Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Community Shares Unit

@comshares.bsky.social

470 followers 410 following 63 posts

All things Community Shares, a unique way of Co-operatives and Community Benefit Societies raising community based investment and building a movement. Brought to you by Co-operatives UK & partners. https://linktr.ee/comshares

linktr.ee

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Community Shares Unit @comshares.bsky.social · Mar 5

🙌 Great news for community business – the #ComShares Booster Fund is extending its support for community share offers, with a new tranche of funding: £360,000 for match equity investment and £200,000 for development grants. 🔎 Find out more: buff.ly/4i8dXr4 #CommunityBusiness #CommunityShares

1 1 2

Reposted by Community Shares Unit

Co-operatives UK @cooperativesuk.bsky.social · 1d

🎬 A new film for you! Co-operatives: Owned by our Members showcases the values, diversity and impact of co-operatives across the UK – and beyond. It's been created in the #IYC2025 to help increase understanding of #coops 👉 youtu.be/9jddNpXI-Lw
🧵👇

Co-operatives: Owned by our members | Co-operatives UK

YouTube video by Co-operatives UK

youtu.be

1 5 5

Reposted by Community Shares Unit

The Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES) @clesthinkdo.bsky.social · 4d

Congratulations to our friends at @cooperativesuk.bsky.social and all in the UK's co-op & mutual economy 👏

✅ 82% survive 5+ years (vs 39% of other biz)
✅ 65.7m memberships
✅ Women lead 2x more top co-ops than FTSE 100 firms
✅ 4x more likely to pay the Living Wage
✅ Community pubs up 51% in 5 years

Co-operatives UK @cooperativesuk.bsky.social · 24d

📢 New data out today: The UK’s co-operative and mutual economy is a £179bn force for change.
10,000+ businesses. 1.5 million jobs.
Find out why our movement is doing business better - and share far and wide: www.uk.coop/news/record-... #CoopEconomy #Coops

4 5

Reposted by Community Shares Unit

Co-operatives UK @cooperativesuk.bsky.social · 2d

🧵 Co-operative Network Infrastructure (CNI) has built a co-operative alternative to traditional fibre networks - putting fairness and shared ownership at the heart of the digital economy. Want to know more??? 1/3

1 1 3

Community Shares Unit @comshares.bsky.social · 4d

Community raises £400k to save village's only pub
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The Save Our Ship team and the Community Shares Standard Mark makes its way onto BBC News!

Drinkers in Portloe raise £400k to save village's only pub

The group of residents now hope to get the Cornwall pub restored and ready in time for Christmas.

www.bbc.co.uk

Community Shares Unit @comshares.bsky.social · 4d

👨‍💻Webinar this afternoon: Co-operatives and the Gov's plan for neighbourhoods, find out more how co-ops and #comshares could be part of the solution to neighbourhood empowered change!
www.uk.coop/webinar-co-o...

www.uk.coop

Reposted by Community Shares Unit

Co-operatives UK @cooperativesuk.bsky.social · 14d

🏠💡 We’re calling on government to support co‑ops to make homes more energy efficient.

👓 Read our new report: Retrofit Co‑operatives🔧🧰

🛋️ 🌡️ Millions of households want warmer, greener homes – but are put off by confusing markets, missing skills and poor advice. (1/3)

1 1 1

Reposted by Community Shares Unit

Co-operatives UK @cooperativesuk.bsky.social · 8d

Did you know mutuals trace their roots to The Fire Office, a mutual insurer established in 1667 - the year after the Great Fire of London? It shows the enduring power of mutuals to find solutions. 1/2

1 2 2

Community Shares Unit @comshares.bsky.social · 8d

🥶As it gets colder, we have grant funds still available for Energy Efficiency improvements in your community building, see our Sharematch fund with @crowdfunder.bsky.social for details:

😎https://www.uk.coop/support-your-co-op/community-shares/support/energy-efficiency-sharematch

Reposted by Community Shares Unit

Co-operatives UK @cooperativesuk.bsky.social · 10d

We've got a 'Dame' good testimonial for the #CoopEconomy report... from someone who really knows!
And if you want more info 👇
uk.coop/news/record-... #coops #TuesdayThoughts

1 2

Reposted by Community Shares Unit

Co-operatives UK @cooperativesuk.bsky.social · 17d

We launched our Co-operative and Mutual Economy report last week.

Here's a 1-minute highlight VT for a £179.2 million economic force for good, highlighting resilience, fairness, growth and more.

Full report here: www.uk.coop/economy

#CoopEconomy #IYC2025

2 3

Reposted by Community Shares Unit

Co-operatives UK @cooperativesuk.bsky.social · 23d

Co-operatives do business better:
💷 4x more likely to be Living Wage Employers
📈 82% survive 5 years (vs 39% UK average)
👩‍💼 Women more likely to reach the top
Explore the #CoopEconomy 👇
uk.coop/news/record-...

6 5

Community Shares Unit @comshares.bsky.social · 23d

Superb to see community-owned pubs surging - and the New Clarence case study in there. Brilliant read.

Reposted by Community Shares Unit

Co-operatives UK @cooperativesuk.bsky.social · 24d

1 7 8

Reposted by Community Shares Unit

Co-operatives UK @cooperativesuk.bsky.social · Sep 11

📢 We’ve partnered with @dtascotland.bsky.social to bring you a free webinar about the Community Shares finance guide, aimed at organisations that have run community share offers and are based in Scotland.
🗓️ 8 Oct, 10:00–11:30
💻 Online via Zoom.

Register here: buff.ly/8dY5Gxp
#comshares #Scotland

4 3

Community Shares Unit @comshares.bsky.social · Sep 12

🥵New community share offer from Leeds Community Sauna, with Community Shares Standard Mark.

♨️They are creating a community-oriented, affordable sauna space nestled amongst the trees and the river Aire #leeds

🌡️Invest from £25
www.leedscommunitysauna.com/share-offer

@cooperativesuk.bsky.social

Community Shares Unit @comshares.bsky.social · Sep 3

Hull’s first community-owned pub, The New Clarence is set to open its doors and covered in BBC news!

Pleased through Booster we've been able to help them with their community share raise to help pay for this urban community owned pub.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

New Clarence pub in Charles Street, Hull, will reopen to public

The New Clarence, in Hull, will reopen its doors on Saturday after a community effort to save it.

www.bbc.co.uk

1 3

Reposted by Community Shares Unit

Co-operatives UK @cooperativesuk.bsky.social · Aug 19

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scotland deserves better. A stronger, fairer, more democratic economy is possible. Co-ops already prove it – from housing to food, energy to jobs. With the right policies, they can do even more. Ahead of the 2026 elections, we’re calling on all parties to back co-ops. Get involved buff.ly/7sW7Auw

2 1

Community Shares Unit @comshares.bsky.social · Aug 21

..to use the multi-stakeholder co-operative society structure and still be awarded the Community Shares Standard Mark.

Examples of these types of societies inc @equalcare.coop @signalisecoop.bsky.social

Read more here - uk.coop/blog/co-oper...

uk.coop

Community Shares Unit @comshares.bsky.social · Aug 21

..We still anticipate most community share offers will be carried out by Community Benefit Societies and use our existing frameworks, but where societies want to create additional membership categories (e.g. for staff) and allow for dividends there is now the option...

Community Shares Unit @comshares.bsky.social · Aug 21

Co-operative societies can now be awarded the Community Shares Standard Mark: ✔️

➡️https://uk.coop/blog/co-operative-societies-can-now-be-awarded-standard-mark

📝We have a new framework specifically for use with co-operative societies that have a non-user member category...

1 1

Reposted by Community Shares Unit

Co-operatives UK @cooperativesuk.bsky.social · Jul 31

💥 2,000+ members 🎶 £1 million+ raised 🏛️ Iconic music venues saved!

⏳ Only 8 hours to go and @musicvenueprop.bsky.social has raised more than £1 million in community shares to #OwnOurVenues! 🎹 (1/2)

1 1 4

Community Shares Unit @comshares.bsky.social · Jul 30

🏊‍♀️cc: @keyfund.bsky.social @goodfinanceuk.bsky.social @archhfund.org.uk @access-si.bsky.social @powertochange.org.uk

Community Shares Unit @comshares.bsky.social · Jul 30

🌊Community Power making a big splash

Read how #BramleyBaths in #Leeds used Community Shares to raise £384k from 531 investors to refurb their historic swimming pool.

www.uk.coop/case-studies...

@cooperativesuk.bsky.social @coopfinance.bsky.social @locality.org.uk @crowdfunder.bsky.social

1 2 3

Community Shares Unit @comshares.bsky.social · Jul 28

Investment will help to reduce carbon emissions while saving the sites money at the same time 🌏

Min £100 investment. You’ll become a member of GMCR and receive share interest of up to 5% per annum from 2027, subject to the financial performance.
#solarpower