Four years ago, workers’ co-op Wild Thyme opened a wholefood store, juice bar and vegan take away in Portsmouth, with finance from Co-op Loan Fund. The 1,200 sq ft premises has a good shop frontage on the main street leading from Southsea shopping centre to the sea front. Previously the business had been operating from […]
An award-winning co-op that is credited with keeping children healthier and safer while helping to reduce car-dependency, accidents and air pollution is scaling up its operation with help from Co-op Loan Fund. Safe Kids Walking Ltd, which trades as Brightkidz, was set up in 2004 by concerned parents in Kettering, Northamptonshire, who were operating a […]
Blake House Cooperative is set for growth having just moved into new premises and taken out a loan from Co-op Loan Fund. The London-based film-makers have achieved a lot since incorporating in 2015. The worker co-operative, which at one time operated from cafes, libraries and living rooms, has recently moved from a small, temporary office […]
One of the UK’s longest established and most successful social enterprise development agencies is opening two new commercial kitchens and cafes in London, north and south of the Thames, that will provide training and business incubation, as well as good food and refreshments. Co-op Loan Fund and Big Issue Invest have provided Greenwich Co-operative Development […]
One of the UK’s more unusual new co-ops is getting ready to launch, with a little help from Co-op Loan Fund. The Security Professionals Support Co-operative (SPSC), based in Tyneside, aims to improve the working situations of all security personnel, from bouncers to bodyguards, by providing access to training, insurance, legal protection and accountancy. It […]
Co-operatives are known for being innovative and Co-op Loan Fund’s latest borrower is certainly that. It is also very unusual. Hempen, based near Reading, is the leading grower and producer of organic hemp CBD (cannabidiol) products in the UK. The worker co-op, which has six members and six volunteers, has been developing since 2015 By […]
A consultancy co-operative with offices in Newcastle and Glasgow has extended its reach across the UK with help from Co-op Loan Fund. Centrifuge Consulting provides a range of social and economic consultancy mostly to local authorities and other public sector organisations. Its work includes developing business cases, securing funding, designing and delivering policies and projects, […]
Software development company Co-operative Web is an excellent example of how supportive finance from Co-op Loan Fund can help with business growth. The Birmingham-based workers’ co-operative builds systems, web applications and content-managed solutions across a range of technical platforms. It works with many different types of business from small social enterprises to large multi-nationals. Its […]
A wholefood shop and online retail co-operative business in Leicester is celebrating its 30th anniversary with the purchase of a new van, partly financed by the Co-operative Loan Fund. Leicester Wholefoods operates from the same 4,600 sq ft warehouse on the outskirts of the city where it started trading in 1987. The majority of its […]
The Co-operative Loan Fund has reached the milestone of £4m lent to co-operative enterprises with a loan to support the expansion of one of the UK’s longest established and most successful social enterprise development agencies. The Co-operative Loan Fund and Big Issue Invest have provided Greenwich Co-operative Development Agency (CGDA) with the capital it needs […]