Plunkett Foundation is a national charity, working across the UK to provide access to advice and expertise for the benefit of community businesses. We have been helping communities, predominantly in rural areas, for over 100 years to create innovative, impactful and inclusive places, through promoting and supporting community ownership of assets and services. The businesses we work with are owned and run democratically by members of the community on behalf of the community. They include shops, pubs, farms, woodlands, food and drink producers and other multi-service hubs. Plunkett Foundation currently represents over 1,300 community businesses – 800 that are trading, and a further 500 that are in the process of setting up. Of the 800 trading community business, with whom Plunkett has worked around 700 are in rural areas. Plunkett Foundation advocates community ownership as a solution to multiple rural issues; from ongoing closures of local services such as the shop and the pub; the withdrawal of public services including transport and healthcare; through to declining employment and social opportunities for local people.