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Community Owned : Community Shared EVENTS. WELCOME. The “Community Shares, Ready!” project in NI – an introduction. Investment from the Building Change Trust into the project The project linking national and local representatives of the co-operative movement
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The “Community Shares, Ready!” project in NI – an introduction • Investment from the Building Change Trust into the project • The project linking national and local representatives of the co-operative movement • Co-operatives UK, Co-operative Enterprise Hub and the Plunkett Foundation • The project working with the Community Shares Unit and contributing to the overall market development of community shares • By sectors • By geography • By audiences
Our purpose • To enhance communities’ understanding of community ownership and community shares • To enable selected communities to develop the right strategies to become community shares investment ready • To contribute to the collective understanding and knowledge of community shares as a tool to raise capital.
Community Owned: Community Shared – Workshop series A series of workshops exploring how community shares can be used to enable community ownership • Community buildings and heritage • Community rural shops • Community supported agriculture • Community owned energy • Community sports and leisure www.coopalternatives.coop WE ARE ON TWITTER @commshares
What are community shares? • A unique form of capital • Only Cooperatives and Community Benefit Societies (IPS societies) • One-member-one-vote not one-share-one-vote
Not just a financial investment... • Community shares increase membership and co-ownership: the project is a shared venture • Investors become your customers/volunteers/champions • Share investment gives a VOTE and a voice • People can invest as much or as little as they can afford • They attract good publicity • Share investment can be used as leverage – attracts investment from lenders and grant-givers
Support available • Cooperative Alternatives work in NI by assisting and exploring co-operative options with groups and communities • Cooperative Alternatives will run a 2014 support programme for up to five communities interested in using community shares as a social finance tool
Today • Juliet Cornford • Steve Hassall • Peter Jones • Dave Jones
Contact details Co-operative Alternatives 2G North Building Twin Spires Centre 155 Northumberland Street Belfast BT13 2JF www.coopalternatives.coop Contact Tiziana O’Hara info@coopalternatives.coop Tel 028 90331053 and/or 07858 317 634