Stroud Common Wealth exists to own and develop property for community benefit and to enable social enterprise development.
Stroud Common Wealth has achieved local and national prominence by enabling, assisting and contributing towards the success of a wide range of innovative projects
SCW has achieved national and local prominence by:
- Assisting with the successful development of The SPACE (Stroud’s Arts Centre)
- Enabling the community buyout of Fordhall Farm, Shropshire
- Contributing to research with New economics Foundation (NEF) and The University of Salford Community Finance Solutions, Capturing Value for Rural Communities (Countryside Agency 2005)
- Setting up Gloucestershire Land For People, a pioneering community land trust enabling similar projects across the county
- Setting up the Social Enterprise Centre in Stroud
- Establishing The Exchange – affordable workspace, hot desking and meeting/conference facilities in Stroud
- Pioneering Stroud Communiversity – national and international learning and skills exchange through action learning
- Enabling the community purchase of Rodborough Fields
Projects include:
Stroud Communiversity
Stroud Communiversity offers the opportunity to learn from a range of innovative land, food, farming, sustainability, social enterprise and housing projects in the Stroud area. Events include an annual summer school, day workshops, action learning and exchange visits.
Community Farm Land Trusts
The purpose of the Community Farm Land Trusts (CFLT) Project is to enable the development of CFLTs for sustainable agriculture and horticulture, controlled by and for the benefit of local communities.
Stroud Social Enterprise Centre
The SEC offers tools for individual and social enterprise, with business start up advice, information, action learning groups, specialist social enterprise support, newsletters, mentoring, drop in clinics, workshops, fundraising networking and office space.
Gloucestershire Land for People
SCW was funded by Gloucestershire County Council to carry out a feasibility study into setting up a community land trust for affordable homes in the Stroud area in 2003-4. This resulted in setting up Gloucestershire Land for People, a pioneering community land trust.
The SPACE
‘Gives the community a floor we can all dance on!’ Jo Bousfield, Flies on the Wall Youth Theatre
