Three years ago the UK REconomy Project set out to explore ways communities could best support the transformation of their local economies.
As the funded element of this phase of REconomy comes to an end we brought together 20 REconomists from across the UK to look at what support is needed now across the movement. Read our collective report.

REconomy responds – Our new blog out today outlines what’s next for REconomy and how you can get involved in the discussion.

*NEW* How to do an Economic Blueprint

A Local Economic Blueprint is project that aims to evaluate the economic potential of different sectors within your local economy and identify opportunities for new, community-based economic activity. Download our new guide designed to inform, guide and support you and your group through a self-facilitated process.

Free Funding Database 

We’ve scoured the fundraising landscape in the UK to pull together over 200 different grants, equity programmes and other platforms open to REconomy style enterprises and projects. The world of fundraising moves pretty fast and we hope this database will enable you to find the funding you need to create community-led economic change.

Our building blocks to community-led economic change.

Base building, dynamic planning, practical partnerships, place analysis and space creation!
These five steps encompass learning from three years of REconomy work across the UK. They are the building blocks to helping transform local economies from the bottom up. Find out more.

Brixton Interview

Duncan Law, founder member of Transition Town Brixton, has delivered the REconomy Project pilot in Brixton. Find out more

Resource Refresh!

We’ve revamped our Events Toolkit and included a new chapter on post event activity. This guide will help you to engage your local community, businesses and other organisations in REconomy work through your event. Download your copy now.

The post REconomy Newsletter – Summer 2017 appeared first on REconomy.

In April we brought together a group of 20 REconomists from across the UK to talk about the future of local economies.

As the funded element of this phase of Reconomy comes to an end it seemed fit to draw not only on our own experiences, but of other people and organisations in the Reconomy space, to look at what support is needed now to take the movement forward.

The group aim was to:

• explore the current context and activities;
• identify commonalities – potential opportunities and barriers;
• and to explore the scope or need for a coordinated or collective approach to activity across communities or at other levels of scale.

Read our collective report that encapsulates all our discussions from the day.

Read our blog to discussing REconomy’s response and what’s next for UK REconomy.

The post The Future of Local Economies – Collective Report appeared first on REconomy.

As the funded element of this phase of the Reconomy Project comes to an end, we draw not only on our own experiences, but of other people and organisations in the Reconomy space, to look at what support is needed now to take the movement forward. Read the blog and join the conversation.

Bright Ideas Fund

The second round of Bright Ideas Fund is now open. If you are a community group or organisation who would like to set up a community business but need a bit of help, the Community Business Bright Ideas programme could be for you. Find out more – second round closes 31 May.

Resources

Couldn’t make REconomy LIFT? Check out our list of resources covered during the event – with links to presentations, films and ‘how-to’ guides.

Calderdale Bootstrap

hold their first event – they have 5 local social enterprises lined up to pitch to “The Community of Dragons” on 5th May.
Calderdale Bootstrap are one of three finalists of the Lush Spring Prize that have emerged directly, or indirectly, from Transition initiatives.

Sharing stories

Check out the Facebook group from our friends at Far Nearer  – designed to share stories about local economies.

Global Forum

Catch up on four jam packed days of workshops and debate with over 60 speakers and thought leaders. Follow the conversation #NESIforum or check out the latest news.

New voices

From June there will be a collection of new voices on the Transition Network website as 8 storytellers take-over the blog for 6 months. There’s sure to be plenty of REconomy talk – and you can join the conversation by leaving a reply.

Regional Networks

Transition Network is running a series of free Regional Network Workshops in England to bring Transition Groups together to look at forming networks in their area. The Transition Hub – London and South East has been running for a year now and recently co-organised REconomy LIFT, giving people the opportunity to meet and discuss REconomy issues. Find out more details of what’s happening, and sign up to events in your area on the website.

Doughnut Economics

Kate Raworth’s new book about Doughnut Economics is now available – along with blogs, video and animations on her website. Kate is a renegade economist focused on exploring the economic mindset needed to address the 21st century’s social and ecological challenges. She is a Senior Visiting Research Associate at Oxford University’s Environmental Change Institute and also a Senior Associate at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.

The REconomy Project is generously supported by the Friends Provident Foundation and the Polden-Puckham Charitable Foundation.

The post REconomy Newsletter – April 2017 appeared first on REconomy.

So as the funded element of this phase of Reconomy comes to an end it seemed fit to draw not only on our own experiences, but of other people and organisations in the Reconomy space, to look at what support is needed now to take the movement forward.

The Future of Local Economies Day in Birmingham at the beginning of April brought together a group of 20 people to kick start these conversations. The aim?

• To explore the current context and activities;
• to identify commonalities – potential opportunities and barriers;
• and to explore the scope or need for a coordinated or collective approach to activity across communities or at other levels of scale.

We started the day by identifying the current challenges and opportunities. And whilst there were certainly regional differences some themes quickly began to emerge. It was heartening to put ‘council cuts’ in with the opportunities – we heard stories of councils being more creative in their approaches and open to new ideas and community led solutions.

A big challenge was connecting what was going on locally across the different sectors – food, housing, health, energy. People were often aware of beacon projects in other parts of the country or other countries but not on their own doorsteps.

So what were the questions that the group decided to discuss through the open space model? We identified six topics where there were opportunities or challenges that we might address together.

1. How do we sustain a local currency?

“There is very little impact study of either the local pound based or time based currency models and we think that’s an opportunity missed so far. Because we really need that impact evaluation for us to be able to decide whether it’s worth us starting up our own currency schemes. It’s something we really need to tack urgently.”

2. How do we move from volunteering to livelihoods?

3. What’s the role for Local Government?

“We think there are some really interesting legislative tools around and other models – the Localism Act and The Well-being of Future Generations Act. National Government doesn’t know how to get this information out; we need to build the knowledge and confidence for people too use it.”

4. How do we create a pipeline for local investment?

5. What we are doing in Sheffield?

“We were able for the first time to genuinely articulate the set of problems that hadn’t really been understood at the city or city region level.”

6. How do we establish solidarity economies across place?

“When you go into a place where people are trying to do all kinds of different things – housing, livelihoods, asset development, food growing – they don’t understand all the organisations that are operating at a national level for them. But it’s in communities where all the really interesting things are happening and where the expertise is being generated. Peer to peer work might be a better way to have those conversations on a local level.”

These are just a snapshot of the discussions; we’ll be presenting the full conversations in a short report coming soon. But one thing is for sure – the possibilities for working together through partnerships, peer to peer networking or through online or social groups are great. And we’d love to widen the conversation. If you would like to contribute please get in touch.

The post What’s the future of local economies? appeared first on REconomy.

On 25th February over 70 people gathered for REconomy LIFT – an event for Transition groups designed with the aim to inspire and enable people to transform their local economies from the roots up.
The day was jam packed with workshops and skills surgeries – plus an inspiring call to action from Andrew Simms (New Weather Institute and Transition Network board member).
Read the blog and watch video clips of the event.

The potential of urban agriculture

Regather in Little Sheffield is starting to put community economic development into practice. UK REconomy Project Coordinator Laura Outhart finds out how.

Sustainable marketplace ‘Blue Patch’ share their thoughts on REconomy

Jane and Preeti from Blue Patch led a workshop on business planning at REconomy LIFT event. Hear their thoughts from the day and on REconomy. “We love being part of this welcoming group of people, there is enough energy and common sense at work here to make REconomy the most important thing we can possibly do.”

New Economy and Social Innovation – Global Forum

19 – 22 APRIL | SPAIN
NESI Forum 2017 is a Global Forum on New Economy and Social Innovation that brings together international representatives of the New Economic Movements.
Hear from inspiring speakers, thought leaders, innovators, economists, and global business leaders. Co-organised by the Transition Network – this gathering offers the opportunity to be part of the co-creation of the first Manifesto for a New Economy. Find out more.

Resource Focus

Our Events Toolkit for Transition Initiatives aims to help people stage local or regional events themed around transforming a local economy including how to engage local community, business and other organisations in REconomy work through these events.
Download more practical guides for community economic change on our website.

The REconomy Project is generously supported by the Friends Provident Foundation and the Polden-Puckham Charitable Foundation.

The post REconomy Newsletter – March 2017 appeared first on REconomy.

Regather Works is a trading cooperative based in the Little Sheffield, a densely populated residential community less than a miles walk from Sheffield city centre.  Over the years has suffered badly from post-industrial economic decline.  In 2015 Regather worked with a small group of local organisations to develop a Community Economic Development plan, to look into how people can come together to bring economic change to the area.  (Find out more about the CED programme here and for more on the Little Sheffield’s experience see here). 

As we’ve found with groups we know who have worked on Economic Blueprints, communities who have spent time devising a local economic strategy often find their biggest challenge can be in turning their plans into action.  On March 14th Regather Works, in partnership with the REconomy Project, hosted the first of a series of events around their key theme of Urban Agriculture, starting with the question What is the potential of urban agriculture in making Sheffield a sustainable food city? 

The packed event kicked off with a set of quick speeches that took us on a whistle-stop tour of the sustainable food arena.  First we heard from Sustainable Food Cities who highlighted how much local food partnerships are already achieving across the UK.  Next up was Heeley Farm who have been bringing the rural wealth of nature into Sheffield for the past 35 years and posed tough questions about land availability and the difficulty of generating living wages from local food production.  Then we were transported to the suburbs of Paris to learn more about AgroCité, a fascinating project exploring how city suburbs can be designed as urban agriculture hubs.  Finally, Regather Works outlined their plans to support the growth of urban agriculture in Sheffield and the possible role it could play in the economic transformation of the area.  

The discussion then moved to the floor for an extremely lively and diverse session that spanned veg box affordability, land security, gardens for food growing, rough sheep grazing, flexitarianism, a Brexit Land-Army, the risk of creating “new plantations” and much more.  As the conversation started to move from questions to possible solutions, familiar themes of improved communications and new currencies started to emerge.  

This was just the first of many events planned for the coming months set to include lectures, film screenings and workshops.  With over 50 Sheffield communities represented, so many new ideas emerging and a discussion that continued long past the planned end of the event, it definitely felt like a very exciting and uplifting start.

The post Urban Agriculture in Little Sheffield appeared first on REconomy.

Andrew Simms from the New Weather Institute kicked things off with a rallying and thought provoking introduction. Hear him speak.

“The extraordinary thing at the moment is that the economy is falling apart, we’re still living in the rubble of the aftermath of the financial crisis and you’ve got a system which is using the failure of it’s own flawed model to push the same old policies.”
“What’s important about REconomy is that, from the roots up – form the very base of the local economy – we’re finding people who in the face of policy failure at a Government level are getting out there and showing how – in everything from energy to food to transport and health – that people working together can come up with a better way of doing things. That can set our livelihoods on the path to really deep and important sustainability.”

It was clear from the day’s packed agenda that Andrew is right. The first session of the day consisted of seven workshops run by contributors from across the region already testing out these ‘better ways’ for themselves and ready to share their experiences. It was a difficult choice between community energy, food markets and veg boxes, local economic blueprints and forums, REconomy in practice and community property ownership. Read the full list of workshops.

Laura from Crystal Palace Transition Town led the workshop focused on her experience running Crystal Palace Food Market. “It was really nice to meet people in the workshops, all with different passions and goals – and hopefully help them on their way. The time really whizzed by!”

The differences and diversity in passions and goals were reflected once again in the afternoon skills sessions – six break out groups fueled on the energy from an abundant shared offering of cakes and local goodies. Whether you forte was fundraising, communication or legal structures, there was something for everyone. You can find the resources covered in the sessions listed in our online document.

Throughout the afternoon animated, intense and lively conversations were happening across the room – peppered with laughter. Duncan from Transition Brixton commented, “The thing that Transition groups have is intense local connection. And local connection can solve and create so many things.”

So what did the day bring to the work already being done through the active groups across London and the South East? Well…

• 98% now feel more confident about getting involved in local economy activities
• And 92% made new contacts relevant to local economy activities.

To give this some context we asked three people to share their thoughts with you – about the connections they made, their intentions from the day and how they plan to keep up the infections momentum from REconomy LIFT!

Meet,

• Michael who came to REconomy LIFT as a newcomer to Transition.
• Karen from Crystal Palace Food Market. Karen led a workshop at the event.
• Richard from Transition Town Tooting. Richard was co-producer of REconomy LIFT

Tell us what an event like REconomy LIFT brings or adds to your current Transition Network (TN) activities?

Michael: Currently I don’t have any TN activities. This is the first time I came to an event like this and it was really great. I was by myself but was instantly welcomed by the group and felt comfortable sharing my thoughts with everyone else. I would now be very keen to join future events like this.

Karen: It’s really great to connect with other people who have a similar vision, it brings a sense of being part of a community.

Richard: REconomy LIFT brings connection. Connection between Transition Initiatives who are regional neighbours. Connections between stories and themes; between geographical proximity; between this region and a wider Transition Movement. For me, seeing that connection happen offered the opportunity to share experiences and stories and through that sharing, perhaps circumvent reinventing the wheel. It provided an opportunity to support individual and group projects by seeding possibilities for ongoing relationships, providing a generous and caring place for those brave enough to suggest new ideas that often feel a bit terrifying and give a huge amount of resources for post event activities.

Did you make new connections? Tell us about them.

Michael: The two facilitators of the group had previous experience in creating energy projects and were very informative. I also met other people my age who were interested in renewable energy which was exciting as I hadn’t considered this! One of them created a Facebook group called “People Interested in REconomy Renewable Energy”, which I was keen to join and we will hopefully be able to motivate and learn off each other.

Karen: I deepened my relationship with Jane Langley from Blue Patch and met Preeti Bonton to talk about business planning. I met and talked to Jo Taylor.

Richard: Wow, where do I start – through the process of Co-Producing the event, I’ve developed richer relationships with lots of people from the REconomy Project and Transition Network, plus across the Transition London and South East Hub. Not forgetting our fantastic contributors and helpers on the day and a big chunk of the Transition Initiatives who attended.

Specifically, the London and South East Hub development, I think, has been given a big dose of energy and focus and an embodied and activated sense of purpose through making REconomy LIFT happen. Transition is all about the activity, but to support that activity and give a sense of a greater whole we need to do events like REconomy LIFT. Tangible ongoing connections are its the Transition Initiatives in London and the South East, we have our next meet up on Monday 13th March, as well as with the TN and REconomy Project for future Regional gatherings.

Were there any people or activities that you feel would have added to the conversation?

Michael: I think the conversations were very good. They showed what everyone was interested in and what they were doing. Smaller groups would have been helpful as this would have encourage more discussion. Our group was quite big, and after everyone introduced themselves we ran out of time to get into deep conversation and question answering.

Karen: I would have liked more time for each of the activities. It felt a bit rushed in the time we had.

Richard: I feel we did as much as we could in the resources at our disposal, however, I would have liked to have seen a greater diversity of attendees from other Grassroots Environmental Organisations and movements and the wider actors who support Social and Technical innovations like Transition Towns, e.g. local Government officers and representatives, Institutional representatives perhaps from education etc. I would have loved to open out the Transition focus to them about a month out from the event and perhaps invited them as “keynote listeners” particular any Politicians.

I believe creating more opportunity for overlap and cross-fertilisation of ideas would have been beneficial and positive. But the event was a delight! The energy and focus in the room was tangible and brilliant!

What intention or action did you take from the day?

Michael: I booked myself onto “Demand Energy Equality”, where I will learn how to build a solar panel. I had found the course online before the event, but had met someone at the event who helps run it! I also intend to go to similar events in the future and when I get a chance to commit to local project.

Karen: To continue to run the market and improve it every week. To keep an eye out for the projects that were presented at the event.

Richard: To keep connecting people and groups in the spirit of the London and SE Hub – sharing experiences, supporting people and groups and projects, organising together to affect greater change and be part of a bigger picture of grassroots innovation. Keeping opportunities open for celebration and connecting beyond Transition to create more possibilities.

What follow up would you plan after this event to keep up the momentum and energy?

Michael: I find that I want to do something positive but find that I am short on time. Another event like this would be great as it re-connects me with my values of working together to make a greener better world from the ground up, but equally a local event where I can turn up and do some work to move a project forward would be exactly what I want to do.

Karen: To recommend that others attend Transition events in London and the South East – it’s so good to feel part of something bigger than just your area.

Richard: Organising and Co-facilitating the next London and SE Hub meeting on March 13th! And sharing the experience of REconomy LIFT with Transition Town Tooting. I’m also organising a visit to our “Transition Twin”, Transition Kingston! We’ll figure out what that means as we start to do it…

The post REconomy LIFT – what happens when we come together to transform local economies. appeared first on REconomy.

BOOK YOUR TICKET NOW!
Saturday 25 February | 13.30 -18.00 | London

Keynote speaker: Andrew Simms (New Weather Institute, new economincs foundation).
This REconomy Event is designed by and for Transitioners whether you are new to REconomy or have established REconomy projects in your Transition Town. Hear from current REconomy projects covering food enterprises, community energy and loads more, find REconomy buddies for future conversations through structured networking and develop your skills in skills surgeries. This event is run in partnership with Transition Hub – London & South East.
More details on our Facebook event page. Book tickets on Eventbrite.

Demain – ‘Tomorrow’

Already viewed by over 1.5 million people in France alone, and winner of Best Documentary at the Cesar Awards (the French Oscars), ‘Tomorrow’ has been hugely impactful.  Produced by activist and writer Cyril Dion and actress/director Mélanie Laurent, it tells the story of their search for solutions to the crisis humanity faces. Totnes, Todmorden and Bristol have already organised screenings. Find out how to organise your own and watch the trailer!

Lush Spring Prize…

is a new £200,000 prize fund, and other support activities, to help projects around the world that are working towards environmental and social regeneration. It is open to individuals, communities, and organisations from the earliest ideas stage of a project, through to established organisations, and campaign groups. Nominations for 2017 are open until February 28th.

Resource Focus

Our Transition Enterprise Handbook  is designed to inspire entrepreneurs and give an overview of the process of setting up a business, or help an existing enterprise which is planning a period of change or development in the UK.
Download more practical guides for community economic change on our website.

New Economy and Social Innovation – Global Forum

19 – 22 APRIL | SPAIN
NESI Forum 2017 is a Global Forum on New Economy and Social Innovation that brings together international representatives of the New Economic Movements.
Hear from inspiring speakers, thought leaders, innovators, economists, and global business leaders. Co-organised by the Transition Network – this gathering offers the opportunity to be part of the co-creation of the first Manifesto for a New Economy. Find out more.

REconomy Sheffield event in partnership with Regather

Wednesday 1 March | 6pm – 9pm | Regather Works | Sheffield 

What is the potential of urban agriculture in making Sheffield a sustainable food city? An evening of short presentations and open conversation featuring Leon Ballin (Sustainable Food Cities), Doina Petrescu (School of Architecture, University of Sheffield) and Gareth Roberts (Regather). A great opporunity to learn about urban agriculture, explore innovative case studies from the UK and Europe, and share in creating an exciting vision of resilient systems for urban food production across Sheffield and the emerging City Region. This is a Regather event in partnership with REconomy Project UK.
More details on the Facebook event page. Book tickets online.

Doing it Ourselves

Forum for a New Local Economy | Saturday 4 March | Paignton | Devon

Join changemakers from Brixham, Paignton, Torquay and across Devon to connect, get inspired, learn something new, and start new collaborative relationships. This is the 3rd Devon Convergence event. More details and tickets on Eventbrite.

Inspiring News!

Seven local business projects in Totnes are to benefit from the Devon County Council’s Invest in Devon Fund, thanks to Lib Dem Councillor Robert Vint, who said, “The hope is that these investments will help create local jobs and provide for local needs while benefitting local communities”. The projects were chosen because they support the local food economy, promote local sustainable transport, help young people to develop careers in the Arts and help more new and community enterprises to set themselves up. Find out more

The REconomy Project is generously supported by the Friends Provident Foundation and the Polden-Puckham Charitable Foundation.

The post REconomy Newsletter – February 2017 appeared first on REconomy.

“Totnes has been badly battered by economic changes in recent decades. Globalisation, centralisation and the relocation of business to major cities has resulted in the closure of many major employers,” explains Cllr Vint.  “An alternative to chasing ‘big business as usual’ is to invest in resilient community businesses and social enterprises that create local jobs and provide for local needs while benefitting local communities. The Local Economic Blueprint for Totnes & District, drafted by the REconomy Centre, shows how we can revive the local economy through community enterprises that provide local food, produce local energy, repair and restore local houses and support local health care needs. Inspired by such examples I have worked with the REconomy Centre to identify opportunities to support new local businesses of this kind.”

The recipient of one of the awards, the Totnes REconomy Centre, worked with Cllr Vint to identify another six social enterprises in Totnes & District suitable for support.

The REconomy Centre itself received £1,400 for a video camera and projector that will assist in its aims to support new projects that raise community wellbeing, improve environmental sustainability, and increase the resilience of the local economy.  “In Totnes, we’ve framed our work in terms of inspiring a new kind of economic system – or, at least, a new kind of community-led economic regeneration and development,” says project coordinator Jay Tompt.  “Our local and regional economies should create an abundance of opportunity for people to meet their needs, in ways that work with natural systems, are inclusive and fair, and that generally increase the well being of the entire community.”

Grown in Totnes, which received £9,125 to buy a grain dryer and cleaner for its local grain production project.  As project coordinator Holly Tiffen explains, “Our three farmers already grew grains and legumes, but for animal feed.  Grown in Totnes provides them with an opportunity to diversify into new markets for human consumption.  We’re grateful to Cllr Vint and Devon County Council for helping us with the purchase of this vital new equipment.”

Another food project, Totnes10, received £795 to help support community events such as the Forking Local Food Festival, which will take place again this year after a successful launch last October.  “Totnes10 works to connect local people and restauranteurs with their local food producers and retailers, which will strengthen the local food economy,” says its manager Myrtle Cooper.  “Community outreach events such as the Forking Local Food Festival form a central part of that effort, and our new folding chairs, marquee, and tablet computer are essential bits of kit.”

Community Interest Company Wild&Curious’ Wild Food for Wellbeing project provides affordable wild food education and experiences for young people and members of the community, including educational foraging walks and outdoor cooking. A grant of £615 will purchase outdoor cooking equipment for foraging sessions, and a printer to help with marketing and promotion.

Arts Lab at Dartington received £6,625 for video production equipment to further their aims of providing space, equipment, training and materials to transform the lives of ‘forgotten’, hard-to-reach individuals whilst also fostering the production of high quality of art from artists and young people alike.

Video production company Nu-Project received £1,625 for a new laptop for production and post production on location, supporting its non-profit project Communicating the Change, dedicated to supporting and elevating sustainable community projects and social enterprises.

E-co Cars will be purchasing a fuel-efficient second hand car to expand its car club (they already have three cars in other parts of Totnes) to the Follaton area for the use of residents and those that work in the area.  The £4,625 received will not only purchase the car but equip it with the technology required for the car club booking system.  Car clubs provide their members with convenient access to cleaner vehicles without the expense of ownership, and have been shown to contribute to emissions reduction, improvements to air quality and encouraging individuals to increase their use of public transport.  They also reduce demand for parking, and help sustain long term employment for people who do not own a car.

The Investing in Devon – Local Project Fund was created after the County Council sold Exeter International Airport in 2007; a Local Projects Fund was established to provide each County Councillor a capital fund to enable them to respond to local needs within their divisions, supporting projects that benefit the communities they represent.  Councillors have been allocated £10,000 per councillor per year; Cllr Vint’s contributions amount to the accumulated sums for a couple of years. More details about the fund online.

Find out more about the Totnes REconomy Centre .

The post Investment builds local businesses thanks to Council’s investment fund appeared first on REconomy.

• Renewing REconomy
  

This October, the REconomy Project was invited by our friends at Renew Wales to their annual conference in Wrexham. The packed agenda included the ground-breaking legislation Well-being of Future Generations Act, innovative ways of knowledge sharing, Community finance from Robert Owens Bank and discussion about the impact of Brexit and the uncertainty over funding for environmental projects. Laura Outhart, REconomy Project Coordinator shares her highlights.

• REMADE sparks interest across the UK

Remade in Edinburgh won Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award in October. Sophie Unwin, Founder and Director is excited about the next steps – to share the idea with other places and create a network of repair and reuse centres across the UK. The £10,000 prize money will help seed a new organisation – REMADE – that will offer training to other communities so that they can set up their own repair businesses. She tells us about the challenges and what she’s planning next!

• REconomy event – London and the South East

This REconomy Event taking place next February is designed by and for Transitioners whether you are new to REconomy or have established REconomy projects in your Transition Town. Hear from current REconomy projects by Transition Towns in London and the South East covering Food Enterprises, Community Energy and loads more, find REconomy buddies for future conversations through structured networking and develop your REconomy skills in skills surgeries. If you can suggest venues in Central London, or you would like to get involved please contact Jo Taylor or Richard Cauldrey.
Date: Saturday 25 February (afternoon) Venue: TBC!

•  Resource Focus

Our Transition Core Resourcing guide is for any group that wants to think creatively about how it funds its core activities, including but not exclusively for REconomy activity. It is written for Transition Initiatives in the UK but others might find useful ideas and some non-UK examples are included.
Download more practical guides for community economic change on our website.

• Atmos Totnes

We have some news to share about the Atmos Totnes referendum. At the end of November Totnes residents voted overwhelmingly in favour (85.69%) that the Community Right to Build Order for a currently disused 8 acre site in the town should be given planning permission. This is one of the first votes of its kind using a Community Right to Build process contained in the Localism Act 2011.

Through a highly creative community consultation process, in partnership with a mainstream developer and the site’s owners, thousands of people took part in forming plans on how the site could be designed to meet the needs of local residents and businesses. You can download the illustrative masterplan for the site in Totnes and read about the key principles behind the design.

The local community, through this process, have shown how their designs for the site could become be a catalyst within the local economy, as well as an opportunity to model a new approach to development, and provide the means for young people to stay in the town with places to live and work. Hear about the Atmos Totnes story.

Atmos Totnes is the first project facilitated by Totnes Community Development Society, an Industrial and Provident Society committed to supporting community-led development, rooted in local economies. We’ll be keeping in touch with the project to bring you news of how things development at Atmos Totnes.

This REconomy Project work is generously supported by the Friends Provident Foundation and the Polden-Puckham Charitable Foundation.

The post REconomy Newsletter – December 2016 appeared first on REconomy.