West Oxford Community Renewables Limited was registered as an Industrial and Provident Society for the Benefit of the Community on 16th June 2009 by the Financial Services Authority (FSA).

Under the Co-operatives & Community Benefit Societies Act 2014, it became a Registered Society, and is run for the benefit of the community. It is registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). It has a set of rules for governance approved by the  FCA, which also scrutinises annual returns and accounts. You can see our rules here:

As a Registered Society, which is run for the benefit of the community, WOCoRe has individual and corporate shareholders who are known as members.  It operates on a ‘one member, one vote’  principle, irrespective of the size of a member’s shareholding. Members may receive annual share interest up to a maximum set down by the FCA, as the principle of a community benefit society is that the community‘s benefit takes precedence over that of the shareholders. 

Members elect a Board of Directors at an Annual General Meeting on a three-year rotation to manage the affairs of the Society.   All the management of WOCoRe’s operations and administration is undertaken on a voluntary basis. WOCoRe employs a bookkeeper, SPX Oxford Ltd. Our accountants are KBDR and our solicitors are Blake Morgan.

Osney Lock Hydro was originally set up as an independent Registered Society. In 2021 a transfer of engagements took place, so WOCoRe and Osney Lock Hydro are now a single entity, operating under the West Oxford Community Renewables name.