MONEY
Imagine a Southampton where the money we generate and spend stays within the city and where most of us buy at thriving local shops. The best way to keep money within the city is to support local businesses in this Directory rather than big chains.
TAKING IT FURTHER
Make your bank account work for the community.
Ethical bank accounts
Wessex Community Bank (exclusively serves local people across Hampshire, reinvests profits into the local community). Includes current account. https://www.wessexcommunitybank.org/
Triodos Bank
Triodos Bank focuses its activities across three overarching themes: Environmental, Cultural and Social. Together, these cover a broad range of sectors – from renewable energy, organic farming and social housing through to retail, charities and education.
0800 328 2181. Includes current account.
If you bank with Co-operative Bank and want them to keep their ethical principles and return to cooperative ownership see https://saveourbank.coop/
Ecology Building Society (ethical savings, offers discounts on mortgages for green measures/ eco builds)
01535 650 770
Ethical Money
Providing ethical financial advice to help conscientious investors align their savings with their ethical preferences. Independent and regulated financial advice. Clients can avoid investing in weapons, gambling, tobacco and fossil fuels (to name a few) and only invest in well run businesses that support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Access high quality, award winning ethical investment funds and portfolios with free reviews for existing pensions and investments.
tel: 023 8000 3456
email: help@ethical.money
web: https://www.ethical.money/
Positive Money Southampton organises talks, and events to raise awareness of the flaws in the UK money and banking system and encourage a fairer, more democratic and sustainable system. https://positivemoney.org/localgroup/southampton/
Local investments
Opportunities to invest in local ethical businesses sometimes come up – in recent years these have included Rice Up, West Solent Solar Coop and October Books. These are publicised in the Transition Southampton newsletter. You can sign up at http://transitionsouthampton.org/
Other alternatives
Some alternatives currently not available in Southampton are LETS (a more sophisticated version of barter) and Local Currency (see, for example bristolpound.org)
CO-OPERATION
Co-op Culture
Co-op Culture is a group of co-operative and community advisors, entrepreneurs, and enterprises. They believe in helping create sustainable local economies by supporting new and existing community and co-operative enterprises. Collectively their members have a vast and varied experience of supporting co-operative, community and social enterprise to start and grow. Some of the support and services they deliver are feasibility studies and market planning, business planning, financial planning, advice on legal and organisational structures, and many more. In addition, some of the areas they specialise in are community agriculture, community energy, Co-operative shared workspaces and hackspaces, etc. If you have an idea or have started an enterprise that aligns with their values, Co-op Culture might just be the group to help you grow and flourish. So, get in touch to discuss how they can help and, if they can’t, they’ll know someone who can.
Address: 149 Priory Road, Southampton, SO17 2JX (postal address only, no callers)
Tel: 07884312573
Email: nathan@culture.coop
Website: https://culture.coop/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coop.culture.coop/
Funding
The Aviva Community Fund
A platform for crowdfunding and matches donations from individuals up to £250. This year, their two priorities are financial wellbeing and climate action, "promoting healthy, thriving communities by preventing, preparing for and protecting against the impacts of climate change." Funding is available for organisations looking to raise up to £50,000 and eligible causes can apply at any time. Further information.