Common Ground Colchester was created to meet common social, economic & cultural needs of its members & the wider community, as well as carrying on business & trade to benefit members & the wider community through economic & social returns.

"Shared ownership harnesses innovation"

Profits are shared between people who have a stake & say in how the co-op is run, end of year financial meetings will provide an opportunity for members to make decisions about profits as well as assessing progress, evaluating targets & social impact. Members hold one vote regardless of how many shares they own.

"there is a strong need for such a collective space, a creative 'hub' & safe space for networking, idea sharing, socialising & building community cohesion"

Colchester already has a strong social movement scene & our offering is continuing a legacy which includes spaces & projects such as The Waiting Room, Colchester Food Coop, The Makerspace & Bennison Farm Community Supported Agriculture, as well as a number of locally organised festivals & well supported markets, a number of thriving locally owned independent businesses, charities, CICs & social enterprises, a lively creative scene & diverse network of local artists. Through our residency at The Minories, Common Ground Colchester provides a hub to serve as a melting pot for all of the above, as well as providing affordable nourishing food, cooked by local people, inspired by local produce, supporting local growers & land-workers, contributing to the local food economy & paying local people a real living wage alongside the opportunity to make a positive contribution to the wider community.

"We believe such a hub can serve as a hive & fertile ground for cross-pollination of ideas & creative collaboration whilst boosting community spirit & cohesion. The co-operative model empowers local people & gives the people closest to the community the collective power & autonomy over something meaningful in their local area & lives"

Common ground co-op is designed to meet the needs of the community & is democratically managed with an open & accessible membership policy.