I received this message from Ian Hewitt from the Phone Co-op.
Hi Workers.coop,
I was wondering whether you might be interested in sharing a stall at the Nottingham Green Festival on Sunday 8 September - https://nottmgreenfest.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2024-Green-Fest-flyer.pdf ?
I have booked a stall in the name of New Lucas Plan and would be happy to share a bit of space and maybe encourage a human being to attend. It is a brilliant event that attracts many thousands of visitors - most of whom are progressive and open to ideas around co-operation etc.
The organisers of the Green Festival are themselves structured as a co-operative and are made up of activists from local organisations. Veggies/Sumac have a prime role in the festival and according to Patrick Smith have recently joined workers.coop.
Co-ops East Midlands are also having a stall and would no doubt be very pleased to make contact - I know that Sion knows Jennie DeVilliers and so it should not be too difficult to break the ice.
I am trying to get Co-opsEM involved in the new mayoralty which operates under the guise of East Midlands Combined County Authority - EMCCA with a view to getting co-ops on their radar for economic development.
Also there is a bit of a pressing issue around the bankruptcy of Nottm City Council which has left control of the council with commissioners installed by Michael Gove - God bless him… This might open up interest in co-operatives to deal with the fall out.
It seems to me that it would be worth setting up some sort of workers.coop forum locally to provide a space for local development - linking in Radical Routes, the worker co-op community and Co-opsEM? I think I mentioned this at one of the development workshops.
Anyway… …please let me know if this is of any interest and whether anyone fancies a trip tothe delightful Nottingham Green Festival on Sunday 8 Sept.
In peace and solidarity
Ian
New Lucas Plan