Principles met
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Enterprise and social economy
We will promote community-based approaches to economic development that focus on supporting the creation of jobs, social enterprises and other businesses and providing an environment for co-operative and mutual enterprises to thrive.
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Learning
We will capture and ‘expand’ the experience and learning from individual projects and approaches in order to encourage broader application of co-operative principles within individual member Councils and across the Network.
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Maximising social value
We will support the development of a framework and criteria for social value, giving substance to the concept and supporting Councils with the tools to ensure better local social and economic outcomes.
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Social partnership
We will strengthen the co-operative partnership between citizens, communities, enterprises and Councils, based on a shared sense of responsibility for wellbeing and mutual benefit.
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Walking the talk
As a membership organisation, we will make this statement of our principles operational by:
• Co-operation among members: Our members work together to help each other implement our values, sharing experiences and learning.
• Openness of membership: Full, Associate and Affiliate Membership is open to any qualifying Council, organisation or individual who shares our values and is committed to putting them into action.
• Co-production of the Network’s work: Members help shape the Network’s work programme and the content of events and written products.
• Action-focused: The network is a vehicle for helping councils translate co-operative values and principles into policy and practice.
•Membership-based: The network is majority funded by modest membership subscriptions from its member Councils, Associates and Affiliates.
•Non-party-political: Members share the belief that working co-operatively within and across communities holds the key to tackling today’s challenges.
We have an online arts and heritage forum to encourage a wide range of communities. Out of the arts and heritage forum came Project Junction 7 Creatives, which allows people to come together and create. Our annual event, Stevenage Day, promotes all the communities in Stevenage and is a macro representation of Stevenage.
Creating Spaces for Art and Culture in Stevenage focused on providing community spaces through events such as Stevenage Day and improving accessibility to facilities such as our museum and the Gordan Craig Theatre. We also looked at the development of creative spaces like Junction 7 Creatives, an organisation based in the heart of our town that helps local people access and explore creativity and culture.
Through our work with Junction 7 Creatives, we have been able to continue engaging with and supporting grassroots organisations that access their gallery space and meeting facility. Junction 7 supports both amateur and professional artists by providing a platform for works to be displayed and community arts groups to meet and develop ideas. They also support students through their internship programme with the local college.
For further information contact:
Gemma Maret
Neighbourhood Warden Manager – Community Development
Stevenage Borough Council