What’s your experience of applying for funding in Wales?

Wales Cooperative Centre are currently undergoing consultation
for a new Community Shares Wales programme for a number of months
to shape their future project. 

The survey is aimed at any not-for-profit community groups or
enterprises that are looking for funding. 

But what are community shares? 

Community Shares are withdrawable, non-transferable share
capital unique to Co-operative and Community Benefit
Societies. 

Basically, if a community needs funding to transform a building
into something that would benefit the community then this is a
scheme that can support them to do this. 

The project then helps to raise money from the community, with
each person buying shares. 

You receive support to make a plan for how each shareholder
could be paid back in the near future and how the building could
then fully sustain itself. 

This has included things such as a local business that benefits
the community – e.g. a village buying the last pub that is closing
down, so they have a meeting place.

Or a community renovating a school that they own but the council
leases from them, to ensure locally based education
continues. 

If you are happy to help by completing the survey then
it only takes 2 minutes and is online here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LVLNLCP 

Full information can be found here-
https://wales.coop/get-our-help/our-projects/community-shares-wales/