We want to build the biggest possible co-operative economy we can.
We want more co-operatives, employing more people, selling more things to more people.
That means more money is generated in London, and stays in London, either as decent wages for workers and dividends for customers.
We know co-operatives do better for local economies and communities, so building that bigger co-operative economy builds a better London.
London has hundreds of co-operatives. Some have been around for a long time. Others are being created as we speak.
Some of them know of each other because they’ve been helped by an existing co-operative, whilst some have been formed by the Enterprise Hub. Some have been around quite a long time, but have never gotten involved in the wider network in the city.
If we can get as many co-operatives in the city talking with each other, and talking with people who are supportive of co-operatives, we can help generate business for co-operatives.
We can help people form co-operatives.
We can get co-operatives to buy things from each other, recycling money.
We can get people who support one co-op in their area to do the same with other co-ops selling other products and services.
That might be through different co-ops in a particular area working better together, introducing their customers to each other.
It might be co-ops in a particular business sector in London working more closely together, either to integrate their supply chains or to combine to get bigger contracts.
It might be uniting the voice of the co-operative sector to get more co-op-friendly policies from local councils or the London Assembly.
How can we do it?
We can do all of those things in the future, but we can’t do much of them yet. Not without you, anyway.
Until we have enough people, then these are just dreams and plans. So, the first step – and only step for now – is really simple. Join us by filling in the form on the right of this page.
Send this post to your own co-op’s members. Send it to your friends and colleague who you know support co-operatives, and believe in them as part of the way in which we make a fairer, more equal society.