Power to Change Trust

Power to Change Trust is an independent charitable trust with a mission to empower communities by strengthening community businesses that are locally rooted, democratically accountable, and trade for broad social benefit, fostering resilience, inclusion, and equity against economic decline, social inequality, climate vulnerability, and digital exclusion. Core values emphasize community empowerment, genuine participation, practical partnerships, and long-term systems change through sustainable, locally-led economic models rather than temporary aid. Their grantmaking philosophy prioritizes evidence-based interventions, capacity building, leverage of additional resources, policy advocacy, and collaborative support for grassroots enterprises driving measurable community transformation and pride.

They fund community-led activities addressing local economic regeneration through asset ownership of pubs, shops, town halls, and heritage buildings, inclusive high streets revitalizing vacant spaces for social enterprise, energy resilience projects tackling fuel poverty and climate adaptation, digital capacity building for connectivity and exclusion prevention, culture and heritage preservation enhancing cohesion and wellbeing, community-led housing development, and organizational resilience amid economic shocks or crises. Supported interventions include business development for trading enterprises, renovation of key assets for public benefit, food security via community kitchens and local culture hubs, arts and wellbeing programs like public halls for therapeutic activities and peer support, employability training through enterprise models, and innovative responses to social isolation, poverty, and marginalization. Beneficiaries encompass local residents, marginalized communities, people at risk of exclusion including ethnic minorities and low-income families, rural and post-industrial populations seeking active participation in neighbourhood renewal, with emphasis on diverse age groups building collective capacity via democratic ownership.

They exclude individuals, schools, for-profit businesses, and non-trading charities lacking local accountability or enterprise elements, focusing solely on organizations demonstrating broad community benefit through trading. Distinctive for sector-leading research on community business impact, blended finance mobilizing investment, national advocacy for policy enabling local ownership, and preference for collaborative, innovative grassroots models embedded in challenged urban, rural, and suburban communities prioritizing democratic renewal, social cohesion, and preventative resilience over service delivery alone.