New research from Plunkett UK reveals that rural community-owned businesses are already delivering social, economic and environmental benefits that align directly with government ambitions – yet they remain under-recognised and under-supported in doing so.
Plunkett’s annual report, Community Ownership: A Better Form of Business, shows that the sector has grown by 59% over the past decade, defying the trend of economic decline in many rural areas. However, the charity warns that this success is being achieved in spite of, not because of, government support. Plunkett’s research shows that “the sector is now at crisis point with the worst confidence levels we have ever seen” – 32% of community businesses are only just surviving and 2% are at risk of closure.