The "Preston Model"

For Cooperative and Mutual Solution: http://cms.coop
For Calderdale: https://calderbootstrap.org there's also a group on FB.

I'm from Calderdale @mikeh8 and involved in Calderdale Bootstrap.

I had a notion of comparing Preston, Folkestone and Frome - 3 different approaches...

can you tell us more about Folkestone ?

Not by direct experience, but it rings bells with other east coast seaside towns I do know: This quote: "cultural branding used to conceal what is basically a speculative property development aimed at elite consumers.” from this article: https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/aug/27/folkestone-gentrification-row-saga-tycoon-harbour-development sums it up well. My direct experience is of Great Yarmouth, but the link is the practice of using 'culture' as branding for attracting investment (in theory) which fails to 'stick' with local (common!) people. (The 'Teflon' economy). In Folkestone, the De Haan investment is on a par with the large sums of 'Cultural Heritage' Funds and 'needs based' funding in Yarmouth - also using 'culture' as a mask. One private, one lottery - same effects. Attract the rich London 'cultural tourists' who are also potential investors by creating the impression of an ever emerging, 'cool' scene is the scheme. It may be working in Folkestone... In Yarmouth, several millions have been raised on the basis of helping 'communities' who never see the money and who walk by 'cultural quarter' 'galleries', theatres, international circus festivals and now, arts council funded projects while making their livings travelling out of town to chicken factories or selling coffee for a pound in largely ethnically separated cafes. Folkestone, Yarmouth, Frome, Preston - just very different models which, if compared, might lead to some wisdom on how to actually invest in communities' working assets (the coffee shops) and not desires or needs ( the 'cultural quarter/the deprivation'). It was the comparison of different approaches I felt might shine some light.. As Simon says below, where we put our money is one of the last choices left open, but unfortunately, where we make it isn't! 'Cultural Commons' and real peer production in this environment is a direct threat to the cash cow/magic money tree. Getting local authorities or large NGO's with 'service level agreements' to facilitate in this sort of climate is - challenging! First duty unto themselves and their funders... 'Regeneration without gentrification' is the term used in Yarmouth - in fact, they are getting neither! (not speaking with great authority on Folkestone but very willing to take all flak for my criticisms of G. Yarmouth). Apologies for negative tone - there are frustrations...!

Hi Michel, your mentioning Folkstone brings to mind the work of Christopher Houghton Budd from the Associative Economics org. Christopher did have or still does have an 'mini money museum' in Folkestone. He practices in my view the most progressive form of economic thinking with a particular focus on youth. This link gives a summery of the other things he is working on at Folkstone. Not sure of that was what your after but I find his work very inspiring and practical albeit challenging. http://www.financefolkestone.com/mini-money-museum

This may be what you are after Michel http://www.financefolkestone.com/pent-up-revaluing-folkestone

Christopher is also heavily involved in L' Aubier which you may have come across. In my mind one of the best examples of community finance that I have observed. A P & L is sent to the 1,300 member 'custodians' / owners every week for total transparency along with many other very progressive principles of responsibility towards the 'unfolding' of the entrepreneurs doing the work of 'creating money'. https://www.aubier.ch/en/home.html

People invest in their own portfolio for a personal return on investment. I think we will all do much better when we take our individual surplus & invest it predominantly in shared assets, i.e. commons infrastructure as stakeholders. Preston are doing this to a degree from the top down, i.e. state managed. We need many more mechanisms to facilitate it from the bottom up, but most of all this is a cultural shift. We can look inwards & take care of ourselves, or we can look outward, & take care of each other. If commons is a 'pooled resource', then we need to pool our own resources & 'buy back the commons;' from enclosure. At the end of the day, what we do with our own money is one of the few choices we have left. This is how cooperatives & commons come together. I thought the definition of commons was not state or markets managed, meaning Preston & other municipalities should focus on being a facilitator, I'm quite sure Mat Brown understands that. If I have read him correctly, I suspect he would be quite happy to make Preston Council obsolete.

Local authority reshaped in the mould of the 'Partner State' as described by John Restakis.