Co-op News - February 2020

Co-operatives
UK joins campaign
to fight inequality
When world leaders and global businesses met in
Davos for the World Economic Forum, an alternative
campaign was highlighting pathways towards
a more equal society.
Co-operatives UK, the apex organisation for
co-operatives across the United Kingdom, has
joined the Fight Inequality Alliance’s annual global
campaign, held on 18-25 January.
By joining the campaign, Co-operatives UK
hopes to showcase the ordinary people who
are coming together to create solutions in their
local communities.
Secretary general Ed Mayo said: “We’re working
with organisations in six local communities to
tackle inequality with home-grown solutions
to local problems, through the Empowering Places
programme. This provides support for organisations
and people to generate and retain wealth locally,
and create greater access to health, work, social
and cultural opportunities.”
Abram Ward Community Co-operative in Wigan
is one of the six organisations taking part. Over
the past three years the co-op has been running
the project Made in Wigan, which provides
seed funding, training and support so Abram
residents can successfully manage and grow their
own enterprises.
It has also set up Men’s and Women’s Sheds,
where groups of local residents learn about
woodworking, gardening and other projects that
interest them. And through two community cafes
they engage with pupils at local schools using
the cafes’ gardens to grow produce and educate
youngsters about food production.
“It’s all about creating a bottom-up approach
to reducing inequality via community enterprise.
Instead of outside organisations parachuting in
and taking the money – local people are coming up
with solutions, taking action and generating wealth
that stays in the area,” said David Baxter, principal
officer of Made in Wigan.
Similarly, in Grimsby, Empowering Places
Programme is backing a charity called Centre 4,
which is working to boost local social and economic
regeneration. Centre 4 is based in Nunsthorpe, a
suburb and housing estate among the top 3% for
multiple deprivation, where just 49% of its 16-74
year olds are employed.
The charity runs an innovative ethical employment
agency, called ERA that helps local people to gain
skills and find jobs.
“There’s been a lot of research into the barriers
to employment in our area. We’ve consulted with
the community and created a model of ethical
recruitment,” said programme officer Rachel
Button. “When someone comes to us, we have a
conversation about their skills and the support,
training, education or work experience they may
need. We can signpost people to training with
other organisations.”
Locals are given help securing permanent jobs
instead of temporary ones and are provided with
two weeks training before going on a two week work
trial to see if the job is a fit for them.
In addition to the agency, Centre 4 is collaborating
with local allotments to build a team of volunteers
who regularly work there and has set up a digital
buddies scheme, training people to help others to
fill out forms and complete daily tasks online. The
charity is also running a points exchange scheme
for volunteering. Points are amassed and turned
into vouchers to use in the local area.
In Braunstone, Leicester, where some districts
fall within the bottom 1% of the 2019 indices
of deprivation, a charity called B-inspired is
working to tackle inequalities. It also runs a
trading company that reinvests money into the
community to counter the entrenched socio-
By Anca Voinea
34 | FEBRUARY 2020