Published: 27/11/2023
Plunkett Foundation is a UK charity that supports people in setting up and running a wide range of businesses owned by local communities, where members have equal and democratic control.
As of the beginning of 2023, Plunkett represented around 750 community-owned businesses in rural and urban areas throughout the UK, including shops, pubs, woodlands, farms, and fisheries. Plunkett’s vision is to foster resilient, thriving, and inclusive rural communities across the UK. To achieve this, they assist people in rural areas to establish businesses genuinely owned by local communities, with members having equal and democratic control.
Suma‘s relationship with The Plunkett Foundation began approximately seven years ago and we take pride in partnering with them to support the Community Awards. The alignment between the two organizations is perfect, as we both share a belief in community and the co-operative model for bringing about change and development.
We were thrilled to be part of the awards, uncovering inspiring stories from all the nominations, and this year was particularly significant for us as sponsors of the ‘Rural Vision Community Food and Local Supply Award’ – an intersection of Suma‘s two passions: great food and sustainability.
The winners were celebrated at an excellent awards event in November, hosted by Charlie Ross.
As always, selecting the winners was challenging, given the strong community ties and emphasis on local produce by many of the nominated businesses.
What impressed us about the winner, MENTER Y GLAN, was how quickly they have made a tangible difference in the local area. Not only in terms of the number of local suppliers involved and the revenues generated but also in terms of the reach of this initiative. In addition to the sustainability, education, and employment it has generated, it has positively impacted so many lives.
From Suma‘s perspective, the increased use of vegetables and herbs to create delicious meals, coupled with their emphasis on education about the origin of quality products, is commendable. MENTER Y GLAN’s sustainability efforts align well with Suma‘s own sustainability vision, highlighting the importance of sourcing locally.
Congratulations to all at MENTER Y GLAN for their outstanding work!
A huge congratulations also goes to the other finalists: CAE TAN COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE, whose education component related to the products they grow was particularly impressive, and THE BOUNDARY, ST MARY BOURNE, which underwent remarkable changes over the past two years, emphasizing local food and rebuilding the shop and café with locally sourced materials and people. The ‘Rural Vision Community Food and Local Supply’ category was one of the most popular for entries, making the achievements of all three finalists even more remarkable.
I am certain that plans are already underway for the 2024 awards, and Suma looks forward to being involved once again.
Find out more about Plunkett Foundation and Suma’s sustainability vision