A major new support and finance programme to help people take control of their local pub for the benefit of the community has been announced today (Wednesday 9 March 2016) by Community Pubs Minister Marcus Jones MP.
A new report from the Power to Change Research Institute shows that the number of community businesses in England grew by 9% in the last year. This significant increase takes the number of community businesses from 5,035 in 2014 to 5,650 in 2015.
A new round of grant funding designed to help community businesses thrive is to be managed by County Durham’s experienced business service provider, BE Group.
Power to Change is one year old today and with a strategy for 2016-2018 under our belt, we have clarified not just our ambitions and activities but also the kind of funding organisation we want to be: one that unleashes community business potential.
Power to Change, the independent charitable trust endowed with £150 million from the Big Lottery Fund to grow community business across England, has named Stephen Howard as its new chair. He will take over from Acting Chair, Carla Stent, who will continue to serve the trust as Vice Chair.
A new report from Social Finance has revealed new findings about the current state and scope of the community business sector.
It’s been a busy year for Power to Change and a busy year for community business. The sector is growing and the year ended with community business in the national spotlight as Assemble won the Turner Prize for its work with Granby Streets, a community-led housing and regeneration initiative in the Toxteth area of Liverpool.
It’s been a busy year for Power to Change and a busy year for community business. The sector is growing and the year ended with community business in the national spotlight as Assemble won the Turner Prize for its work with Granby 4 Streets, a community-led housing and regeneration initiative in the Toxteth area of Liverpool.
Regeneration, local pride and preserving a sense of place are just some of the aims community business and heritage buildings have in common that attendees of the Industrial Heritage 2015 conference are discussing today and tomorrow.
Regeneration, local pride and preserving a sense of place are just some of the aims community business and heritage buildings have in common that attendees of the Industrial Heritage 2015 conference are discussing today and tomorrow.
And so, as the dust settles in the debating chamber of the House of Commons, the hard work begins, analysing the detail of today’s Spending Review and Autumn Statement.
And so, as the dust settles in the debating chamber of the House of Commons, the hard work begins, analysing the detail of today’s Spending Review and Autumn Statement.
Power to Change’s Initial Grants Programme closed last week, with a promising pipeline of more than 700 applications to assess. It opened in May this year, specifically designed to help existing community businesses in a position to significantly progress towards long term sustainability within six months.
There’s never enough time in the day when you’re running a community business. But it’s important to make time to engage with your local community to deliver goods or services local people actually need and want.
Last week we were in Camberwell in South London for our first workshop for community businesses to support them in their growth.
A community centre in a Rotherham church, an arts centre in an East Anglian Grade II listed hall and a village shop in rural Cumbria – these are the three community businesses that received funding in September through Power to Change’s Initial Grants Programme (IGP).
Since launching the Initial Grants Programme in May, we are proud to have committed over £3.75 million in funding to community businesses across England and to be on course to meet our target of £9 million by the end of the year.
Bamford Community Society was set up in 2011, when 300 members of the rural Bamford community clubbed together to buy their local pub to prevent its closure.
We are delighted to have completed the recruitment of our community business panel.
Vidhya Alakeson, CEO at the Power to Change, reflects on the recent budget and what it means for our communities.
Bob Thust, our Director of Community Business Programmes, highlights a Telegraph article about people in the Yorkshire town of Otley, who have successfully listed all 19 of the town’s pubs as assets of community value (ACVs), giving them protection at a time when 29 are closing each week across the country.
The Power to Change was established in response to the decline of high streets and the retreat of the public sector.
The Power to Change is a brand new charitable trust, set up to support community businesses across England.
The Big Lottery Fund has today awarded a £150m endowment to Power to Change, a new independent grant-making foundation that will champion community businesses across England.