What are Community Shares?

What does the term Community Shares mean?

A company issuing shares to the public to raise finance has to spend tens of thousands of pounds ensuring they comply with legislation.

If you set up an Industrial and Provident Society, you are exempt from some of the expensive requirements of a public share issue.

The upshot of this is that a group with a viable business plan requiring money to get started can ask their friends and community to invest in them.

Wessex Community Assets has worked with people involved in food production and box schemes, renewable energy and community buildings.

So far, we have helped 21 organisations raise over £3.25m.