Inaugural Community Business Weekend launches to promote sector
Melanie May | 5 May 2016 | News
Britain’s first community-owned farm is joining forces with some 5,000 businesses across the UK to support this summer’s inaugural Community Business Weekend.
The Community Business Weekend takes place on 2nd and 3rd July, supported by Power to Change, the Plunkett Foundation, and Fordhall Farm. It will see a variety of open-door events across the country promoting the impact community businesses have on the local economy and its residents, and offering people the chance to visit businesses near them.
The community business sector is currently worth £2bn and employs almost 27,000 people.
Fordhall Farm celebrates its tenth anniversary on 1st July. In 2006 siblings Ben and Charlotte Hollins fought off developers to save the family farm in a campaign that won the support of the Prince of Wales, Sting and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. Their campaign raised £800,000 in 10 months with the help of people around the world buying shares in the business, making it the first community-owned farm in the UK.
Charlotte Hollins said:
“We hope this weekend will show people what can be achieved and that each contribution, no matter how small, makes a massive difference and can improve life for all. If there is a further contribution that we can make it is to encourage more communities to believe they can save and launch businesses together in their local area and take ownership of them to have a say in their own future.”
Picture: Fordhall Farm
Advertisement
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.