Study Visit: Nudge Community Builders
11.30am - 3.30pm
|
9
July
2025
Nudge Community Builders (NCB) is a Community Benefit Society set up in 2017 by local people to bring buildings back into use on Plymouth’s Union Street, where 25% of the land was standing empty. Using Community Shares, they have worked with the local residents to purchase three buildings, including: The Clipper – now a café and community market; The Millennium – a cultural venue) and C103 – a row of buildings that will eventually house a community hub, an urban farm, and other uses.
Now they are managing 4,000sqm of land for community benefit, employing six members of staff, the majority of whom live within one mile of Union Street.
Nudge Community Builders, 96 Union St, Stonehouse, Plymouth PL1 3EZ
We offer sessions on a sliding scale. Please select the 'organisation' rate if you are funded by an organisation to attend this session.
- An exploration of NCB’s multi-building/portfolio model to learn about their approach to bringing buildings back into use in incremental ways, involving local people and embedding the values that drive the organisation.
- Learn about NCB’s capital journey, and how they used loans, shares, grants to finance acquisition and renovation.
- Participate in a Q&A session with the founders and directors of Nudge to find out what it is really like day to day.
- Visit NCB’s buildings on union street, from the pub to the old nightclubs and learn about what has worked and what has been really tricky.
- Networking opportunities to meet connect with fellow community entrepreneurs and practitioners, accompanied by a local lunch.
Participants will also get a free copy of the ABCs of the New Economy guide in the post.
- Good understanding of the processes involved in acquiring, owning, running, and renovating a community asset through a real-life case study
- Practical tips on the DOs and DON’Ts of managing community assets, helping you avoid common pitfalls and find effective shortcuts
- Innovative approaches to fundraising and generating income through trade
- Local groups interested in taking ownership or management of local assets
- Organisations who already have an asset and want to review their model, structure, or plans
- Local authority staff looking to enhance existing asset transfer policies
- Residents and activists who are passionate about preserving and developing local community spaces
Hannah Sloggett and Wendy Hart are Co-Founders and Co-Directors of Nudge Community Builders. They are local residents who were both volunteering in the local area. They started Nudge in response to people asking ‘Why is no one doing anything about these empty buildings?’. Between them they have backgrounds in planning, housing and community work. They now also advocate for change to policy and funding through national networks to support more organisations to own buildings they care about.
Refunds
Refunds will only be made if a written refund request is received no less than four weeks before the session starts. Send your written request via email to workshops@stirtoaction.com. If you cancel your booking less than four weeks before the session starts, no refund will be made other than in exceptional circumstances and at the discretion of the organisers. No refund will be made for non-attendance.
Cancellations
In the event we have to cancel the session before it starts, we will endeavour to inform all participants at least two weeks before the it is due to start, although please be aware that this is not always possible. In such an event, all session fees paid to date will be reimbursed in full. We are unable to reimburse any other costs that may be incurred (i.e. travel, accommodation).
In the event that we have to change session dates before the start of the session, participants may request a full refund if the new date is not convenient.
Should you have any questions regarding these terms and conditions, please contact the Stir to Action team via workshops@stirtoaction.com.
