Author Archives: David Smith

cw20:10:26 A partnership for growth must be a partnership with the people of Wales The First Minister’s proposed economic partnership with the UK Government opens an important debate about Wales’s future. Greater co-operation, respect for devolved responsibilities and less duplication … Continue reading →

Matthew Reardon’s account of architecture students working with communities in Bargoed, Maerdy and Tredegar offers an encouraging vision: regeneration shaped through relationships, learning and sustained involvement https://lnkd.in/p/ecDjmYTE From a Welsh co-operative perspective, its success will depend on whether community voice … Continue reading →

Neil Duncan-Jordan’s cw:+19:10:26 Duncan-Jordan resoonse Article  identifies the injustice in social care: people’s financial security can depend on whether their needs are classified as healthcare or social support. His call for collective funding deserves support. Another review will achieve little … Continue reading →

Pride in Place, Co-operation & the Risk of Community Power Being Displaced:Are we putting Place before Party? Although dated worth a reminder. Prepared by: Co-operatives Wales and Sheffield Co-operative Development Group Purpose of this Briefing In addition to our 18 … Continue reading →

For lots of refreshing practical case studies with experience and ideas, including, Nudge (Plymouth), Dewsbury Archade, Two Up Two Down (Anfield), Co-operative Student Homes, Music Venue Properties, Co-operative Place Making & Pride in Place, The Portland Inn (Stoke on Trent), … Continue reading →

In response to the Prime Ministers statement https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-andy-burnham-sets-out-plans-for-a-new-national-care-service Co-operatives Wales asks the Casey Commission to make democratic ownership, prevention and retention of public value central to social care reform. Although its remit concerns adult social care in England, Welsh experience … Continue reading →

Our central concern is the protection of community value. cw Community Ownership : Right to Buy 13:10:26 Public investment, volunteer effort and locally generated wealth should remain dedicated to community benefit. Effective asset locks must prevent these gains being diverted … Continue reading →

….and its ambition to create an open space for serious discussion about the policies Wales will need over the coming decade. We would welcome opportunities for the Substack to explore: co-operative and community ownership as part of Wales’s economic future; … Continue reading →

In response to the Prime Ministers statement this week we’ve asked the Casey Commission to make democratic ownership, prevention and retention of public value central to social care reform. cw:Casey Review Submission- Co-operatives UK Although its remit concerns adult social … Continue reading →

Submitted by Coops Wales on behalf of Welsh & Yorkshire Young Co-operator. SEP – Nothing About Us Without Us – Report cwyc:3:10:26Young Co-operators Casey Submission. Following the Prime Minsters statement this week https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-andy-burnham-sets-out-plans-for-a-new-national-care-service The Casey Commission have been asked to … Continue reading →

CLES – Wales must turn its co-operative care promise into practice At the Senedd Co-op Cross Party Group meeting this week, Dr Sarah Evans’s presentation of CLES research exposed a troubling gap between Wales’s social care ambitions and how public … Continue reading →

Short video from the Coops Wales, 12 September 2026 High Street event where children and young people presented their findings on their three month research project involving 637 children and young people in Wales and England. Main event video to … Continue reading →

Our May 2024 Robert Owen Day we focused upon “Building a Co-operative Future: Law Commission Review – Radical Perspectives”.   https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGbE0b-Z8DOZkJsIgzSZJoRhVzoSuDiOH We explored a bold new vision for co-operative law, specifically examining how the Law Commission, which has now partly reported … Continue reading →

The announcement of Progressive Voices Cymru is a welcome and timely development. Wales needs spaces in which people can think seriously, creatively and ambitiously about its future, particularly at a time of economic insecurity, pressure on public services, democratic disillusionment … Continue reading →

The Nothing About Us Without Us project took place over three months. It was led by us, the Welsh Young Co-operators and Yorkshire Young Co-operators. Altogether, 637 children and young people from Wales and Yorkshire took part, including young people … Continue reading →

The world’s biggest UPF firms would “not fight so hard” if policies to curb intake of their products were ineffective, said Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University. “The lawsuits tell us … Continue reading →

Sat, Sep 12, 2026 at 10:00 AM online   High Street Renewal:  Community Ownership & Community Wealth Building Deep Dive: Co-op approaches, delivering change, explore practical approaches facilitated, with  fresh ideas, and the role of UK governments Registration here: https://tinyurl.com/High-street-renewal   … Continue reading →

We prompted the Law Commission on their review of the 2014 Act ‘to see if its fit to meet the needs of society’. “They say, “Thank you for your interest in our review of the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies … Continue reading →

We wrote to English and Welsh Ministers to see what could be done to capitalise on the English Ministerial Commitment to support a Community Right to Buy, in a Welsh context. The Welsh response did not raise implementation or interim … Continue reading →

How would this model achieve the common good and greater democratic accountability without wider public and active member engagement? https://lnkd.in/eTKAm429 We strongly welcome the move towards relational commissioning, community wealth building and greater use of co-operative approaches. However, at Coops … Continue reading →