How can I invest?

 

We are running this share offer through the Crowdfunder website. Crowdfunder will take payment immediately using a credit or debit card and will hold the funds until the project is either successful, in which case they will pass the money to us, or unsuccessful, in which case they will refund your money. 

If you are having difficulties with using the platform then you may also directly invest with us by contacting info@musicvenueproperties.com. Funds invested directly will be held in a separate society bank account where they cannot be spent. These funds will remain in that account until the offer succeeds, at which point they will be transferred to to a live account used by the society for its business, or else repaid to investors within 4 weeks if the offer fails to meet its minimum target; 

 

I’ve invested through crowdfunder what happens next?

 

Thanks for backing Music Venue Properties. Initially You should receive an email from Crowdfunder confirming your investment. We will follow up this confirmation in the weeks after investment with a survey for all supporters to share their preferences but also help gather information about why you invested. Once the Share offer closes, we’ll process your investment, issue your shares and welcome you as a member. All memberships are subject to board approval. We will keep everyone informed about the campaign, any venue purchases and project milestones via email.

 

How will I keep updated about my investment?

 

We send out regular updates to all members via the email you registered the investment with – please check your spam filters. If you haven’t received one in the past three months, then please email info@musicvenueproperties.com with your name and investor details.

 

What is the minimum and maximum investment?

 

Shares cost £1 each. The minimum investment is 50 shares (£50) for under 25s,and 100 shares (£100) for everyone else. 

The maximum investment you can hold, combining shares bought now combined with any already owned,  is £100,000, though there is a mechanism for you to invest more in the society than this - anyone interested in this should contact us at info@musicvenueproperties.com

 

Who can invest?

 

Anyone over the age of 16 can invest (but only people aged 18 or above can serve as directors). 

 

Can I invest in a specific venue? 

 

We completely understand that some investors have a strong connection to particular venues, especially with the amazing line up of potential venues for this share offer. However, due to the nature of a time-limited community share offer, we’re unable to earmark individual investments for specific venues or offer refunds if a particular purchase does not go ahead.

Our commitment is to work tirelessly to acquire every venue listed within the share offer and to keep our members informed throughout the process—while also respecting the confidentiality of negotiations and the trust of venue operators.

That said, we do ask all investors to indicate which venue they feel most passionate about. This insight helps guide our priorities and ensures your voice plays a role in shaping our efforts.

 

Why haven’t you yet purchased a specific venue I am interested in from the first share offer? 

 

We understand your interest in a specific venue from the first share offer. Each property purchase requires thorough due diligence—not only because of our legal obligations as recipients of grant funding, but also to protect our ability to pay investor interest and support our venue operators. Proceeding without care could expose us to serious risks, like costly repairs or unpaid rent, which would undermine our mission.

In some cases, a purchase may be delayed or blocked due to external factors beyond our control, such as a vendor withdrawing from sale or increasing the price beyond what’s sustainable. Other venues remain in our pipeline but require time to resolve complex issues.

It’s also important to note that the first share offer did not reach the £3.5 million target needed to acquire all nine venues. We informed investors of this in April 2023 and provided the opportunity to withdraw, which some investors chose to do.

We remain committed to securing as many of those original venues as possible and will continue working hard to make that happen.

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Why can’t you reveal details on the properties you are advancing to purchase?

 

Our priority is to secure the best possible value for each venue we purchase. Sharing commercially sensitive details too early—especially with a large audience—increases the risk of information leaking into the public domain. This could attract media attention or prompt a vendor to raise the asking price, making the purchase less viable or even unattainable.

To protect the integrity of these negotiations, we maintain confidentiality until deals are completed. We appreciate your understanding and continued support

 

Why can’t MVP carry out all of the necessary due diligence ahead of your Share Offer?

 

Carrying out the full scope of due diligence required to advance a property purchase  is both time-consuming and costly. Completing it for every potential property before a share offer launching would risk wasting the Society’s resources if we then didn’t raise sufficient funds to proceed.

Additionally, full due diligence often requires vendors to invest in their own reports and process, something most are unwilling to do without proof that funding is in place. For these reasons, we conduct thorough initial assessments prior to the share offer and complete full due diligence only once we’re confident the acquisition can move forward.

 

You have set your minimum target at £1m, would that allow you to buy all the venues you have identified in this round?

 

Our £1 million minimum is based on the success of our first share offer, where we turned £1 million in community shares into nearly £3 million of total funding by securing additional grants, loans, and donations.

While we’re confident in our ability to repeat that model, we can’t guarantee it. That’s why we aim to raise more than £1 million in community shares if possible—to maximise our ability to acquire all the venues identified in this round

If we don’t reach the full target, we’ll still move ahead with the purchases we can, just more selectively.

We’ll focus on deals that can be completed within the available funding and continue working to secure additional finance (like grants and loans) to maximise what we can achieve.

No investor funds will be wasted, we’ll allocate them carefully and deliver value for our members. And as always, we’ll keep you updated on our progress every step of the way.

 

What happens if MVP raises more than the minimum target?

 

If we raise more than the £1 million minimum, that’s great news—it gives us greater flexibility and buying power. Additional funds allow us to Secure more venues from the current list, or move more quickly on those at immediate risk and should also leverage additional funding such as grants, loans or matched donations. It also helps build on the Society’s resilience in case of costs or delay. Raising more also means we can deliver greater impact, protecting more grassroots venues, faster, and with long-term stability.

 

Can organisations and businesses subscribe for community shares?

 

Yes. Incorporated groups (ie, those which are legally registered such as companies or other societies) need to advise us who the nominee of their organisation is, and that person should be named when buying your shares on Crowdfunder. You should also contact MVP directly via info@musicvenueproperties.com to advise us of the name of the business or organisation. Unincorporated groups are unable to subscribe at this time.

 

What if the society isn’t financially successful enough to survive?

 

If we did become insolvent, the ability of investors to recoup the funds they have invested would depend, firstly, on the value we (or the appointed insolvency practitioners) could get for the assets of the society and secondly, the value of our debts at that point. Our assets will overwhelmingly be the venues we own, and our debts would likely be from any mortgage-type finance we had secured to expand our portfolio. 

In the event of our insolvency or orderly winding-up, the proceeds from the sale of those assets and our cash would pay off all our creditors. If there were any funds left at that point, they would be used to pay shareholders back as much of their investment as they have outstanding as possible, on a pro-rata basis. As we are a charity, should there be any surplus after returning funds to investors this would have to be given to another charity or to enable charitable objectives to be delivered. 

This cannot be changed by members and is enforced by law. 

 

What happens if I don’t get all of my investment back?

 

Although we are registered as a society with The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the sale of withdrawable shares in the society is not regulated by the FCA. Like many investments, these community shares are at risk and you could lose some or all of the money you invest. 

Unlike deposits with high street banks, community shares are not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, nor is there any right of     complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. If you are considering investing a significant amount then you may wish to seek independent financial advice before doing so. 

 

Is it possible to see the financial projections for this share offer?

 

Our business plan is available on the Crowdfunder website, which contains detailed financial projections. 

 

Can my investment be gift aided?

 

We can claim Gift Aid (which turns every £1 donated to us into £1.25) but any sum on which we claim Gift Aid has to be a donation , not an investment and so once donated, no interest can ever be paid to you, nor can you ever apply for the money to be returned in the future. 

If you wish, as long as your donation is over the minimum investment of £50, we can make you a member of the society by using £1 to buy a membership share, and turn the remainder into a donation on which we can claim Gift Aid. 

 

Can I sell my shares?

 

No. This investment is in withdrawable share capital which cannot be transferred, sold or given to anyone else, except on your death. You can tell us in advance who you wish to transfer your investment upon your death, and we can transfer the first £5,000 of your investment to them; any investment above £5,000 requires your beneficiary to be explicitly named in your will. If you do not nominate anyone, then the Board will rely on the instructions given by your executors. 

Please note also that as the society is not deemed by HMRC to be engaged in business for profit, shares bequeathed in the event of your death will not be eligible for business relief from Inheritance Tax. 

 

Can shares increase in value?    

 

Shares cannot rise in value, so there will never be a capital gain. They may be reduced in value if our auditors instruct us to do so if they believe that the value of our assets has fallen.

 

Will I get a share certificate?

 

Everyone who invests will receive a  community share certificate confirming their membership and their investment.

 

What will you do with my personal details and data?

 

Your personal details as submitted on the application form will be held by the Society and used in accordance with the provisions of the rules and of the 2014 Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act.         

Only members can inspect the members’ register and view members’ names and addresses (but not how much they have invested)

The society will not share, sell or provide your details to any other individual or organisation and will ensure compliance with the GDPR regulation in accordance with its responsibility as a data controller

 

Is it possible to see the documents associated with the 2022 - 2023 share offer?

 

The Share Offer Document, Business Plan and End of Campaign update are available below.