Otley Community Economy and Environment Project (Otley CEEP)

What NEED does this meet?

“If you value it CEEP it” a community web site to promote and educate the community to tackle our environmental crisis and increasing social and economic alienation through supporting the preservation of existing and the production of new local small business.

For environmental and social reasons we need to make our economic activities more local with greater community links and more support for existing and emerging local businesses. The aim is to produce local goods and services as an alternative to products that have been produced elsewhere and transported large distances to the customer. It also aims to make the best use of local labour and resources and to produce more local jobs, reducing distances travelled to work.

What is the APPROACH?

CEEP would produce regularly updated local content relevant to the local community and featuring news relevant to those within the local community. Feature cheap or free advertising and promotion (depending on costs and funding)for existing local businesses. Collect and distribute free marketing information for local start up businesses. Feature articles to educate local people on the economic, environmental and social consequences of their actions as consumers. Encourage the community to take on a sense of ownership for local small businesses and to understand the dynamics that destroy small businesses and replace them with much more socially and environmentally costly big business.

What are the BENEFITS to people?

Regeneration and preservation of local economies and communities. Preventing the decay of town centres and local community space through economic degeneration. A greater sense of autonomy and community involvement for individuals. Reduced levels of alienation and more realistic opportunities for the socially excluded. A shift of jobs into the local community.

What is the COMPETITION?

There are no similar services. Otley CEEP would serve one local community initially but would serve as a model that could be applied in any community. There is a need for services to support the preservation of local communities through small businesses as well as acknowledging the role they have to to play in creating a more environmentally sustainable economy.

What BUDGETS & LOGISTICS are required?

The Web site would be the main labour and capital intensive element in the plan. Other elements of the organisation are more dependent on voluntary activity by members.

This entry was posted on Friday, April 14th, 2006 at 1:08pm and is filed under Proposals 2006. Follow responses to this entry (RSS2 feed). Both comments and pings are currently closed.