Masterclass in Community Shares: Training for business advisers

The Masterclass in Community Shares is an intensive, one day seminar aimed specifically at business advisers in the sector e.g Co-operative Development Bodies (CDBs), development trusts, national third sector agencies and other social enterprise development agencies

Led by Jim Brown*, lead consultant to the Community Shares Programme, subjects covered include:

• A good share offer - how do I know one when I see one (key elements of a successful share offer)• Strengthening the business model: identifying suitable opportunities for promoting community share offers• Community building and membership• IPS legislation and the alternatives: establishing good governance• Emergent voluntary codes of good practice• Future training and accreditation for community share advisers• Creating a quality self-regulatory framework• Sharing market intelligence• Future government support and policy context 

Cost £35 + VAT (£41.12 inc VAT)

Dates and Venues (10.30 am to 4 pm):

• Wednesday 17th March – Birmingham
• Tuesday 23rd March – London
• Thursday 25th March – Manchester

Places are limited to a maximum of 25 at each seminar

To find our more visit

To book your place click here  

 *NB Jim is the principal consultant for Baker Brown Associates, a Bristol-based research and development practice specializing in social enterprise and community investment. He has written extensively on the topic of community investment, as the commissioning editor of Co-operative Capital and author of Community Investment using IPS legislation, both published by Co-operativesUK.

Below are the ten projects selected by the Community Shares Action Learning Research Programme in Round 1 and 2 (nb. there will not be any further rounds of funding)

• Hurst Green Community Shop & Centre, East Sussex
• THEP - Tutbury Hydro Electric Project on the River Dove, in the heart of England, on the Staffordshire/Derbyshire border
• Sheffield Renewables Ltd, River Don, Sheffield
• Oxford Cycle Workshop Training Ltd, Oxford Brixton Green, London
• Cybermoor, Alston, Cumbria Hastings Pier & White Rock Trust
• Ashington Community Development Trust (Ashington Minors Childcare), Northumberland
• FC United of Manchester
• Slaithwaite Cooperative Ltd (Grocery store), Colne Valley, nr Huddersfield
• Brixton Green, London - aim of building better neighbourhoods
• Hastings Pier & White Rock Trust - Regeneration of pier buildings

To read the official press release click here

The selected ventures demonstrated that they

• Intend to raise finance through community investment ie. “The sale, or offer for sale, of more than £10,000 of shares or bonds to communities of at least twenty people, to finance ventures serving a community purpose.”
• Will issue non-transferable securities.
• have a committed group of project champions and an established steering group, unincorporated body, partnership, association, or corporate body
• have community support for their venture

The successful projects will receive a package of funding and consultancy.

To find out more about the Round 1 successful projects click here

Presentations by Jim Brown, lead consultant, at the recent awareness raising seminars are available below.