Throughout Wales, a similar pattern emerges. Community pubs, for instance, are to be found in all corners of the nation. In the South Wales valleys, there’s a portfolio of development trusts that operate as social enterprises in a similar manner. There’s a familiar backstory as well. While they mined for slate in the north, the southern valleys were rich in coal.
Owain Wyn is a regeneration consultant based in the historic castle town of Caernarfon. I ask him why this is happening.
‘Very often, it’s a reaction to the closure of a service, or the threat of closure. And it’s either because the original private business failed to attract enough revenue, or it was because the market didn’t address the need. It’s especially true of the foundational economy – care and health services, food, housing, construction, tourism and retail.’
In Wales, a tradition of community enterprise has existed for centuries. Christian chapels can be found in almost every village in the land; these were funded and built by common people. Workers’ institutes, building societies, trade unions and sport clubs have been around since any of you reading this were born. The social reformer, Robert Owen, was a pioneer of the co-operative movement in the early 1800s. And he was Welsh.
What we do know is that throughout Wales, today’s social enterprises are building on this custom in responding to contemporary needs.
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