Locality 11 Convention

I was recently delighted to attend the national convention of our member, Locality.  Locality 11: Communities ambitious for change event was held at the Palace Hotel, Manchester (1 Nov)

The event was attended by nearly 600 people including development trusts, community enterprises, settlements, social action centres and supporters of social justice.  It was a great opportunity to come together to share experiences and best practice.

Locality is a member of Co-operatives UK and also the lead partner in the Community Shares programme and one of the workshop sessions focused on “A Share of the wealth – alternative financing”

The session recognised that at a time of scarce grant funding community organisations are increasingly looking at alternative ways to get capital intensive projects off the ground. Whether its wind farms, pubs, shops or sports facilities, communities are recognising the potential to use equity finance to get projects off the ground. One of the projects supported through the Community Shares programme is FC United of Manchester, a community football club owned and democratically run by its 2,000-plus members. Its corporate structure is a Community Benefit Society and membership is open to all, with everyone an equal co-owner, holding one voting share in the club.

FC United are members of Co-operatives UK and Andy Walsh explained how they had already raised £1.3million from community shares.  They had just achieved planning permission for a new ground at Moston and uniquely in English football, are aiming to raise £1.6m through an issue of Community Shares toward the £5 million cost of the stadium.  A video of Andy Walsh talking about community shares can be viewed here

Another community shares project, Hastings Pier, shared their story of how they engaged with the local community, and through people power were able to convince the Council to support plans for the people’s pier, and how to cope with disaster when the pier nearly burnt down.

Hastings Pier successfully achieved development funding of £357,400 from Heritage Lottery Fund to enable the Trust to move to the next stage of its plans before a final decision is made on a full HLF grant of £8.75m.

I was particularly delighted to attend a workshop on Community Managed Libraries and Digital Asset Development.  This an area Co-operatives UK has been exploring in terms of alternative models of delivery (community managed and owned) and subject of an earlier blog. The session provided a very useful introduction to community managed library services and explored possible trajectories of library services developed in community hands and ably presented by Anton Schultz, Locality.

Michael McCusker, Fresh Horizons Ltd, based in Deighton, Huddersfield manages the multi-agency Chestnut Centre and Information Centre for Kirklees Council.   The centre provides access to advice about a range of services such as Council Tax enquiries, help with benefits, housing enquiries and a library, which includes a range of books and free internet access for all the family.  The Council provides library stock, there are no qualified librarians, and uniquely staff multi-task and deal with library service but also council and credit union enquiries, and room bookings.

ECO Computer Systems (ECS) is an innovative social enterprise providing IT recycling and IT refurbishment facilities to householders, businesses of all sizes, local authorities, schools and not-for-profit organisations. Earlier this year, the management of three of these libraries was handed to ECS. The libraries were rechristened "community hubs".

The firm's 39-year-old founder Darren Taylor describes them as the natural expansion to his business, which donates 30% of the computers it recycles to needy individuals and community groups and ploughs its profits into IT training and other social projects.

The three libraries in Crofton Park, Grove Park and Sydenham, for which Taylor's organisation has been given leases of up to 25 years, are combining traditional book borrowing with a patchwork of income-generating activities including IT and employment training, cafes, second-hand book sales and the rental of community meeting space. They are overseen by community hub managers employed by his organisation, helped by a pool of 120 volunteers. In the first weeks of the transfer to ECS, library staff showed the new managers the ropes but none of the council's librarians work there now.

It is early days and it will be interesting to see how the income generated will in future years meet capital and building repair costs estimated at £1 million.

Tracy Currer, Ecomodo, explained that their online website which allows people to lend and borrow each other’s everyday objects, skills and spaces with confidence saw library lending as a natural extension.

The session also mentioned the Caistor Arts and Heritage Centre which was featured in the recent BBC Village SOS TV series.  Caistor Library is now situated within the Arts & Heritage Centre enabling increased opening hours 7 days a week. The library is manned by both Lincolnshire County Council staff and local volunteers who are available each day to offer you help and guidance during your visit.

All in all it was a good convention over two days (1 and 2 November) and some interesting learning and inspiration.  Presentations from the convention can be found here