It was fantastic to welcome so many people to Bickleigh Mill last Tuesday and to hear your passion and ideas for its future. If you couldn’t make it and would like to catch up, you can read Pauline and James’s accounts of the evening to get a flavour of the event.

Your ideas, together with the support of 749 people and the 384 community questionnaires completed so far, show just how much enthusiasm there is for the project.

Our focus is now shifting towards becoming ‘investment ready’. That means developing a robust business plan, producing credible financial forecasts and putting the right legal structure in place.

This work will put us in a much stronger position to approach grant funders, social lenders and potential community investors for the finance needed to purchase and reopen the Mill.

The long-term vision for the Mill remains ambitious, but achieving it depends on first establishing a viable and financially sustainable core business.

Everything achieved so far has been made possible by people generously volunteering their time and expertise, and we are hugely grateful to everyone who has helped us reach this point.

As we move into the next stage, we would particularly like to hear from anyone with experience in business planning, financial modelling, community shares, social investment, legal structures or community business governance.

If you would like to help, please contact us at info@bickleighmill.org.uk.