There are many great reasons to do a community share issue, but amidst the burgeoning field of new and innovative ways to raise money, our number one reason to recommend community shares is a simple one.

There was some good news in the Budget for start-up enterprises doing community share issues looking to get tax relief.

We’re excited to announce that The Community Shares Company is linking up with the UK’s largest crowdfunding platform, Crowdfunder, to launch a new way for community groups to manage and launch community share issues.

I wrote this article a couple of years back when FC United of Manchester began work on their new stadium in 2013, funded by Community Shares. The ground is formally opened next week in a game against Benfica.

A few years ago, I was a Director of Saltdean Lido CIC, who were at the time investigating whether or not (and how) they might do a Community Share issue as part of the capital raising process to bring the 1930s building back into use.

I’ve been working with the group trying to save the Green Dragon pub in Winchmore Hill. They’ve had a major knock-back as the Council have rejected their application to register the pub as an Asset of Community Value (ACV).

So, that was a relief. Having fought the developers over the ACV, we went to the Brighton Council Planning Committee and presented our case – and we won!

We’ve been working with the campaign to save the Rose Hill Tavern here in Brighton. The pub was suddenly put up for sale in March of last year and locals quickly got together to apply for Asset of Community Value (ACV)status.

We’ve been approved as an official provider with Big Potential, a lottery-funded scheme to help organisations get ready for investment. That means we can work with groups and enterprises looking to do community share issues, and apply for between £20,000 and £75,000 for groups to use to get them ready.