Eden Artisans

The nature and intensity of the support

The group described the support they received from Enterprising Communities in summary, as appropriate, informed and approachable. They were also of the view that it was both intensive and available at times and in places where the group themselves could take advantage of the offering. Jan speaking on behalf of the group, particularly welcomed the informal approach by the Development Worker from Enterprising Communities, and described the support received from Howard Long as follows. ‘He was brilliantly informal’. ‘None of us are business people and Howard was just what we wanted’ .......’He was happy to sit on the floor with the cats and dogs’ ....... ‘He knew everything but wasn’t scary’. This informal introduction between the group and Enterprising Communities appears to have been very important to the group – and enabled them to move forward their ideas and aspirations becoming more formal with their introduction to Dave Hollins of Co-operative and Mutual Sollutions Ltd who then provided the legal side of the advice. Indeed, it is a measure of the confidence felt by the group that during the workshop process a unit came up for rent at Farfield Mill and the Group agreed to take it for rent, in advance of them having completed the legal processes associated with their new organisation. These were in fact completed on Christmas Eve 2004.

Whether the specific support from Enterprising Communities or the sudden availability of an affordable studio unit at Farfield Mills was the catalyst for the co-operative’s formation is hard to tell. In truth it is probably a combination of both factors.  That said, there can be no doubt that the group development and business planning workshop process was underway. Similarly the availability of the small grant to purchase the assets of the co-operative in common ownership also assisted in the structuring and formation of the enterprise.

This also reflects in the group’s view of its probable progress and development without the support from Enterprising Communities – that something would have happened but it would not necessarily be this structured and would probably have taken a good deal longer to come about. Observing the co-operative from outside reinforces this view. The observer is struck by the clearness and simplicity of the business model at the core of the co-operative, and the simple inter-dependencies operating between its members. These have not come about by accident and are certainly as a result of the business planning process. Co-operative ventures – like commercial businesses – that evolve can often falter because of disputes between the individuals within them. The nature of the structure of this co-operative and the time and advice offered by Enterprising Communities, appears to have much reduced the likelihood of this happening.

The group quantified the support they received from Enterprising Communities as six half-day workshops talking place over two months. These took place in the home of one of the group, where they were taken through the Point Programme funded through Business Link, which they welcomed as this enabled them to access a small grant of £1000 at the end of the process. Jan noted that the group had been functioning informally – almost as a business rehearsal – for some eighteen months before the workshops took place, and that as a consequence, much of the discussions focussed on clarifying and formalising the group’s own aspirations and direction and finding an appropriate legal vehicle in which to go forward. Two advisers participated – Howard Long from Enterprising Communities who led the group development and business planning and Dave Hollins from CMS who undertook the legal work required’. The £1000 grant was used for two main purposes including paying Dave Hollings’s fees, but the balance purchased the assets needed to set up the studio on behalf of the co-operative. This common ownership of the assets in the studio has proved to be important as it means that any individual who leaves the co-operative and moves on, has no claim of the property of their fellows within the group.

Howard described the process by which the group established their co-operative as ‘straightforward’ whilst at the same time acknowledging the importance of their previous experience of working in co-operatives such as the Woolclip. His description of the experience held within the group, is as follows:

‘This group of artists and craftspeople had already been working together for some time, but decided that they needed to set up a separate and more formal organisation to take on the lease of shop premises and other projects, to provide them with limited liability and further opportunities for collaboration. I think we got involved after they contacted the Rural Women’s Network (RWN) at Voluntary Action Cumbria (VAC); some members of the group were already involved with the RWN. 3 members were also involved in another similar co-operative, The Woolclip Ltd, which had had support from VAC in the past. So the group was well connected and confident and ‘knew who to ask’.’

Howard described the support he provided as being ‘not very intensive’. It consisted of:

  • A preliminary meeting
  • A number of group development workshops
  • A meeting with a legal adviser
  • A monitoring visit after they had been trading for 6 months
  • Phone calls and emails
  • Help with their business plan; this included providing them with a template and explaining it, writing the section on governance for them, reviewing/commenting on drafts etc

Timesheets held by Enterprising Communities re-affirm the speed and efforts involved from Enterprising Communities. These show that a total of 27 hours was spent by Enterprising Communities’ core staff supporting the establishment of the co-operative – less than one working week in all. These activities – which exclude the legal support offered with grant assistance – break down as follows:

Action Dates Action Type Purpose Meeting Time Including Travel (hours)
13/10/2004 Meeting Business Planning 3
Between 10/11/2004 and 9/12/2004 Workshops Group Development Workshops 18
01/12/2005   POINT monitoring visit 6
TOTAL     27 hours

Howard Long made the following comments when asked to compare the approach used by Enterprising Communities with that of a more traditional business advisor. ‘Having been a ‘practitioner’, I believe that I was able to offer useful experience ‘from the horse’s mouth’; my own background in co-ops meant that I had an understanding of, and empathy with, their particular needs and ethos. I could share my own experiences of the sector that were particularly relevant. Also, having been a sole trader too, I had an understanding of relevant issues, barriers etc. I think that we shared a common outlook and that I was able to offer a more relaxed and flexible approach to the work, delivering the workshops in a remote farmhouse, populated by large numbers of dogs and cats which needed to be moved aside to set up flipchart, projector and laptop! I actually enjoy this less formal approach to the work and feel that it is more appropriate for the client to meet them on their own terms and in their own environment.’ This difference in approach is also echoed in the comments made by members of the group.

When asked more generally about the processes involved, Howard observed ‘The process was an enjoyable and sociable one for me, and it seemed so for the group too. The hardest part for them was probably completing the business plan (a process not usually enjoyed by sole traders!); however, they managed this relatively easily and produced a simple and straightforward plan more than sufficient for the level and complexities of their operation. I was aware of no real low points; high points were the workshops and interaction within and with the group. It was also good to visit them in their shop after they had been trading for six months and to see how the enterprise was progressing.’