CCIN Conference in Plymouth – ‘Making it Real’

• 19th Aug 2014
• Community Wealth Building

In June 2014, the Cooperative Councils Innovation Network and Plymouth City Council hosted a conference exploring the ways in which cooperative councils have been radically transforming their approach to public services, with a series of workshops focusing on Co-operative Energy, Co-operative Economies, Co-operative approaches to financial inclusion and Co-operative Education. This page holds a range of resources and outputs from the day, including videos of key speeches and material from the workshops.

 

Dame Pauline Green OBE – opening speech

The conference opened with a speech from Dame Pauline Green OBE, Chair of the International Co-operative Alliance. In her speech Dame Pauline underscored the importance of co-operative values and organisations to our economy and society, and emphasised the potential of co-operative approaches to public services. A video of the speech can be found below.

Cllr Tudor Evans – introduction to the conference

Cllr Tudor Evans, Leader of Plymouth City Council and Vice Chair of the CCIN, delivered a welcome speech. Separately, he also spoke in detail about how cooperative localism promises the opportunity to transform local public services. Both videos can be found below.

Tracey Lee – Becoming a ‘brilliant’ cooperative council

Tracey Lee, Chief Executive of Plymouth City Council, described how Plymouth is transforming the way it works by embedding cooperative principles at the heart of its approach to service delivery and political and economic leadership.

Workshop presentations

1. Co-operative Energy

Alistair MacPherson, Plymouth’s Low Carbon Team Leader and Jackie Wilson, Head of Co-operatives, Policy and partnerships from Oldham presented two different case studies on innovative energy solutions. This workshop was chaired by Councillor Brian Vincent, Cabinet Member for Environment.

Click here to view Alistair’s presentation on the Plymouth Energy Community

Click here to view Jackie’s presentation on Oldham’s approach to cooperative energy

2. Co-operative Economies

Gareth Hart, Chair of Plymouth Social Enterprise Network, Amanda Ratsey, Enterprise and Inward Investment Manager, Plymouth and Councillor James Alexander, Leader, City of York presented case studies on their approach for creating the environment for a co-operative economy. Plymouth specifically focused on how it created the Local Economic Strategy using core co-operative principles. This workshop was chaired by Councillor Mark Lowry, Cabinet Member for Finance.

Click here to view Plymouth’s Local Economic Strategy

Click here to view Plymouth’s Gareth’s presentation

3. Co-operative approaches to financial inclusion

Darin Halifax, Cities of Services Chief Officer and Laura Griffiths, Financial and Social Inclusion Officer from Plymouth were joined by Bob Outram, Head of income Collection and Debt Coalition, Islington and Tracey Cunningham, Co-operative Policy Development Officer at Glasgow City Council to present their case studies. Plymouth talked about the decision to become one of first cities to ban pay day lending along with its unique approach to financial inclusion in the city. This workshop was chaired by Councillor Chris Penberthy, Cabinet Member for Co-operatives, Housing and Community Safety.

Click here to view Glasgow’s presentation

Click here to view Islington’s presentation

Click here to view Plymouth’s presentation

4. Co-operative Education

Judith Harwood, Plymouth’s Assistant Director for Education, Learning and Families and Mervyn Wilson, Chief Executive and Principal of the Co-operative College presented. The workshop discussed the skills and learning that will be required to deliver the co-operative agenda in our schools.

Click here to view a presentation on Plymouth’s Children’s Cooperative Board

Click here to view a presentation on Co-operative Schools