout. The layout and finish he has created has proved a real hit and created a sustainable building to support the thriving business well into the future.
Hear more about last year’s Awards from four of our winners:
Hear from the Cwmdu Inn Shop and Post Office, winners of the Connecting the Community Award at the Rural Community Business Awards 2024. Anika explains what winning this award means to them!
Meet Naomi Dunbar from Newton Stewart Initiative, the proud winner of the Young Person Award at the 2024 Rural Community Business Awards.
Watch Sue from Bathford Village Shop & Café, the proud winners of the ‘More Than’ Award at last month’s Rural Community Business Awards!
Hear from the winners of The One to Watch Award at the Rural Community Business Awards 2024. Kate and Hugo from The Golden Lion at Ashton Hayes explains what winning this award means to them!
Thank you to our sponsors of this year’s Rural Community Business Awards
