The Preston Model: Community Wealth Building
Preston council began a policy of spending their money with co-ops, small businesses, and local providers rather than outsourcing to corporations. They persuaded other anchor institutions to do that same: universities, hospitals & the police. The effect has been transformative – score of local co-ops and small firms are flourishing, and indices of multiple depravation have plummeted.
How hard is it to do, what is involved, and could we do it elsewhere?