# Community Channel reaches crowdfunding target to become community-owned

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/07/21/community-channel-reaches-crowdfunding-target-become-community-owned/
- Published: 2016-07-21T09:30:21+01:00
- Author: Melanie May

**The Community Channel has become the UK’s first community-owned TV channel, after
it reached its crowdfunding target earlier this week.**

The Community Channel needed to raise £300,000 by the end of July to stay on the
airwaves. It [announced its plans to become community owned](https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/06/06/community-channel-seeks-investors-become-first-community-owned-national-tv-station/)
on June 1^(st), offering members of the public, including film makers, charities,
media partners as well as its 10m viewers, the opportunity to own a stake in the
channel by investing in community shares through crowdfunding platform [Crowdfunder](http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/).

It announced on 19^(th) July that it has beaten its target to raise £390,000. Around
300 organisations and individuals backed the campaign, with significant support 
coming from backers such as broadcaster Sky, the Big Lottery Fund and Barrow Cadbury
Trust.

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Caroline Diehl, CEO and founder of [Media Trust](http://www.mediatrust.org/), which
oversees Community Channel, said:

> “I’d like to personally thank all those who backed the Channel in its hour of 
> need. Hitting our original £300,000 target and then an extra £90,000 demonstrates
> the confidence people have in the Community Channel as a force for good for society.
> We hope this massive vote of confidence will encourage further financial backing
> as we look to secure the long term future of the Channel.”

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