West Midlands Combined Authority is funding The Plunkett Foundation to deliver specialist support to help communities buy or take a Leasehold out their local pub, where they are in danger of it being lost. Plunkett would also help groups who may wish to use a different type of vacant space to set up a new micropub for example. Plunkett is particularly focused on the areas of Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Solihull, Sandwell, Coventry and Dudley and are trying to reach people in those communities who may be looking at a closed / for sale pub and wishing someone would do something about it. You can see WMCA’s press release here:  https://www.wmca.org.uk/news/wmca-partners-with-national-charity-to-help-communities-save-their-pubs/ and more here on The Plunkett Foundation’s website: https://plunkett.co.uk/calling-for-communities-to-save-west-midlands-iconic-pubs/

On 5^th July Plunkett will be holding a public webinar called Save Your Pub! for anyone interested in learning more.

All Churches Alliance are funding The Plunkett Foundation to deliver business, advisory and grant support to community groups who are thinking of setting up a community owned business and may consider co-locating it in an active local church. This might be a community owned shop or café, for example, or a community owned farmers market once a week.

Through the Community Businesses in Places of Worship programme, Plunkett can offer step by step support with an adviser as well as grant funds to take forward a community owned business idea. Some of the costs a grant could help with may include: surveying or consulting a community to assess level of support for the idea, funding a valuation of a building or site, setting up a legal structure or paying for additional support from a professional consultant.

Community-owned and run businesses are already operating in a number of churches across the country. Grindleford Community Shop, for example, operates from the old vestry of St Helens Church in the small rural Peak District of Grindleford. Like many rural villages, over the years Grindleford lost its grocery store and then its Post Office. The new shop now stocks a wide range of convenience goods and provides teas, coffee, cake and a friendly welcome too! Outwardly the church remained unchanged, the areas used for worship were unaffected but the vestry restored the heart of the village and although small it works hard to connect all members of the community.

The Plunkett Foundation is trying to reach communities who may have lost public facilities and places to chat who want to set something up as a community  – see more on their webpage here .