Our application to the Business Support for Co-ops programme has been successful. The programme is run by Co-operatives UK with the Co-operative Bank, and it helps new co-ops get started.

We've been awarded four days of support from Dan Kelly of CASE (LCCDA Management Co-operative Limited). He'll help us choose the right legal and ownership model for a worker co-op, and work out how it will be governed. We'll also look at whether a hybrid model could work, where people who don't work at SPRoUT could hold shares if we raise money through community shares.

The package also includes half a day of mentoring from an established co-op. We'll find out which one once the support starts.

The panel noted that this is an ambitious project, and that it depends on finding suitable premises and raising enough money.

Rajiv and Tamsin met Dan informally at LCB Depot on Thursday 15th October. We talked through how we'll work with him and what we'll cover. By the end of the programme, we hope SPRoUT will officially become a co-operative.

We'll post updates here as the programme goes on.