#OwnTheMedia - Positive News community shares

by Positive News in London

We did it
On 8th July 2015 we successfully raised £262,922 with 1526 investors in 30 days

Positive News is launching a Community Share Offer. This is your chance to become one of our owners and help change the news for good.

by Positive News in London

 New stretch target

Our target of £200,000 was the minimum that we calculated we need in order to have a reasonable chance at making a success of our plans for Positive News’ future.

But the more we now raise, the more time and resources we can give ourselves to get this right in order to make Positive News financially sustainable and increase our reach and impact.

With additional funding we will be able to allocate more to key needs such as employing core staff and investing in developing our content, website and new magazine. More funding will also mean we have a cushion to help us make ends meet and be resilient to any unexpected circumstances. Please help put us in the best possible starting position we can be!


We love news that inspires us. We know you do too.

For the last 22 years Positive News has pioneered journalism that shines a light on kindness, cooperation, creativity and innovation. We’ve brought stories of positive change to hundreds of thousands of people and increasingly, we are inspiring other media as well. But, like every news organisation, we have to adapt. We need to innovate to become sustainable and to meet the growing demand for our journalism. And just like we have pioneered a more positive form of journalism, we are now pioneering a new way to run a media business. We’re becoming the first crowdfunded global media cooperative; owned by our readers and journalists. And we want you to be part of it!

What’s the story?

By becoming a cooperative and issuing community shares, we aim to raise a minimum of £200,000 to secure and grow Positive News.

Why become a cooperative?

Most of the news media in the UK is owned by a handful of corporations and proprietors. But instead, as a cooperative, Positive News will be owned by hundreds or thousands of people with an equal say on important matters, meaning it’s a more democratic form of ownership. We will then be ultimately accountable to you, our readers, ensuring that we always report in your interests. And because we are a cooperative, our profits will be reinvested in achieving the aims of Positive News and serving our community.

What do I get?

Most importantly, you get to be a proprietor of the kind of media that you want. Every shareholder will have one equal vote on things like electing the board of directors who will represent your interests and oversee the operation of the publication. Only you will have the right to amend the Positive News Charter, which will govern what our news values are and how we strive to put them into practice.

And, depending on the reward level you choose when you invest, you can get your hands on some amazing extras, including a 100% organic cotton #OwnTheMedia t-shirt (or two!), a ticket to our relaunch party, your name on the supporters’ wall online, a personalised Postive News cover, and even an exclusive breakfast meeting with our Patron Martyn Lewis. Rewards (see full list on the right) are limited, so make sure to get in quick!

 

How will the money be used?

Your investment will help cover our costs while we expand our core team, develop our new website, relaunch our print publication, and build the audience and the income streams that will sustain us in the long-term.

Although there’s no guarantee we’ll pull it off, we believe this will be the making of Positive News as we move from a niche publication to something much more influential. All we need is you.

Here are the key areas we’ll develop:

- Digital

Build a new cutting-edge website. This will bring you the best quality positive news, including our own premium content and inspiring content from other content partners, presented in the most engaging and interactive way. It will also enable you to be more involved – for example sourcing and contributing news and helping us choose what we report on.

The new website will help us to boost our audience, which will increase our membership and other income such as bringing in more sponsorship and advertising from ethical brands that share our values.

- Print

Relaunch our print publication. Our quarterly newspaper will be replaced by a magazine – a truly inspiring publication presented in a way that reflects the value of our pioneering journalism. It will include a round-up of all the most inspiring positive news items, while focusing on unique features about the leading edge of positive social, economic and environmental change.

As well as going out to all our members, the magazine will be sold in shops to bring in new income.

- New services

Develop new services such as: events featuring inspiring speakers; selling positive content to other organisations; and media training courses.

For more detail, please see our business plan.

Can anyone buy shares?

Yes! That's the amazing thing about our community share offer: it's for everyone! You can buy shares from anywhere in the world, as long as you're over 16. For every £1 you invest, you get 1 share, with a minimum investment of just £50. We’re going to apply for Enterprise Investment Scheme tax relief, which, if we’re successful, will mean that for every £100 you invest, you can claim £30 of tax relief.

FAQs 

Read the Frequently Asked Questions, such as: Can I make any money? What’s the worst that can happen? What if we don’t make our target, or exceed it?

Testimonials

Important Documents

 

Inspiring, not-for-profit media, owned by you.

 Risk Warning Funding pitches through Crowdfunder.co.uk carries some risk. There is no guarantee for members making donations that any reward offered will be delivered. Equally, when members invest in community shares the capital they invest is at risk and they may not get back what they put in. Rewards based crowdfunding and the sale of community shares are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, nor covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. Click here to read more about the risks.

Levels of Investment

£50 or more

£50 Investment

FRIEND: 50 shares in Positive News

£100 or more

168 of 200 claimed

£100 Investment

TWEETER: 100 shares in Positive News + a personal tweet of thanks from our editor @seandaganwood

£150 or more

97 of 125 claimed

£150 Investment

SHARER: 150 shares in Positive News + 2 #OwnTheMedia t-shirts (100% organic cotton)

£250 or more

58 of 75 claimed

£250 Investment

CELEBRATOR: 250 shares in Positive News + 1 ticket to our exclusive re-launch party in London!

£500 or more

64 of 75 claimed

£500 Investment

INSPIRER: 500 shares in Positive News + you will be a 'featured owner' in print or online!

£1,000 or more

34 of 35 claimed

£1,000 Investment

COVER STAR: 1000 shares in Positive News + a personalised front page printed on an A2 poster!

£5,000 or more

3 of 4 claimed

£5,000 Investment

BRAIN PICKER: 5000 shares in Positive News + a half day private consultation session with our team about your media or community project (anywhere in the UK)!

£7,500 or more

0 of 2 claimed

£7,500 Investment

BREAKFASTER: 7500 shares in Positive News + a private breakfast for up to 10 people with our patron Martyn Lewis CBE and editor Seán Dagan Wood, at a highly exclusive London venue!

£10,000 or more

0 of 2 claimed

£10,000 Investment

GUEST EDITOR: 10,000 shares in Positive News + be our guest editor for one edition! You'll experience the production process and help choose our content.

£15,000 or more

1 of 2 claimed

£15,000 Investment

COOPERATOR: 15,000 shares in Positive News + guest edit an issue of Positive News + private breakfast with our editor Seán Dagan Wood and patron Martyn Lewis CBE, followed by an exclusive consultancy session with our team about your organisation or project's communications strategy

£20,000 or more

1 of 2 claimed

£20,000 Investment

HEADLINER: 20,000 shares in Positive News + meet the team at our HQ, receive a private tuition session in constructive journalism or writing, and exclusive dinner with our patron Martyn Lewis CBE and editor Seán Dagan Wood

£75 or more

300 of 300 claimed

£75 Investment

WEARER: 75 shares in Positive News + one #OwnTheMedia T-shirt (100% organic cotton)

£100 or more

100 of 100 claimed

£100 Investment

CLUB OF 100: 100 shares in Positive News + your name highlighted on the special Club of 100 investors list in print and online!

£125 or more

1 of 1 claimed

£125 Investment

TASTER: 125 shares in Positive News + a Divine chocolate tasting kit. **Exclusive reward, only 1 available!**

£125 or more

1 of 1 claimed

£125 Investment

CHEF: 125 shares in Positive News + an organic hamper from Suma Wholefoods. **Exclusive final-day reward, only 1 available!**

£200 or more

48 of 30 claimed

£200 Investment

SURPRISER: 200 shares in Positive News + a secret gift!

£2,500 or more

7 of 7 claimed

£2,500 Investment

LISTENER: 2500 shares in Positive News + a guest lecture by our editor, Seán Dagan Wood (anywhere in the UK)!

Got an idea like this?

Over £200 million has been raised from our crowd to support the projects they love! Plus tens of millions more unlocked by our partners.