Buy Shares in Fordhall – become a landlord!
Good news - shares are still available! A minimum shareholding in the Fordhall Community Land Initiative is £100 (2x £50 shares), and they mean that you part-own Fordhall Organic Farm for life.
Purchasing our non-profit-making community shares enables us to continue our story and share the journey with you - safeguarding livelihoods on the land, nurturing nature, nourishing our soil and supporting our community through the activities we run.
Help us reach 1,000 new shareholders!
As we celebrate our 20th anniversary of saving Fordhall Farm from development, we're inviting people who believe in the power of community ownership and sustainable farming to invest in a bigger future through our 2026 Community Share Offer.
We are looking to reach 1,000 new members who will join our journey to create lasting impact as we work hard to safeguard more farms and more livelihoods on the land. We want to use the knowledge we have gained over the last 20 years to support others and to grow a movement where citizens, farmers and landowners are all equal.
By becoming a shareholder you will join a growing movement that puts people, place and purpose at the heart of our landscapes and food system. With more voices we can influence and support meaningful change, strengthen community resilience, and play an active role in shaping a sustainable future for more than just Fordhall.
Whether you're investing for social impact, community benefit, or a shared belief in our mission, every share helps build something valuable for generations to come. Read our full share offer document to find out more!
The impact
You can help us show that low-input farming, connected to local communities, offers a viable way of life for generations to come and you'll be supporting a wider community-ownership movement for organic farms in Shropshire and beyond!
Plus, we have lots of great projects at Fordhall that your involvement will help support too:
What does a community share mean?
- You will have a voice within each strategic direction we take, helping us to navigate the future for the benefit of our community and our planet - you could even put yourself forward to be one of our Board Members.
- These lifelong, non-profit-making community shares entitle you to one vote at the Annual General Meeting.
- You will be issued with a beautifully presented share certificate and a free annual subscription to our quarterly ‘Grazer’ Magazine for your first year as a community landlord.
- Shares can be purchased as gifts for loved ones, friends or children - wedding or christening gifts that last a lifetime.
- You may purchase as many shares as you wish, but each member is only entitled to a single vote, ensuring the FCLI remains 100% democratic.
How it works
We strongly recommend that you read the FCLI Society Rules before purchasing shares in the Fordhall Community Land Initiative.
These rules are here to safeguard the FCLI as a charitable community-benefit society and they explain how we operate and how you can share your voice.
Fordhall Community Land Initiative Limited is a charitable Community Benefit Society registered
with the Financial Conduct Authority under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies
Act 2014. Community Benefit Societies exist to serve the broader interests of their community.
Any surplus income generated must be used for the benefit of its community. Profits are never
distributed to the Board or shareholders - so, there is no incentive to sell any land that we own.
Your shares are your voice and you lead our strategic direction.
Registration Number IP30030R. The Society is on the FCA Mutual Public Register (Mutuals Public
Register (https://mutuals.fca.org.uk/)).
Before purchasing community shares, it is important to be aware your first share (£50) is non withdrawable. Any further shares, are withdrawable upon request. This is at the discretion of the Board (the FCLI Board has the ability suspend this option without notice if deemed in the best interests of the Society) and may be subject to a small administration fee.
The purchase of community shares is at full risk, and investors can lose all or part of their capital invested without recourse to the Financial Ombudsman Service or right to compensation under the Financial Service Compensation Scheme.
With the boring bit read and understood, the rest is about sharing a journey for a new future together. Sharing ideas and aspirations as we work together to build a movement of community-ownership that safeguards organic farms, livelihoods on the land and reconnects our communities to the land and the food that nourishes us. Being a shareholder in the Fordhall Community Land Initiative is more than simply a vote at an AGM or a certificate on the wall - it is about taking small steps that when taken together creates meaningful change for people, planet and soil. We look forward to hearing from you!
Investing in the future
Your share supports our five impact areas:
Sustaining livelihoods on the land
Experiencing nature
Nurturing the planet
Nourishing bodies and minds
Inspiring others
The Future and More Farms?
The Board of the Fordhall Community Land Initiative (FCLI) and our members have been discussing the concept of 'More Farms' more broadly. We consulted with our members in 2025 and asked:
Do you think we should use the knowledge and skills we have gained over the last twenty years to help more farms move into community ownership?
80% of our members said - Yes, definitely, and 19% said Maybe, as long as Fordhall is not put at risk.
As a result of this, the FCLI is now investigating ways it can encourage more land and farms into the ownership of local and wider communities. Helping to further our objectives of safeguarding organic livelihoods on the land and connecting our communities to that land and the people on it.
We have recently been awarded funding from Farming the Future programme to research this work in partnership with the Ecological Land Coop and Shared Assets. If it is something you would be interested in getting involved with, please drop our office an email.
We are hoping to bring all those working in the sector into one room to see what the possibilities are, and what Fordhall's place could be in this new future of a more national community-ownership movement.
Already, this is not just about Fordhall Farm, but the Fordhall Community Land Initiative is proud to be accepting the donation of a second farm in Devon in 2027. For more information see our West Town Farm page
Join us to share in this exciting journey.
Buying shares as a gift
For a child
- Applications need to be placed in the child’s name, held on behalf by a Guardian. Please make sure their name is clearly marked in the relevant box.
- When the child turns 16 their shareholding will revert to their name, as an adult shareholder.
For a birthday / anniversary / wedding / christening / Christmas gift
- Applications need to be made in the name of the shareholder and can only be made under one name.
- If you would like the certificate to be sent to you to pass on to the recipient, please give your full name, address and contact details in the large notes box within the application form.
The important bits
- You are buying shares in the Fordhall Community Land Initiative (FCLI), which is registered as a charitable community benefit society.
- Shares cannot be transferred or sold, but, aside from the 1st share purchased, can be withdrawn from the Society on request. This is at the discretion of the FCLI Board (the FCLI Board has the ability suspend this option without notice if deemed in the best interests of the Society) and may be subject to a small admin fee. These rules are here to safeguard the FCLI as a charitable Community Benefit (not member-benefit) Society.
- Share capital is not a guaranteed investment. There is a risk that it may not be possible to withdraw the value of your shares in the future. If you are thinking of investing significant sums, then we recommend you seek independent financial advice first. The maximum investment is £100,000 and the minimum investment is £100.
- The value of your shareholding never changes.
- The Fordhall Community Land Initiative has existed since 2005, and currently owns 128 acres of land and buildings at Fordhall Organic Farm, renting the land to a tenant farmer on a 100-year Farm Business Tenancy, whilst simultaneously using it as a valuable community resource.
- Purchased shares have a 14 day cooling off period, this includes gift purchases also.
- The FCLI rules were updated in 2025 as voted for by our membership. To read a summary of what the changes were please click here
The community landlord
Managed by founder, Charlotte Hollins, and a team of incredible paid staff and volunteers, the Fordhall Community Land Initiative (registered no. IP30030R and registered Exempt Charity with HMRC XR91116) runs many community projects onsite including a care farm, youth project, volunteering, school visits, cafe, youth residentials, meeting room, weddings, glamping and more. Fordhall is a working farm and the first community-owned farm in England. It currently has over 8,000 community shareholders from around the world!
It's not just at the heart of the community, but run by them and answerable to them - how cool is that?
We'd love for you to join us too.
Read the story of the Fordhall Community Land Initiative here.
Join Our Community
We'd love you to become a community landlord and join us in the future of Fordhall Organic Farm.
Please follow the form on the page below to buy your shares or feel free to contact us if you have any queries.