Doing it Ourselves – Plymouth City Council

• Lead Member Plymouth City Council
• Categories Community Wealth Building

A strategic action plan to double the local co-operative economy in Plymouth by 2025. 

Plymouth City Council is the first council in the country to commit to doubling the size of its cooperative economy – helping local people to take more control of jobs, livelihoods and to keep more money in the city.

There are 23 co-operative enterprises based in Plymouth with a combined turnover of £18.6 million and membership of over 9,500 people.  The newly announced action plan will look at the most promising areas for Plymouth to develop its cooperative economy. They are:

• The local wellbeing economy – looking at models to support the growing demand for care services
• Community owned infrastructure – building on existing strengths in the renewable energy and housing field
• Worker-owned technology and creative industry – to strengthen existing networks to form cooperatives providing better growth prospects and security
• Public facing cultural and community hubs – develop models for cultural and community spaces to offer services such as workspace and activities
• Municipal cooperation – looking at procurement and sourcing services differently

The plan sets out four actions to:

1. Create the right conditions for cooperatives to form
2. Promote and support ways into cooperation
3. Apply national cooperative strategies locally to support health and social care, digital and freelance workers
4. Encourage and support cooperative approaches in the local wellbeing economy

View the Plan and technical appendix

 

Contacts:

Anna Peachey
Economy, Partnerships and Regeneration Manager
Plymouth City Council
T +441752307840
E anna.peachey@plymouth.gov.uk

 

Jane Hunt
Senior Economic Development Officer
Plymouth City Council

T +441752398048
E jane.hunt@plymouth.gov.uk