Back in 1844 those who founded the Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers would probably be surprised at how wide their ideas have spread. Within ten years of the opening of that first Co-operative shop which sold

a very meagre selection of butter, sugar, flour, oatmeal and a few candles and later tea and tobacco

there were nearly a thousand co-operatives operating in the Britain.

The Rochdale Pioneers produced the Rochdale Principles which the Co-operative Society continues to uphold.

As a resident of Oxford for a number of years, I know the number of bicycles left abandoned in and around the city and university. Whilst the city of the dreaming spires is not quite as suited to cycling as the other place in the Fens, there are many cycle routes, and it is usually quicker to get from one side of the city to the other on bicycle rather than even using the bus let alone driving in a private car.

The Oxford Cycle Workshop is a co-operative working in Oxford with the central aim of making cycling accessible to everyone in the city. They work with schools, community centres, and the Youth Offending Team and their own Training Centre to provide training in cycle skills and have tailored maintenance programmes.

Having had support and advice from The Co-operative Enterprise Hub to enable the founders to move forward and achieve their long-term goals of helping the local community, OCW is now much more than just another cycle repair shop.

You too can Join the revolution and Get involved to make your area a better place.

Alternative ways of Joining the Revolution include:

Getting Political: contact your MP and call for mandatory carbon reporting by 2012

Saving the Bee: Join the Plan Bee campaign on Facebook

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