Exploring the durability of community businesses in England – A comparative analysis

Durability in the community business sector

Published: 2023

Durability – concerning the conditions and qualities community businesses might possess to enable their long-term operation in a community – is thought to play an important role in the success and sustainability of the community business sector. This report summarises findings from a desk-based review of 18 publications commissioned by Powe…

Evaluation report: Next Generation peer mentoring scheme

Published: 2023

This report was prepared by CAG Consultants on behalf of Power to Change as part of the evaluation of the Next Generation programme. It provides an evaluation of the peer mentoring scheme that was implemented as part of the Next Generation programme, with a view to informing future peer mentoring initiatives in the community energy sector.

Next Generation Community Energy – Interim Evaluation Report

Published: 2020

Power to Change commissioned CAG Consultants in May 2019 to evaluate the Next Generation Community Energy programme. This is the first interim evaluation of the programme. The programme aims to support the community energy sector in two ways: by bringing more solar farms into community ownership whilst maximising the financial, environmental an…

Evaluation of the Next Generation programme for Community Energy – innovation Year 3

Published: 2023

Year 3 report and summary findings about the innovation strand of the Next Generation programme for community energy businesses, by Power to Change. The report covers the processes used and impacts, as well as sharing learning from the programme for the benefit of community groups, policy makers and other community energy stakeholders.

Evaluation of the Next Generation programme for Community Energy – innovation Year 2

Published: 2022

Power to Change’s Next Generation programme aims to support the development of innovative business models for community energy businesses.  This evaluation report from CAG consultants summarises findings from Year 2 of CAG Consultant’s evaluation of the innovation programme.  Support and funding from the Next Generation programme …

Empowering Places: Impact on the community and wider place

Published:

Empowering Places aims to build more resilient and prosperous communities by building the capacity of local organisations to catalyse and support the growth of new community businesses. It funds locally rooted ‘catalyst’ organisations in six areas of high deprivation. Each catalyst receives up to £1 million (July 2017–December 2022)…

Co-operative Pubs 2014: A Better Form of Business

Published: 2014

This publication is the first ever report on the state of the co‐operative pubs sector in the UK. It is based on a survey conducted by Plunkett Foundation staff in December 2013 and draws on information provided by 21 of the 22 co‐operative pubs open and trading at the end of 2013. The majority of the information was collected through …

Community Shops 2014: A Better Form of Business

Published: 2014

This report aims to give an overview of the development of the community shop sector in the UK and of the health and wealth of the sector today. Specifically, the report provides numerical data about the range of legal and management structures of these shops; a summary of the scope of products and services they offer; an analysis of their prof…

A Better Form of Business 2013: Community-owned village shops

Published: 2013

Community-owned village shops continue to be one of the leading success stories of the UK co-operative and community enterprise movement.
In 1993 there were just 23 community-owned shops trading in the UK;
20 years on there are 303, with a further 30 anticipated to open in 2013.

This report aims to give an overview of the development of the co…