Members of Somerset Wood Recycling help move wood into their new premises. A green enterprise that provides opportunities for disadvantaged people has moved into larger premises which it plans to develop as a new ‘social enterprise hub’ in North Somerset. We provided a loan to Somerset Wood Recycling to cover the costs of moving in […]

A social enterprise in south east Cornwall is moving forward with plans to renovate an old bank to create an enterprise hub, after receiving a loan from Co-operative & Community Finance. Point Europa, a membership organisation with charitable status, provides job advice, training, and support in the isolated rural areas of the Rame Peninsula, including […]

A community village shop in Herefordshire is moving forward with plans to build bigger premises thanks to financial assistance from Co-operative & Community Finance. Whitbourne Village Community Shop, near Worcester, is currently renting a lean-to on the side of a pub and only has a very small 12 square metres sales area. The plan is […]

A purpose built community shop opened in Milland, West Sussex in December after receiving a loan from Co-operative & Community Finance to assist with building works. The Milland Community Shop was opened following a survey in June 2010 which showed that about half of the 1000 local residents would use a community shop two or […]

A social enterprise in Oxfordshire aims to increase the amount of wood being reused and recycled rather than being sent to landfill sites, following a loan for equipment purchases and working capital from Co-operative & Community Finance. Oxford Wood Recycling operates a waste wood collection service from an industrial unit in Didcot, collecting timber from […]

A community shop opened in brand new premises in Wiltshire in December following a loan from Co-operative & Community Finance. The Ashton Keynes Village Shop, which is run by a community co-operative, was developed after a privately owned store faced closure when the owner wished to retire. Following a survey from 1600 local residents 85% […]

The Renewable Energy Co-operative (R-ECO) is helping to a major regeneration project in Cornwall to become carbon neutral by installing a range of sustainable energy technologies including solar photovoltaics. The project called Heartlands is a £35m transformation of 19 acres of old tin mine land into a cultural space for community and visitors. On completion, […]

A loan from Co-operative & Community Finance to a determined Somerset community benefit society has helped save the only shop and Post Office in a rural village. The Hinton St George & Locality Rural Community Services (HRCS)) and its 335 members took over the management of the shop in Hinton St George on 30 July […]

We are helping one of the pioneers of solar power systems to take on larger contracts. The Renewable Energy Co-operative (R-ECO) in Cornwall installs renewable energy systems for domestic, commercial and community clients. It specialises in ground and roof mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. R-ECO is currently working on its biggest contract to date; at […]