by localisewm | Mar 27, 2020 | COVID-19, Localism, News
“There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about” Margaret J. Wheatley (2002) Turning to one another: simple conversations to restore hope to restore hope to the future I write this on 27 March, a few days after lockdown was...
by localisewm | Jan 21, 2020 | Environment, Low carbon, News, Reports, Sustainability, Transition
So you’ve declared a Climate Emergency. Now what? Now you need to make a plan, set targets, decide your priorities, work out a budget… you need to make clear what needs to change, by when and who is going to do it. Because words like ‘emergency’ and ‘crisis’ mean we...
by localisewm | Nov 27, 2019 | Economy, Localisation
We continue our series of blogs exploring best practice examples of Community Economic Development from around the globe, this time we take a (digital) trip to Montreal, Canada to understand how RESO has helped consolidate and develop South-West companies to create...
by localisewm | Oct 28, 2019 | Uncategorized
Localising Prosperity is a model for integrating community economic development into everyday business and understanding and building upon an area’s existing strengths so that it can develop from within – maximising the local economic and social benefits for all. This...
by localisewm | Oct 28, 2019 | Uncategorized
I recently attended a workshop on Future Models for Community Energy hosted by Community Energy England and Power To Change. There are a number of successful community energy cooperatives in the West Midlands, that receive little or no recognition for their work on...
by localisewm | Oct 21, 2019 | Co-operatives, Economics, Employee ownership, Localism, Social Enterprise, Urban
In 2008 a group of local institutions came together to facilitate an economic breakthrough in Cleveland, Ohio. They aimed to create a more sustainable, green economy in a post-industrial city that had experienced population decline and capital flight over several...
by localisewm | Oct 21, 2019 | Local economies, Uncategorized
Gloucestershire Gateway Trust – a groundbreaking partnership between a retailer and local communities – with implications for the way cooperative retailers work with communities. Recently I went on a study visit to the Gloucestershire Gateway Trust. ...
by localisewm | Oct 14, 2019 | Economics, Local economies, Localisation
Cape Breton island, located on Canada’s Atlantic seaboard, has a population of approximately 100,000 and in recent years has attempted to take back control of its economy through the development of community economic development, spearheaded by community development...
by Mel | Sep 19, 2019 | Banks, Finance
When people think about the economy, one thing that springs to mind is banks and money. And any attempts to shift the economy to work better for people and places, is going to have to consider how the finance system could work better. Recently I attended two events...
by localisewm | Sep 18, 2019 | Economy, Globalisation, Localisation
With politically motivated disruptions to the globalised trading system increasing the risk of another global crash; Localise West Midlands continues to advocate for a radical decentralisation of capital and power to local economies, to help build a more economically...