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Thu 1 Jul 2021 3:45PM

Barefoot Co-op Development training - for worker co-operators who want to provide support to other co-ops

NBC Nathan Brown (Co-op Culture) Public Seen by 155

In 2020, Co-op Culture trained 21 members of co-operative and community businesses to deliver specialist business development support. These “barefoot practitioners” are already delivering support to new and existing co-operatives and community businesses and 3 participants have already established a new worker co-operative development body – the People Support Co-op. We have now opened recruitment for a second run, starting in October. Closing date for applications is 1st Sept. See https://www.culture.coop/barefoot-training/ . We're keen to recruit people with worker co-op experience. Any questions, please ask in this thread and I or @Mark Simmonds (Co-op Culture & Platform 6) will try to answer them.

OJP

Owen J. Powell Tue 3 Aug 2021 2:27PM

Yes, I do want to grow the co-operative economy and yes, I would be interested in this training! I have been researching and hanging around coops since 2015/16. However, I've only been working at Bradford Co-op Association for about 6 months (the brief suggests a minimum of 2 years experience) and I'm not sure facilitating the Young Cooperators Network project really counts. As such, do you have plans to run this training again next year or sometime in the future? It sounds like a great programme and it would be a darn shame to miss it.

NBC

Nathan Brown (Co-op Culture) Sat 7 Aug 2021 12:10PM

Hi Owen. Yes, we do plan to run it again next year. The reason for suggesting 2 years experience is the course doesn't deal with the "basics".  Participants need to already be a certain way along the journey so as not to hold back the rest of the learners.  People have to have an understanding of what co-ops are, and how businesses work, but also have relevant some experience/skills.  I can stick your name on a "waiting list" so we directly contact you when recruiting for round 3