As a serial social entrepreneur in poverty alleviation and mindset shift, Runa is constantly pioneering new ways of learning, working, and living together. Runa's journey starts with her upbringing and the influential role of her parents in cultivating a lifelong...
THe MArches hive
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In 1997 the Robert Owen Group launched a co-operative school centred initial teacher training project through the Marches Consortium and in partnership with the University of Gloucester. The scheme rapidly grew and became the largest of its type in the United Kingdom , successfully training over 3,700 post graduates who now work in our schools and colleges with many at senior leadership levels. Alongside this we launched a Master’s level programme for trainers in schools and for former trainees and teachers to access as career progression.
It became clear that the absence of an institute of higher education in the Marches sub region posed a real impediment to developing research, seminal thinking and platonic discourse. We often ignore the valuable infrastructure that comes with a quality centre of higher education. The Directors of the Marches Consortium developed a Robert Owen Learning Academy in Leominster and encouraged many ‘hub’ schools to have satellite post graduate libraries for their ‘clusters’.
This is all now background history but our 1998 creation of “query” as a radical journal of left field thinking has now in 2021 led to the addition of this section to the Marches Hive website. We want to stimulate thinking, discussion and the sharing of relevant news and knowledge.
We called the original 1990’s journal query because our minds turned to the creation in the 1870’s of the Tredegar Medical Aid Society which started life as as ‘Health and Education Fund’. In 1920 Walter Conway , Aneurin Bevan and others formed the radical Query Club as a new development. The Club was a cross between a debating society, a mutual support group , a focus for sharing contemporary knowledge and a body set on advancing radical thinking to address the issues of the day. In those times adult education was very much in cells following on the model of the early Methodist house groups.
We believe the challenges of today in many ways mirror those of one hundred years ago and we do encourage everyone’s to engage with query and to share your thoughts, views, knowledge and understanding so that we can all grow together . Thank you
News Articles
‘Barefoot’ programme relaunches to support a new surge in co-operative and community businesses across the UK
Stir to Action to expand UK’s only advisor training programme for democratic businesses to tackle shortfall in specialist advice National co-operative infrastructure bodies Stir to Action and Co-op Culture are teaming up to relaunch ‘barefoot’ – a six-month programme...
Open High Streets
Over the past three years, the Heritage Trust Network (HTN) have been working with Locality to deliver Open High Streets, a series of events funded as part of the Architectural Heritage Fund’s (AHF) Transforming Places through Heritage programme. Through grants...
Transatlantic Exchange
Building a Worker Co-operation Movement There is a sense that the co-operative movement has forgotten how to be a movement, how to organise a mass of people to meet their collective needs. A new federation has emerged called workers.coop with a goal to motivate,...
Sceptical response from co-op movement to Jeremy Hunt’s spring budget
A welcome for the £100m support fund for community business came alongside a call for more action to ease worker buyouts Chancellor Jeremy Hunt unveiled his budget last week, with a focus on childcare, pensions and benefits alongside some measures relevant to the...
Co-operators in modern slavery campaign criticise Illegal Migration Bill
It is feared the bill could stop modern slavery victims forced into the UK by traffickers from receiving support or protection Modern slavery campaigners have joined the chorus of protest against the Illegal Migration Bill,...
Multi-state seed co-op launched in India to drive productivity
The co-op, hosted by IFFCO, will also work to preserve indigenous plant seeds The Indian government has approved the incorporation of a new multi-state seed co-op called Bharatiya Sahakari Beej Samit (BSBS). Five co-operative societies including the Indian Farmers...
Lincolnshire Co-op raises £150k for mental health services
'We hope that we have opened the door for conversations within our communities too.' Lincolnshire Co-op has raised £153,153 through its Community Champions scheme for causes providing mental health services aiming to prevent suicide. Members, customers, and...
Co-operative banking sector continues to grow, EACB figures show
Co-operative bank membership grew by 1.4% to 88 million in 2021, a survey of 13 countries revealed The European Association of Cooperative Banks (EACB) has published its latest statistics on the sector, showing continued growth and “sound business results”...
Kauaʿi Island Utility Cooperative develops habitat plan to protect threatened species
The co-op has agreed the plan with government environmental bodies to reduce the impact of its operations on marine and bird life Kauaʿi Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) has unveiled a US$265m habitat conservation plan to minimise its impact on threatened...
New Japanese housing co-op built in Yakushima Island’s ancient cedar forest
Sumu Yaskushima uses regenerative architecture practices to ‘discover new possibilities for interacting with nature’ A newly built Japanese housing co-op, on Yakushima Island, has been designed to foster a greater connection with nature for its inhabitants. Sumu...
