About community shares

Community shares: a unique form of investment

• Since 2012, over £200m has been raised by more than 126,000 people in community shares across the UK. 
• Community shares have been invested into over 500 co-operative and community business including shops, pubs, renewable energy schemes, housing projects, community hubs and much more. 
• Community shares is a user-friendly name for withdrawable, non-transferable share capital: a form of equity uniquely available to co-operative and community benefit societies.
• Community shares are a flexible and effective way to raise finance: an incredible 92% of all businesses who have used community shares are still trading. 

Community Shares Unit

Co-operatives UK is at the heart of the Community Shares Unit, a longstanding partnership with Locality and other key partners.

• We promote best practice standards, published in the Community Shares Handbook and embedded through the Community Shares Standard Mark.
• We act as a development funder and institutional investor in innovative community share offers through our Community Shares Booster Programme.
• We train, license and unite a network of consultant practitioners through our Community Shares Practitioner Training Programme.
• We are the main source of market intelligence on community shares, through extensive data collection and detailed market reports.