In early 2013 the Outdoor Industries Association successfully registered to become a community interest company (CIC) with Companies House.
A Community Interest Company (CIC) is a limited company, with special additional features, created for the use of people who want to conduct a business or other activity for community benefit, and not purely for private advantage. It is a business with primarily social objectives whose surpluses are principally reinvested for that purpose in the business or in the community, rather than being driven by the need to maximise profit for shareholders and owners.
The primary core features of any company holding CIC status are twofold;
- Assets owned by the company are held in an asset lock which secures those assets to applications for the good use of community.
- Limitations applied to dividend and interest payments made to shareholders and financiers ensure a profit can be made, but the primary focus remains on achieving benefit for the community.
For more information about CIC’s please visit the CIC Regulator here.
The OIA has become a strong voice and a respected player in the whole agenda of health, well-being and inclusion. It’s great that the OIA is now seen as a voice that needs to be listened to as part of all those agendas.
Greg Mulholland MP
The OIA has become a strong voice and a respected player in the whole agenda of health, well-being and inclusion. It’s great that the OIA is now seen as a voice that needs to be listened to as part of all those agendas.
Paddy Harrop
The Forestry Commission are an active provider of multiple outdoor recreation projects to increase community participation in outdoor activity – from mountain bike trail centres to guided trail runs, from competitive adventure races to the family Gruffalo trails – we are certain much of our work contributes to the OIA’s mission to ‘Get Britain Active Outdoors’ . The OIA provides great opportunities for us to meet industry colleagues and learn from others. This is why we are members of the OIA, attend the OIA conferences and seminars, and enjoy working together on research and participation development.
Richard Leedham
It feels now that we are talking about some bigger industry issues at Governmental level and actually getting access, which is rather special.
Mary Rose
We joined OIA following the outstanding OIA conference, which was one of those events that anyone with any interest in the outdoor industry would want to attend and be part of. We were enormously impressed by the vibrancy and atmosphere.
Mark Held
Over the last few years the OIA has grown into one of the most successful National Outdoor Trade Associations in the world. Their policy of concentrating on the really important issues that face the UK industry has been incredibly successful and really demonstrates the vital role that such organisations can play. The EOG is fully supportive of the OIA’s mission and we’ve had the privilege of working closely with the OIA team on both UK, and European wide issues. Irrespective of the current turmoil surrounding the UK’s wish to exit from the European Union, the OIA will continue to be a valuable, core part of the European outdoor industry business.