The Amulet Centre: Community power turning the lights back on at a lost local theatre

The Amulet is a striking 1975 brutalist venue in the heart of Shepton Mallet in Somerset. Originally gifted to the town by the makers of Babycham – which is still produced at the local cider mill – the theatre had been closed for 20 years when the private owner of the building announced it was going up for sale.  

This sparked an idea that quickly grew into something much bigger – and the townsfolk rallied to bring it back into community ownership.  

“Some were sceptical it could ever be used again,” said local resident Martin Berkeley. “But Shepton Mallet doesn’t have a town hall, a village hall, a cinema or a theatre. There’s a real shortage of community space – and a strong demand for it.” 

A group was formed, initially setting up a community interest company (CIC) then later opting to become a charitable community benefit society (CBS). 

Early support proved crucial – and that’s where Co-operatives UK came in, providing model rules and a registration service to set up The Amulet Centre as a charitable CBS.  

“Being a CBS felt like the right fit for the project. Co-operatives UK is the only organisation that can register a charitable CBS, so that was essential,” Martin said. 

The Business Support for Co-ops programme delivered by Co-operatives UK in partnership with The Co-operative Bank, also funded specialist help to develop The Amulet Centre’s business plan and community share offer. This came from Community Business Advisor Misty Bower of Plunkett UK.  

“The share offer is a complicated document,” Martin said. “You have to explain the whole business model and all the scenarios, but in a way people can actually understand.”

A development grant from the Community Shares Booster Fund, another programme delivered by Co-operatives UK, enabled the team to attain the Community Shares Standard Mark – the guarantee of a quality share offer. It also funded promotional and community engagement activity for the share offer, which was launched in the summer of 2025. 

The team secured access to the building over the summer and ran a programme of events. Cinema screenings, theatre, live music and community dance showcased what the space could become.  

“Every time we opened the doors, people came in, enjoyed themselves, and wanted to buy shares,” said Martin. Momentum built steadily. “People needed to see it working. Some came back three or four times before they felt confident enough.” 

So when the share offer closed at the end of October, it had raised £128,000 from 302 investors. “People had already been volunteering, cleaning, decorating, taking pride in the place. Buying shares was the next step – owning a piece of the future of the town. And being able to say we had the Booster Fund support was huge,” Martin said. 

“The Booster was the first funder – and it showed other funders that a credible organisation thought the project was viable.” 

Thanks to the credibility The Amulet Centre’s share offer gained through Co-operatives UK’s support, they were able to offer an instalment scheme for the purchase of the shares, underwritten through Co-operative & Community Finance. This allowed people to buy shares over ten months. “Our minimum share was £250, which is high for some people. Instalments meant more people could take part.”

The team held their first AGM in January 2026 and elected 10 members to their board to lead the project and run the community benefit society, with volunteers involved in working groups. And February saw another pop-up event at the venue – a fashion show and costume exhibition that was a huge success.  

With grant funding now needed to reach the building’s £700,000 valuation, the journey isn’t over. But the foundation is strong. “Being able to say 300 local people have put their own money into this gives us a much stronger case for bigger capital funding,” said Martin. “Without the support from Co-operatives UK and the Community Shares Booster Fund, we wouldn’t be where we are now.”  

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