Guest blog; Birmingham Friends of the Earth Community Share Offer.

Our Friends Birmingham Friends of the Earth currently have a Community Share Offer to renovate their building, The Warehouse.

BFOE have had the building for 40 years; it is our hub of which we campaign on environmental issues. As well as this The Warehouse also holds a vegetarian Restaurant, a bike shop and a vegan food shop.The Warehouse is an old Victorian building that needs further renovation. BFOE have worked hard in bringing the building up to a B on an EPC, but further work is needed. The building is also not disabled access friendly, we want to complete this much needed work to the Warehouse.

Once the work is completed, it would allow us to use the Warehouse more efficiently, allowing us to increase our revenues through things like increased office rent. This means that the building would sustainably fund itself, freeing BFOE to work more on campaigning to make Birmingham a more sustainable city.

To raise the capital to complete this work. BFOE have launched a Community Share Offer. Like Community Energy Birmingham, BFOE are a Co-operative, in the form of a society for community benefit.

We want to raise £240,000 of which £100,000 would be match invested from Co-ops UK. We are offering a rate of return, which is higher than most ISA’s. In year 2 we aim to pay 1% interest, year 3, 2% interest and year 4, 3%interest. The rate of return would be reviewed in year 5.

Please check out our crowdfunder page and if you are impressed by our plans and can afford to, invest in the BFOE Community Share Offer.

http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/unlocking-the-warehouse/

Shaz Rahman, Campaigns Co-Ordinator for Birmingham Friends of the Earth (and Director of Community Energy Birmingham)”