Plunkett Foundation

Plunkett UK is a national charity supporting people in rural areas to set up and run successful businesses in community ownership. They do this to achieve the charity's UK-wide vision for resilient, thriving and inclusive rural communities.

Community-owned businesses are owned and controlled by community members, who each have an equal and democratic say in how the business is run. They can be any type of business ranging from village shops, pubs and cafes, through to woodlands, fisheries and farms.

Plunkett UK has promoted the community ownership model for over 100 years because of its track record for delivering better businesses for people, communities, the economy, and the environment.

Background
Plunkett Foundation (the registered name for the charity) was founded in 1919 by the pioneer of rural co-operation in Ireland, Sir Horace Plunkett. Since being founded it has been involved in a range of work relating to international development, rural development and agricultural development. The foundation is based in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England.

The foundation works with the International Co-operative Alliance, Cooperatives UK, Cooperatives Europe and the International Co-operative Agricultural Organisation.

Work
In 2007, the foundation led the work of the Making Local Food Work programme which supported community food enterprises in England. Other projects include More Than a Pub and Rural Community Shops.

To celebrate being designated as the United Nations International Year of Co-operatives in 2012, the Plunkett Foundation held the World of Rural Co-operation International Roundtable event at Dunsany Castle. This event led to the development of the Dunsany Declaration for Rural Co-operative Development, which fed into the Blueprint for a Co-operative Decade.

In 2021, the foundation supported 400 communities. In 2022, they reported an income of £1,052,262.