Enterprising Communities

• Summary of project
• Phase 1: The campaign to halt the closure
• Phase 2: an alternative plan to establish the school as a social enterprise
• Phase 3 the school closed but the work of the two social enterprises continued
• The origins of the Enterprising Communities involvement
• Asset based development, then and now
• Specialist business support
• Social costs and benefits
• Conclusions

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Summary of project

Lowick is based in the South Lakeland District.  It is a small village that is spread out and has hardly any community or commercial facilities except for a former school. 

Lowick School went through three phases

• Phase 1: Lowick School is listed for closure by the Local authority in January 2003; the governors decide to fight the closure
• Phase 2: Lowick School is confirmed for closure by the Local Authority but sets up independently using a social enterprise model as a cooperative school from September 2004 to July 2005
• Phase 3: the School finally closes in July 2005, and the after-use of buildings as social enterprise is considered.

Each of these three phases featured some involvement from the Enterprising Communities team and from Voluntary action Cumbria.  Serious financial support really started in Phase 2 after the closure had been formally announced.  The nature of this support was complicated by the fact that the Chair of the governors Rose Bugler was an Enterprising Communities field worker who was later seconded to the emerging social enterprise and became in effect a paid chief executive.