The economic contribution of community business
Power to Change is an independent social change organisation dedicated to shaping the conditions for community businesses to thrive. Established in 2015, Power to Change has evidenced how community businesses contribute to thriving places by improving local services, reducing social isolation and improving health and wellbeing, among many other impacts. Being locally-rooted, community-led and trading for community benefit, community businesses make life better for local people. Power to Change has played a key role in growing this movement, and there are now 11,000 community businesses across England with combined assets of £744m, employing more than 41,000 people. Yet, despite extensive evidence of their significant socio-economic impacts, community businesses often remain underappreciated in policy and investment circles. Power to Change therefore sought to commission research to highlight community businesses’ economic value…