Info

=Becoming shareholders of our Social Centre=

The Ethical Property Company is a venture well known to some Matildites. Here's

a link to their site. It contains also very valuable information. A quote from said text: '' investing in social change Annual Report 2004 Page 2 The Ethical Property Company> is a Public Limited Company that supports charities, co-operatives, community groups, campaign groups and ethical businesses across the United Kingdom by developing and running centres that are focal points for social change. At these centres, tenants benefit from favourable rents, flexible and sympathetic management and facilities designed to meet their needs. They also become part of a working community where they can exchange skills and ideas under one roof. For further information on how to invest in The Ethical Property Company please call: 0845 458 9526. The Ethical Property Company offers its investors the security of a property-based investment as well as one that achieves lasting social change. For the past five years the company has paid an annual dividend of three pence per share whilst its share price has increased from £1.00 to £1.10. The company aims to strengthen the social change sector by supporting organisations and individuals making a significant contribution to the development of a sustainable environment and a more just and equitable society. We are looking to build partnership between those investing in and those working for social change. In the long term we aim to build a national network of centres across the United Kingdom in support of the social change movement. We now own and manage twelve resource centres around the country totalling just over 105,000 square feet. Three are in Bristol, four in London, one in Leeds, *one in Sheffield* (?), one in Manchester, one in Brighton and one in Oxford. These centres house 125 tenant organisations, a full list of which is given on the following pages.'' taken from this PDF.

For further information on how to invest in The Ethical Property Company please call 0845 458 9526. The Ethical Property Company PLC 9 Park End St, Oxford, OX1 1HH Tel: 01865 207810 Fax: 01865 201301 Local Call Rate: 0845 458 3853 Share Issue Enquiries: 0845 458 9526 Email: mail(nospam)ethicalproperty.co.uk Website: bwa-design.co.uk investing in social change

=Community Land Trusts=

Here's a link to the UK Community Land Trust website. It has some excellent info on about this model of land ownership.

A quote from one of the documents:

What is a Community Land Trust?
taken from this PDF.

A Community Land Trust (CLT) is a mechanism for democratic ownership of land by the local community. Land is taken out of the market and separated from its productive use so that the impact of land appreciation is removed, thereby enabling long-term affordable and sustainable local development. The value of public investment, philanthropic gifts, charitable endowments, legacies or development gain is thus captured in perpetuity, underpinning the sustainable development of a defined locality or community. Through CLTs, local residents and businesses participate in, and take responsibility for, planning and delivering redevelopment schemes.

CLTs allow local people to ‘manage the commons’ democratically. Compared to the dominance of private and public ownership of land, ‘commons land’ in the UK is under eight per cent and most of this is ‘waste land’. Reclaiming and extending the ‘commons’ is possible now through CLTs.

=CIQ newsletter 12=

Here's a link to the PDF for issue 12 of 'The Quarterly', the CIQ's newsletter.

It contains a very interesting section entitled 'Conservation and Regeneration in the Cultural Industries Quarter', which outlines how the Townscape Heritage Initiative is helping to save the heritage of the CIQ.

Currently, they have plans for Butcher Works. Matilda isn't anywhere on the map. But this document shows that, in principle, conservation is the way forward - or so they claim.

"The main aim of the THI is to make possible the continued viable use of the buildings that make up the special architectural character of historic urban areas,contributing to the sustainability of local communities and economies."

Apparently, there are five projects for 2005. The CIQ contact is richard.king@ciq.org.uk.