The Plunkett Foundation’s 2021 Impact Report reveals that the number of community businesses has continued to rise, in spite of the disruption of the pandemic

The report also shows that more people than ever before are now interested in setting up a community business, with over 300 communities across the UK getting in touch with Plunkett for start-up support last year.

It is clear that the community business movement is growing, with the number of community businesses increasing by 3% in 2021, resulting in 840 businesses trading across the UK. To support the 27 businesses opening in 2021, 6,300 people raised around £3.4m in community shares.

Public interest and support for community ownership is also growing, evident in the number of community businesses featured in the national press, as well the 18% increase in Plunkett’s membership. The sharp increase that we saw in 2020 in enquiries about setting up a new community business was maintained in 2021, with 26% more groups looking to start a new project in 2021 compared to 2019 prior to the pandemic.

- Further information about the findings and a full copy of the report from the Plunkett Foundation can be found here