Southern Staffordshire Community Energy Limited is a community benefit society (BenCom), a type of registered society under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014. It is similar to a co-operative in many ways, except a Community Benefit Society is set up mainly to benefit the community rather than, as with a co-operative, its members.
A community benefit society can raise funds by issuing shares (as SSCE has done) and pay a reasonable rate of interest to its members. The rate of interest should be the minimum sufficient to enable it to attract finance for its projects, but over and above that surpluses should be used to benefit the community.
Community benefit societies are run and managed by their members and must submit an annual return to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), with whom they are registered.
Our aim is to work for the long-term benefit of communities in Staffordshire by investing in renewable energy projects and energy-saving schemes. Our Rules and a copy of the latest report and Accounts can be downloaded here:
Rules of Southern Staffordshire Community Energy Limited
Latest Directors’ Report and Accounts