Worker coops = community businesses?

Hi – Tried to do it, but it only wants businesses that serve the local community

Mike Rudge Planning Coordinator

Tel:

+44 (0) 1638 745050

Fax:

+44 (0) 1638 745090

DDI:

+44 (0) 1638 745091

Email:

[email protected] ( [email protected] )

Web:

www.delta-t.co.uk ( http://www.delta-t.co.uk )

Soil Moisture, Data Logging,

Meteorology and Plant Science

Delta-T Devices Ltd, 130 Low Road,

Burwell, Cambridge CB25 0EJ, UK

Registered in England No. 22804R

( https://twitter.com/DeltaTDevices )

( http://www.youtube.com/user/DeltaTDevices )

( http://www.delta-t.co.uk/downloadsMCL/ISO%209001%20Cert.pdf )

Co-operatively Owned and Managed

( http://goo.gl/GOIMXd )

Depends how you define ‘local community’ and the benefits your products provide?

Yes – but I think it’s stretching a point to say Israel, Canada and America are local!!

Mike Rudge Planning Coordinator

Tel:

+44 (0) 1638 745050

Fax:

+44 (0) 1638 745090

DDI:

+44 (0) 1638 745091

Email:

[email protected] ( [email protected] )

Web:

www.delta-t.co.uk ( http://www.delta-t.co.uk )

Soil Moisture, Data Logging,

Meteorology and Plant Science

Delta-T Devices Ltd, 130 Low Road,

Burwell, Cambridge CB25 0EJ, UK

Registered in England No. 22804R

( https://twitter.com/DeltaTDevices )

( http://www.youtube.com/user/DeltaTDevices )

( http://www.delta-t.co.uk/downloadsMCL/ISO%209001%20Cert.pdf )

Co-operatively Owned and Managed

( http://goo.gl/GOIMXd )

Not from an intergalactic perspective.

Fair point – not thought of that!

Mike Rudge Planning Coordinator

Tel:

+44 (0) 1638 745050

Fax:

+44 (0) 1638 745090

DDI:

+44 (0) 1638 745091

Email:

[email protected] ( [email protected] )

Web:

www.delta-t.co.uk ( http://www.delta-t.co.uk )

Soil Moisture, Data Logging,

Meteorology and Plant Science

Delta-T Devices Ltd, 130 Low Road,

Burwell, Cambridge CB25 0EJ, UK

Registered in England No. 22804R

( https://twitter.com/DeltaTDevices )

( http://www.youtube.com/user/DeltaTDevices )

( http://www.delta-t.co.uk/downloadsMCL/ISO%209001%20Cert.pdf )

Co-operatively Owned and Managed

( http://goo.gl/GOIMXd )

I don't think there is anything in the survey to make them understand that our business is a cooperative, or even workers cooperative? If it wasn't in our name...

I don't think this is the best way to get a point across.

Most odd, the survey seems to consider that the problems a business face must be related to money

I have completed the survey and we are investigating options around becoming a community benefit society and thinking of our cooperative as a community business, rooted in the local community, to seek funding through Power to Change and Big Lottery Reaching Communities. We have also been shortlisted for their Community Business Trade-up programme.

Two important considerations.
1) is your organisation user-centred? (probably since its a coop), but also how are you engaging the local community to in influencing your organisation.
2) the criteria of a community business for Power to Change is based on geographic locality, and more about benefit for the community rather than members, hence why we are exploring the option of becoming a community benefit society.

So unless you have mechanisms in place for outward engagement with the local community (outside of your membership), you won't qualify as for Power to Change. That's my understanding of it anyway.

I think this is telling, its a shame if worker / producer co-ops have to change their structure and lose control so they can access funding. But that is the world we live. Why do funders believe that a worker/producer owned businesses are morally less good, than a customer/user owned businesses.