Plunkett Foundation celebrates 100 years of support for UK rural communities
Melanie May | 21 January 2019 | News
The Plunkett Foundation, which supports rural communities in setting up and running community-owned businesses, celebrates its centenary this year.
To mark the centenary, the Plunkett Foundation will be holding a series of events throughout 2019 and launching enhanced services and new collaborations.
To kick start the centenary celebrations, both Plunkett’s Staff and Trustees have been making visits to a number of community businesses to hear more about their impacts in their communities and plans for meeting community needs. The foundation will be sharing stories, case studies and films encouraging both members and supporters to join it in sharing their own #Plunkett100 stories throughout the year on its social media channels under that hashtag.
Happy 100 yr anniversary #Plunkett100 to @PlunkettFoundat .
You've been involved since our village shop became Community owned back in 1994 . That's 25 years of successful Community ownership! Considering the village Shop has roots back to 1637 we have good reason to keep going! pic.twitter.com/ydZo1GDD3y— Itteringham Shop (@ItteringhamShop) January 17, 2019
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The foundation launched on 17 January 1919, when Sir Horace Plunkett signed an indenture that became the original trust deed for the Plunkett Foundation. Its purpose was to promote the model of community ownership as a solution to rural problems.
James Alcock, Executive Director, said:
“Over the course of 100 years, the Foundation has constantly evolved its services in response to the changing environment in which rural communities operate, and in order to help them respond to the challenges of the time. What has remained constant over the century is the resilience of rural communities themselves, and the application of co-operative principles to help themselves through the model which today we refer to as community business. The centenary year is therefore a timely opportunity to be launching new initiatives from our 2018-22 strategy which will strengthen support for community business and I look forward to sharing further details throughout the year.”
Margaret Clark CBE, Chair of Plunkett Foundation, said:
“It is a tribute to Sir Horace’s forward thinking that his vision of communities coming together to form and run their own businesses for the benefit of locally is still as strong today. Indeed, it is even more relevant as rural communities across the country face the challenges of the future. But it also depends upon the extraordinary efforts of the people involved and I should like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have contributed over the years – funders, partners, members, staff and Trustees for their help and support. At Plunkett Foundation, we look forward to carrying on the work started by Sir Horace into the future.”
It was the @PlunkettFoundat who helped us get our #communityshop built last year. Thank you so much. We celebrate with you your #Plunkett100 🎉🎉🍾🍾 pic.twitter.com/7xSMwVUfay
— Wiggintonshop (@Wiggintonshop1) January 18, 2019
Main image credit: Plunkett Foundation
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.