We visited Siop Griffiths in Penygroes to learn how, with the support of Plunkett Foundation, they were able to develop their community owned café and shop, and help boost the confidence in the future of this rural village.
Plunkett Foundation work with communities across the UK, supporting them to tackle issues they face through collective community ownership. They provide practical advice and support, including mentoring and training, to help them engage different sections of the community, and to establish and run a successful community business. Siop Griffiths is one of over 600 community businesses Plunkett has supported so far.
Siop Griffiths in Penygroes was the village's oldest store. Rescued by the community, they reopened it in 2020 after being closed for 10 years. With support from Plunkett Foundation, they have since developed it to include a café, accommodation and a new digital centre to provide young people a place to be creative and learn new skills.
As a long-time supporter of Plunkett Foundation, we've seen the huge impact they have had on the development of the community ownership model, which we believe is central to rebuilding local economies and supporting communities to thrive.
Connection to Esmée's strategy
- Priorities
- Long-term outcomes
- Local communities are the driver of transformational change in their local economies.
- Innovative models of community-led enterprise and shared community assets are tested, grown or shared.
- Locally owned assets and purchasing power drive positive social, cultural, economic and environmental change.
