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Blog articles:
Joint Statement on the Local Power Plan
The publication of the Local Power Plan (LPP) is a landmark moment for community energy across the UK. With £1 billion of funding,...
A CENI Critique of the Mid-term Review of the DfE Energy Strategy
The Mid‑Term Review of Northern Ireland’s Energy Strategy claims to put people at the centre of the transition, yet its own eviden...
From 2025 to 2026: Momentum for Co-ops Everywhere
As we step into 2026, we carry forward the energy of the International Year of Co‑operatives 2025. The co‑operative movement is bu...
Transforming the Care System - a new CLES report
The new report Ending Extraction in the UK Care System (CLES, November 2025) shines a stark light on how profit-driven models are...
Planting Seeds for Co-operative Renewal
The recent event Co-operatives as a Policy Tool for Economic and Social Transformation was a valuable opportunity to reflect on th...
British – Irish Council Visit to Edinburgh
From 14th to 16th May, the British-Irish Council hosted a Social Inclusion Symposium in Edinburgh with the support of all devolved...
Resources:
Community Energy in Northern Ireland
The Concept Paper was prepared in 2025 for the launch of Community Energy NI (CENI).
The Growth of Community Energy
The Growth of Community Energy was a report prepared by the NICE and Drumlin Joint Committee in 2020 in response to the emerging DfE Energy Strategy.
Cultivating Community Farming Impact Report
Cultivating Community Farming Impact Report based on the project delivered from 2022 to 2024.
Co-operative-led Solutions to Addressing the Climate Emergency
This policy brief was written by Eleonore Perrin (University of Liverpool) with the help of Tiziana O'Hara (Co-operative Alternatives) in 2021. A quick summary. A co-operative economy would mean a democratised local ecosystem where the production and supply of food and other essential goods and services serves all those involved. A local ecosystem where food and essential goods are produced through community supported agriculture, by co-operative farms and fisheries, in local community gardens. A local ecosystem where we shop in farmers markets, worker-owned bakeries and butchers, and in consumer-owned shops. A local ecosystem where we work in worker-owned factories and firms, producing socially useful goods and services. A local ecosystem where we live in collectively owned houses, powered by community renewable energy. A local ecosystem where we bank in a regional mutual bank and put our savings in credit unions.
Inclusive Growth Strategy: a Co-operative Perspective in Northern Ireland
This policy brief was written by Eleonore Perrin (University of Liverpool) with the help of Tiziana O'Hara (Co-operative Alternatives), Mary McManus and Lee Robb in 2021. Quick summary: Community Wealth Building is an integrated collaborative approach to transforming the local economy where the local community is the main beneficiary. It harnesses the power of anchor institutions i. e. colleges, universities, hospitals, local authorities that have significant wealth to shift economic development in favour of procuring locally, encouraging sustainable work practices and living wage employment, offering services that benefit residents.
