Thread by @ChrisCowcher

🧵If only all Fridays' could be filled with sunshine & visits to 6 #communityowned businesses!! Great day out visiting groups in Herefordshire & Worcestershire with our Head of #ComBiz @CSpendley. A thread... with a few selfies included! 1/10

First stop was @PeopletonPantry where we met the shop manager, Jennie. Great to hear that as a @PlunkettFoundat member, Jennie was looking forward to completing their FREE #combiz health check with @AlisonMacklin2 in a few week's time! 2/10

Next up it was the amazing Yarpole Community Shop, which you'll find in Saint Leonard's Church. Such an inspiring example for any group looking to co-locate a #combiz in a place of worship... something @PlunkettFoundat can also offer FREE advice on thanks to @Benefacttrust. 3/10

Whilst at Yarpole we heard from David, a volunteer about how the shop has distributed £20k in grants (from their surplus) to the community! We also met Roger & Amy from @HfdsCouncil & @EllieChowns to talk about supporting more #communityownership projects in Herefordshire. 4/10

Obviously I was also keen to talk to @HfdsCouncil re: Keep it in the Community (@PlunkettFoundat @localitynews @peoplesbiz), improving Assets of Community Value could list plus more education & awareness to stimulate more #communityownership projects. 5/10 plunkett.force.com/keepitinthecom…

For lunch it was brilliant to visit the #MoreThanAPub supported @BootInnOrleton. Great food & fantastic opportunity to catch up with @EllieChowns having been introduced by @natalieben in relation to our "Colds Spots" research, completed by @RuralPolicySRUC. 6/10

We also caught up with @comfirst's @nickcomley before then heading on to the beautiful @WhitbourneShop! Great range of local food & good opportunity to talk to volunteer, Margaret about our Dulverton Trust #IWill project & getting more young people involved with #combiz. 7/10

As their 10th anniversary is coming up we had to visit @AlfrickShop! Lovely catch up with David (an original volunteer!!) & Lindsay, hearing how the business is flourishing a decade after they first opened - initially in a portacabin before a new shop was built in 2018. 8/10

Finally, we called in at one of my favourites not far from home - @BretShop. One of my stops on the recent #WalkForPlunkett & it was great for @CSpendley to see (in person) a shop she knows so well from all the photos & stories we (& @CBuckham) have shared about them. 9/10

And so now it's time to sign off & start to enjoy some of the local food & drink I've accumulated on route!! What a treat - Always great to see #communityowned businesses stocking produce from their local area! @ludlowbrewery @FridayBeerCo #EasingHill #SeggenBees

ENDS 10/10