Community Shares Standard Mark
![Sutton Community Farm](jpg/sutton%20community%20farm15d8.jpg)
The Community Shares Standard Mark is awarded to community share offers that meet national standards of good practice.
What is the Community Shares Standard Mark?
![Community Shares Standard Mark logo](png/standard-mark-logo-v-small.png)
The Standard Mark provides a framework for societies to develop high quality share offer documents with support from practitioners accredited by the Community Shares Unit at Co-operatives UK.
The Community Shares Standard Mark ensures that community share offers are clear, honest and transparent. They also ensure that investors are presented with all the facts they need to make an informed decision and these facts are supported by annual accounts and/or the business plan.
Standards are overseen by the Co-operative and Community Capital Committee, a member group of Co-operatives UK with representatives from across the sector.
Handbook
The Community Shares Unit provides detailed technical guidance on these best practice standards in our Community Shares Handbook.
Practitioner Training
We run a training and accreditation scheme for practitioners to become licensed to award the Standard Mark and develop quality community share offers. Find out more.
Co-operative and Community Capital Committee
For more information on the governance and oversight of these standards, read more about our Co-operative and Community Capital Committee.
Standard Mark for Societies
Standard Mark for Investors
![Sutton Community Farm](jpg/sutton%20community%20farm9548.jpg)
Growing the community: Sutton Community Farm
![Projekts MCR – supported by the Booster Fund](jpg/pmcr1_051db.jpg)
About community shares
![Community Shares – Booster Fund – Nudge, Plymouth](png/booster-fund-square-3ff3c.png)
Booster Fund
![585 share offers by 440 businesses – social media graphic](png/community-shares-report4_0_0f81e.png)
Understanding a Maturing Community Shares Market Report 2020
![Group of people stood outside a greengrocers](jpg/community-carrot-outside-shop13ed.jpg)