Striving to make Richmond an even better place to live and visit
about
The Richmond Yorkshire Community Interest Company is a not-for-profit organisation, established in December 2023, based in Richmond and run by Richmond residents. It will deliver projects which support economic growth and resilience, promote community cohesion, and provide positive experiences for our community and visitors.
Funny you should ask...
A CIC is a legally recognised structure that the government added to the statute books back in 2005. It allows companies to be created that exist solely to deliver not-for-profit activities for the benefit of their communities. There are around 26,000 CICs registered in the UK.
However, it is not a charity because the income that the CIC generates is not restricted to supporting just one ‘purpose’ or cause, like say Guide Dogs for the Blind (clearly a charity).
The hoped for profit that the Richmond Yorkshire Community Interest Company earns will be reinvested in sustaining the new social enterprises that we set up as well as being distributed to various organisations or individuals in our community who are making Richmond and even better place to live.
What’s a Community Interest Company (CIC)?
What’s a Community Interest Company (CIC)?
Richmond is one of the country’s most beautiful Market Towns. It is a real privilege to live here, regardless as to your age.
However, despite all of its wonderful attributes, Richmond doesn’t always achieve its full potential, nor does it necessarily create sufficient opportunities to improve the lives of residents and the thousands of visitors who are an integral part of the town’s economy.
WARNING – Here comes the formal language contained in our official statement of purpose:
Richmond Yorkshire Community Interest Company is being established to create a portfolio of new initiatives that will add to the prosperity of the town. The Company will aim to work cooperatively with various organisations in Richmond in the direct provision of some of the new services it brings forward.
Specifically, the Company will provide a platform through which a coordinated programme of discrete projects will be developed and marketed to benefit the people of Richmond and the thousands of visitors who come to the town each year.
The majority of projects initiated by the Company will be commissioned to generate positive public
outcomes that if measured purely for their commercial value would probably not warrant investment.
The Directors are freely giving of their time and expertise and are motivated by their desire to make a difference.
Why has the Richmond Yorkshire Community Interest Company been established?
Why has the Richmond Yorkshire CIC been established?
the team
A group of 9 individuals, from quite diverse backgrounds, have come together to set up the Company. They all share a very positive vision for the future of Richmond. They are proactive and keen to begin working on several new projects. The Directors of the Richmond Yorkshire Community Interest Company serve as unpaid volunteers.
Tim Longstaff
James Gravenor
Lisa Potts
Director
Director
Director
David Walker
Marcia McLuckie
Director
Director
Amanda Cook
Ian Woods
Donald Cline
Judith Harwood
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
get involved
The Richmond Yorkshire Community Interest Company has been constituted so that anyone who has a love of Richmond can apply to become a member.
Directors must approve each application for Membership. As a member you will receive news about what the Company is planning to do. You’ll be entitled to attend Members’ meetings and vote on specific aspects of how the Company is managed.
Only individuals can become members not organisations. If your application is approved, you will need to pay a membership fee of £20 which is renewable annually. This contribution will be placed in our general operations fund and be used to forward the aspirations of the Richmond Yorkshire Community Interest Company.
Members will be encouraged to give of their time to help make the Company a success. They will also be asked to share their observations of what issues the Company might consider addressing.
projects
As you might expect from a newly minted organisation, we are not short of ideas nor, as it happens, the depth of experience to make things happen. However, before any idea can become a CIC ‘project’ a careful evaluation process needs to take place. Here are the first 3 initiatives we hope to progress in the early part of 2024.
The Richmond Yorkshire Community Interest Company is applying to become the Community Anchor Organisation (CAO) for Richmond.
If successful, we would receive some ‘seed capital’ from North Yorkshire Council to assist with some of the initial expenses associated with running the CIC and begin to advance the programme of activities we wish to deliver.
E-bike charging stations
As E-bike sales and rentals continue to grow in the UK, so the demand for public charging stations is also on the increase. Although Richmond is not currently on any of the National Cycle Network the town is an important hub for all types of cyclists. The CIC is looking to establish the first E-bike charging stations in Richmond to encourage two-wheeled visitors to get energised in our town.
The Richmond Yorkshire Community Interest Company is applying to become the Community Anchor Organisation (CAO) for Richmond.
If successful, we would receive some ‘seed capital’ from North Yorkshire Council to assist with some of the initial expenses associated with running the CIC and begin to advance the programme of activities we wish to deliver.
Community Anchor Organisation (CAO) for Richmond
The Richmond Yorkshire Community Interest Company is applying to become the Community Anchor Organisation (CAO) for Richmond.
If successful, we would receive some ‘seed capital’ from North Yorkshire Council to assist with some of the initial expenses associated with running the CIC and begin to advance the programme of activities we wish to deliver.
stay informed
If you would like to follow the work of the Richmond Yorkshire Community Interest Company, please sign-up to our mailing list.