The Community Share Campaign
£115,000 Raised by Local People
When we launched our community share offer, we asked a simple question: would you invest in your community's future? The response was overwhelming. Over three years, more than 280 people from Cotherstone and the wider area stepped forward to purchase community shares, raising over £115,000 towards saving our historic chapel.
Co-ops UK, a national organisation that supports co-operative groups of all kinds, invested £14,000 in shares in the Chapel as part of their Booster Programme.
This wasn't just about money - it was about belief. Every shareholder, whether they invested £50 or £5,000, was voting with their wallet for a vision of community ownership and local control. Combined with £180,000 from Durham County Council, these community investments made our dream possible.
The success of our share offer demonstrated something powerful: when people can see the direct benefit to their community, they're willing to invest. Our shareholders didn't just provide funding - they became our foundation, our advocates, and our first customers.
What Community Shares Mean
Ownership That Benefits Everyone
Community shares work differently from traditional business investments. When you buy shares in The Old Chapel, you're not expecting huge financial returns - you're investing in community benefit. Our shareholders own a piece of something that serves everyone, from the quality coffee they enjoy to the heritage projects that preserve our village history.
As a Community Benefit Society, we're legally required to operate for community benefit rather than profit maximisation. This means our shareholders can be confident their investment supports genuine community good, not external profit extraction. Any surplus we generate goes back into improving facilities and expanding our community services.
Our shareholders become part of our extended family. They have voting rights in major decisions, receive updates on our progress, and can see their investment working every day through the services we provide and the community connections we facilitate.
Impact and Success
Your Investment at Work
The success of our community share campaign goes far beyond the money raised. We've created employment opportunities, supported local suppliers, preserved a historic building, and established a sustainable community enterprise that will benefit Cotherstone for generations to come.
Our shareholders can see their investment working every day. Every cup of coffee served, every local product sold, every heritage story preserved, and every community event hosted demonstrates the tangible impact of their belief in our vision. We've moved from a closed, deteriorating building to a bustling community hub that's already won recognition for its contribution to village life.
The ripple effects continue to grow. Local suppliers benefit from our custom, volunteers find purpose and friendship, visitors discover our village, and community groups have a place to meet and thrive. This is what community investment looks like when it works.