No you don’t need to live in Hatherleigh, the share offer is open to all UK residents. 

The minimum investment is £100, and the maximum investment is £5,000.

Shares in the community benefit society are £100 each. A minimum pledge of £100 entitles you to become a member of the Community Share Scheme, where each £100 represents one share. 

If you would prefer not to become a member of the community share scheme, and instead make a straightforward donation you can do this via our online donation page.

As a shareholder, you will be a member of the Community Benefit Society and have a right to vote in AGM meetings where decisions over how the market is run and operated are made. Your liability is strictly limited to the amount you pay into the society (invest in shares). If everything went wrong you would only lose your initial stake – no more.

As a shareholder in our Community Benefit Society, it’s important to understand the extent of your financial commitment. In legal terms, your liability is limited strictly to your initial investment (the amount you paid for your shares). This means that should the society face insolvency, your financial responsibility does not extend beyond the amount you have initially contributed as a shareholder.

There is no obligation nor requirement for shareholders to cover any further losses beyond their original stake. This limited liability is a fundamental principle, ensuring that your exposure to financial risk is capped, protecting your personal finances beyond your initial investment.

Liability is limited to the share value – i.e. if you pay £100 for a share, in unlikely event that the market trades badly, or the community share scheme becomes insolvent the worst that would happen is that you would loose the value of your shares. 

As its name suggests, the purpose of a community benefit society is for the benefit of the community. It may be in the future that the society may make sufficient money to pay an amount to its shareholders but as the purpose of the society is altruistic, certainly initially, any ‘profit’ is to be applied for the betterment of the society and to support the market as a whole.

The community benefit society “Hatherleigh Community Market Limited” is registered at Companies House and with the Financial Conduct Authority and is obliged to abide by the rules of both.

The share scheme has been developed with the support of expert advisors from the Plunkett Foundation, and Co-operatives UK

The share offer has been rigorously vetted and awarded the Community Shares Standard Mark.

The Community Shares Standard Mark is a quality award given to community share offers that meet national standards of good practice, transparency, and honesty.

The community benefit society must operate under a prescribed set of rules by a member-appointed committee, who are responsible to ensure proper governance, and who are accountable to members. 

A community benefit society is an equitable organisation and as such, more shares do not equal more votes.

Voting rights are on a one vote per member, no matter the number of shares a member holds. 

Yes, and we actively encourage businesses as well as individuals to buy shares in the community benefit society. Business looking to buy shares will need to nominate an individual to represent the business should they wish to attend community benefit society meetings.

There may also be potential tax benefits in businesses buying shares in the community benefit society. We are unable to offer tax advice and recommend that you speak to a qualified tax advisor regarding such matters. 

Shares can be bequeathed in a share-holder’s Will.

If not, the value of the share will be a debt to the shareholder’s estate and will ultimately be repaid to the personal representatives.

Their share(s) are transferable under the terms of a shareholder’s Will.

The community benefit society is not permitted to sell the asset and it must be transferred to one or more community organisations with the same objectives as the community benefit society. This may be another similar organisation established by the Plunkett Foundation