Community shares

What are community shares?

Community shares are a type of share capital that can only be issued by co-operative societies, community benefit societies and charitable community benefit societies.  

Community shares confer membership and all members have only one vote, regardless of the size of their shareholding, so the society is democratic.  

Community shares are not like ordinary shares. They cannot be sold or transferred to someone else. Instead, the society allows shareholders to withdraw their money (share capital), subject to terms and conditions that protect the society’s financial security.  

Community shares give local people a real stake in ownership of the local community business, as well as providing the community business with critical patient, flexible, mission-aligned funding  

Community shares are non-transferable, withdrawable share capital that provide community businesses much needed money to start, grow, and be sustainable.    

Running a Community Share Offer

Check out the helpful guides produced by the Community Shares Unit when preparing to launch your community share offer – A guide to investing in community shares.