The Co-operative Party is leading the charge on grassroots community action. For too long communities have been starved of the support and resources to thrive, and around £12bn of vital community assets have been lost in England alone.
And so it was great to be over in Spen Valley this week, meeting with Kim Leadbeater MP and brilliant volunteers to see a community-led project in action she is supporting.
A big focus was Cleckheaton Town Hall. We discussed plans to reopen it in partnership with the local council as a true community hub and events space, the challenges the steering group is facing, and how lessons from other successful projects can help turn it into a centre of excellence for the area.
There are hundreds of examples across the country, including here in Oldham through groups like the Oldham Coliseum, AVRO FC and Spark who are doing just that. They make a powerful movement but it can often feel like fighting alone.
Community Britain in action means supporting each other to get on: local people, local assets and local power. As Chair of the party, proud to be working alongside Kim and the Co-op Party to back communities to lead their own renewal.
Jim McMahon OBE MP 