Issue 1: July 2004

Welcome to wake up local economy from the Tools for Local Economic Renewal team at nef (the new economics foundation). The stories gathered here have one thing in common – they all report new and imaginative ways to build thriving and sustainable local economies.  Many of them will also keep you up to date on our team's projects – BizFizz, Local Alchemy, Plugging the Leaks and LM3 – which put into practice nef's aim of promoting innovative solutions to challenge mainstream economic thinking. But we know there are more stories out there, more original and exciting projects that people turn to when their local economies need an injection of energy. We want to bring these examples to a wider audience, so please stay in touch by sending us your news and we will do our best to include it in future issues.
Contact jessica.wenban-smith@neweconomics.org


BizFizz expands
Good news for entrepreneurs: BizFizz, the business support programme that places a coach in the heart of the community, is expanding into eight new neighbourhoods across England. The BizFizz coaches offer free, confidential business support to anyone who wants to start or expand a business, and is backed up by a panel of local people who provide practical support, key contacts and local know-how. The currency of BizFizz is passion. Unlike conventional business support, the BizFizz coach is not focused on meeting performance indicators such as target numbers of clients processed or grant applications. Instead, the coach is free to allow people to find their own path, to start from where they are, and sometimes to decide they are not ready yet. The local panel brings people together to support individuals and reinvigorate the local economy. The new projects are in Alnwick, Belgrave, Bowthorpe, Clowne, Ocean Estate, Stanley Green Corridor, Toxteth and Winsford, and join the existing projects in Tuxford, Thetford, and Horden & Easington.
Further information www.bizfizz.org.uk

Hospitals inject health into local businesses
A new two-year project is aiming to increase local and organic food supply into four London NHS hospitals to 10 per cent of their normal catering provision. Launched in January, the project will run for two years and focus on how the hospitals' catering managers can change their purchasing and contracting practices to meet the 10 per cent target by working more closely with local and organic food supply businesses. The impact on the local economy will be measured at the start and end of the project using nef's LM3 tool, which shows how much money from the hospitals stays within the local area. The hospitals taking part are the Royal Brompton Hospital, South London NHS Trust, St George's Hospital Tooting, and Ealing Hospital.
Further information: Fiona Cairncross, Hospital Food Project Co-ordinator, London Food Link, c/o Sustain, 94 White Lion Street, London N1 9PF. Tel: 020 7837 1228, email:fiona@sustainweb.org.

'Independents' Day, USA
In Santa Fe, New Mexico, local businesses turned the usual 4 July festivities into a celebration of independent business activity as part of their Buy Local campaign. The campaign was started in 2002 to protect the city's diverse range of local shops and services from encroaching big-name brands and out-of-town superstores. A directory of over 400 local businesses has been produced, and the campaign is now challenging the city authority to build 'buy local' into its forthcoming local economic development plan. The campaign has estimated that an extra $4.4 million per year can be brought into Santa Fe's economy if just 10 per cent of dollars is re-spent locally. To draw attention to the campaign this September, local restaurants will be offering customers a special 'locally-sourced' item on their menus, making use of seasonal produce.
The Santa Fe Buy Local campaign used nef's LM3 tool to measure the value of independent businesses to the local economy. Further information from Justin Sacks at nef justin.sacks@neweconomics.org.


Recruiting new Local Alchemy pilots
Do you want to transform your local economy? Communities and organisations in the East Midlands have until 10 September 2004 to express interest in becoming a pilot project in Local Alchemy's second phase. Local Alchemy is a new way for people to work together to reverse economic decline and create a better future for their area. It is all about supporting less prosperous communities in the East Midlands in unlocking the entrepreneurship, initiative and creativity of local people so they can create vibrant, inclusive and sustainable communities. It brings people together from all sectors – residents, businesses, public sector and voluntary organisations – to reinvent the local economy, and results in new and growing businesses, better access to business support, and more jobs for local people. Phase One pilots are already underway in Gainsborough, Leicester North West, Sneinton (Nottingham) and Kingswood (Corby). Now we are ready to take Local Alchemy to the next stage and work with more communities in the East Midlands.
If you’d like to know more about Local Alchemy or discuss the potential of your community then please contact Ruth Townsley on 07981 690427 or visit www.local-alchemy.net. Local Alchemy is a partnership between emda (the East Midlands Development Agency) and nef.


Seeking best practice
Do you know of a medium or large company in Britain that uses local suppliers, employs local people and is deeply embedded into the local economy? We want to hear about companies that are having a positive impact on their local economy, to feature as case studies in nef's forthcoming best practice guide.
Contact amy.longrigg@neweconomics.org

 

About our team

The Tools for Local Economic Renewal team at nef develops and delivers a range of practical tools and projects which release the hidden power of individuals and organisations, and build vibrant, diverse and sustainable local economies.

nef (the new economics foundation) is an independent think-and-do tank that inspires and demonstrates economic well-being. We aim to improve quality of life by promoting innovative solutions that challenge mainstream thinking on economic, environmental and social issues. We work in partnership and put people and the planet first. www.neweconomics.org

Stay in the loop with nef
Keep up to date with innovative ideas from nef and support our work as an individual or organisational supporter. We will keep you in touch with our work and the issues that inspire it through our bi-monthly newspaper, Radical Economics. We also offer the opportunity to attend special events and a 10 per cent discount on nef's publications to keep you up to date on key issues. Join online at www.neweconomics.org or call us for more information on 020 7820 6300.

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