The first council in the country to develop a strategy to grow the co-operative sector, Plymouth City Council, are now reviewing their innovative approach, doing more to lead the change needed to respond to the cost of living, housing and the environmental crisis.
A co-operative is a business or organisation owned and controlled by the people, to meet a common goal, this could be an economic, social or cultural need. Co-operatives can be retail or services, and they are jointly-owned and democratically controlled. In the tradition of their founders, co-operative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others.
The economic landscape of Plymouth, and the opportunities for economic growth, has changed dramatically over the past three years, post pandemic. This has given Plymouth the chance to review how co-operatives could fill the gaps our communities need and deliver a positive change in the city.
Local co-operative successes show the breadth of activities and causes they can impact on, seeing issues and bringing solutions. Plymouth Energy Community (PEC) works to create a fair, affordable, zero carbon energy system with local people at its heart; Queer District Collective is an emerging co-operative that supports the LGBTQ plus community and their allies on Bretonside and beyond; and Nudge is a community build project which has unlocked a number of the empty buildings along Union Street.
The council has committed to review existing strategies to develop a water-tight plan to encourage co-operatives to thrive, which will be launched on 6 July 2024 on International Co-operative Day. Over the next 12 months the council will be engaging with the local community and steering a new path to encourage the growth of co-operative businesses, with a strong focus on tackling the climate and environmental emergency through the development of our green/blue economy.
The city had its first cooperative way back in 1859 which was set up by Charles Goodenew, a shoemaker in Bretonside. By 1918 a host of shops, dairies, and butcher shops all worked together as co-operatives supplying local people with the goods they needed as well as ensuring money made stayed in the city.
Councillor Chris Penberthy, Cabinet member for Housing, Co-operative Development and Communities said: “We have just celebrated Co-operatives Fortnight and the International Co-operative Day which are good opportunities to celebrate a different economic business model that has been central to Plymouth for over 160 years. Co-operatives are part of our economy and we believe they can play a huge part in the sustainable economic future of Plymouth.”
“By investing in the economic wellbeing of people in this city, we can help keep people in work and generate jobs. We can give people more control over the supply of goods and services they receive and a greater say in the place we all live in. We can help people tackle the climate and environmental emergency whilst keeping more of the money made in Plymouth here in our city. We know there are significant opportunities within the city to develop co-operatively owned initiatives around the green/blue economy, and this will be a focus of our future investment support.”
Plymouth Energy Community (PEC) provides an example of the power of Co-operatives to lead change. As well as employing local people, PEC reinvests its profits from its community-owned solar farm to help support over 37,000 households; saving residents over £5 million through energy saving measures, bill reductions and providing access to benefits. CEO Alistair Macpherson said: “Our advice service is a lifeline to many individuals, cutting the cost of energy bills and in doing so supporting their wellbeing – at the same time as helping tackle climate change by providing clean renewable power.”
If you’d like to get involved in the Co-operative Strategy Review, contact Anna Peachey on cooperatives@plymouth.gov.uk