The independent trust is promoting community shares as a festive gift ‘for family or friends who don’t want more stuff but who do want to make the places they live better’
Local people are building their own affordable homes, capturing their own energy, and re-opening abandoned libraries.
All of this is possible thanks to people buying community shares – and independent trust Power to Change is suggesting that these shares would be perfect in a Christmas stocking or Secret Santa near you.
Community shares are shares bought in a local business, run by local people for the good of the local area. The incentive is not a financial return – although there may be one – but the social impact achieved through the money raised.
And it is a growing market. Almost 120,000 people have invested over £100m in community shares since 2009, supporting 350 UK community businesses.
Charlotte Cassedanne of Power to Change said:
‘Like all shares, there are no guarantees of how your investment will perform, but then the reward is primarily about the social impact, not the financial returns. It is a chance to support a fantastic business offering local services on your doorstep’.
You can read Charlotte’s full blog here, including the story of the community shares offer at Sutton Community Farm in South London. Sutton Community Farm produced 13 tonnes of food last year, making it London’s most productive community farm.