The following conditions were identified through the research as needing to exist or be created for the model to flourish and become sustainable.
Collective local vision
Shaping the local vision and purpose from the perspective of both those receiving and those delivering support, through a co-creation process, enables greater insight into gaps and opportunities, stimulating conversations in an asset-based way.
Inclusive design of support
Considering the needs, challenges and motivations of the full range of potential support beneficiaries, will ensure that support is visible and accessible, and removes barriers to participation and collaboration.
Long-term commitment
Creating a healthier business support ecosystem requires more than just funding – the will to establish a culture of enterprise within our most disadvantaged communities must be backed up by listening to, and fully embracing, working with people who genuinely understand them.
Time to invest in the inputs
Local practitioners and organisations need to be given adequate time to build the foundations for a healthier support ecosystem, otherwise return on investment will remain cyclical and tied to short-term funding cycles.
Checklist
Assertions/Assumptions
There are enough local actors who are passionate about inclusive growth and willing to find new ways of working together
Enabling local support organisations to learn and grow at their own pace, rather than that dictated by the funder, reveals and encourages richer connections which benefit those they support
Foundation (External conditions)
Commitment to Community Wealth Building within Local and Combined Authorities, and traditional anchor institutions
A greater appetite for longevity and risk taking is needed for socially innovative interventions to take hold and prove their worth
Culture of authentic co-creation which brings stakeholders together with beneficiaries and harnesses their lived experiences
Case Studies
New York Worker Co-operatives
New York Worker Co-operatives New York City [...]
Co-operate Islington
Co-operate Islington At the beginning of 2022, [...]