Building a vehicle for working-class people to make decisions that affect their communities.
If you want to help, please get in touch at blackbirdcp@riseup.net.
Everyone has limited time for now, this plan aims to get us more time so more of us can commit to making positive change in Northampton.
THE EVENTS TO COOPERATIVES PLAN
Through setting up new cooperatives we aim to:
-lower living costs, letting people take back control of their own lives,
-create space to address inequalities and local issues,
-generate wealth in the direct control of regular people,
-build supportive relationships and community structures,
-collectively prepare for the future.
We aim to form a local cooperative federation that automatically funds new projects, and enables collective planning and action to meet local people’s needs.
How to start?
Over the next few years, will run events to popularise the idea, raise funds for new coops, and build the group to make this happen.
With coops making up more of our local economy, we can significantly reduce our town’s carbon footprint, and directly address important local issues.
What are Coops and Secondary Coops?
Coops are member-run structures, such as a house run by its tenants, or a workplace run by its workers. Members make decisions collectively, so they can give themselves better protection than most workplaces and housing.
Work coop members share the wealth they generate, and housing coops can have much lower than average rent (because why would you overcharge yourself?).
Coops are stronger together.
A Coop Federation (or a ‘secondary coop’) is a group of coops that can share decision making, as well as funds, materials, and knowledge. Together, they can make a much larger impact on their own lives and the world around them.
What is FNDT?
FNDT (Foundation) is a new self-funding federation, where each coop will re-invest 10% of its revenue; to set up new coops, to fund community initiatives, and for anything its members can make something useful from.
It’s basically a vehicle for working class people to make important decisions that affect their communities.
This allows us to take full responsibility, instead of waiting for the local government to do something they never will.
What about improving access for local disabled people? The root cause of litter and flytipping? Funding the actual solutions to the drug and homelessness crises. Or space for local communities to grow food and skill up together?
It is all possible with community control.
If you want to help or if you have any questions, please get in touch at blackbirdcp@riseup.net
We are looking to organise a ‘Meet-up for New Cooperators’ in May or June, please invite any likeminded people so we can start growing this shared headspace. Good vibes keeps us coming back!
Our first fundraiser event will be an acoustic performance at Blackcurrent on Saturday the 4th of May.
Projects we want to learn from include:
–Cooperation Jackson in Mississippi – a grassroots coop federation focusing on the root of longterm issues, educating and responding to systemic racism
–Preston in Lancashire – a council-led transition to a cooperative economy to build wealth for local people
-Large housing coops such as LILAC, Sanford, Edinburgh Student HC, Roost Rent.
–Cooperation Hull – a new grassroots city-wide coop project who run Neighbourhood Assemblies so more people’s voices are heard in decision-making.
For the last decade Cooperation Jackson (…) has been accessing land for food and housing, building a network of worker co-operatives, and creating autonomous People’s Assemblies in order to take back power and build grassroots democracy.
Cath Muller, writing for Peace News
