We try to teach young children to be kind to each other and to share things; but when they're older, they're often told that the world’s not like that and they’ll have to be careful and look out for themselves - that it’s competitive out there, everyone for themselves.
But we know it needn’t be like that, and that it’s better to work with others to solve problems.
At Middleton Cooperating, we understand that in the face of today’s challenges, we can’t afford NOT to co-operate. As individuals and as organisations we don’t have the time and energy to spend on competing and fighting with each other.
People have always co-operated, and it was the Victorians who started the idea that getting people to co-operate together – by forming a co-operative – was a credible and sustainable way of running a business. Not only was it a fairer way for everyone to get access to good affordable food, it was also a way of bringing people together for all sorts of other purposes too.
We believe that for Middleton to be a stronger and healthier place, then everybody - local people, businesses, community groups, and public bodies like the Council, the NHS, Hopwood Hall College and Rochdale Boroughwide Housing – needs to work together collaboratively for our mutual benefit.
That’s why we set up Middleton Cooperating: to be a catalyst for people and organisations to get together to discuss the problems they are facing, and then to work together to solve them.
We want to get everybody cooperating, and for everyone to see that that’s how we live around here.
We’ve got lots more information here about co-operating and setting up co-operatives, and it’s worth exploring this if you and others have already decided to work collectively together to help make Middleton a better place. Or just come and talk to us and we’ll help you to get started.
