SHEFFIELD CO-OPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT GROUP
Aizlewood's Mill, Nursery Street, Sheffield, S3 8GG
Tel: 0114 282 3100 Fax: 0114 282 3150
E-Mail: alan@scdg.org
SCDG established in 1980 is an Industrial and Provident Society the membership comprising worker co-operatives in Sheffield, the City Council, the Co-operative Bank, Sheffield TUC and the local Co-operative Party. The constitution provides that a majority of the board shall be worker co-operative representatives. SCDG’s primary aim is to help people set up and sustain worker controlled co-operative businesses. This service is free to co-operatives.

In 1989 SCDG bought, via a subsidiary company Clearfuture Ltd formed for the purpose, a derelict corn mill (now Aizlewood’s Mill) from its previous owners a private company. The mill was refurbished at a total cost of some £2.4 million paid by a mixture of grants and loan finance:-

SCDG is also a member of Sheffield Co-operative Ventures Ltd (established 1986) along with the City Council and the Co-operative Bank. SCV is a revolving loan fund for worker co-operatives in Sheffield.

SCDG was originally funded by Sheffield City Council but is now totally independent.

Since 1980 we have helped form more than 70 co-operatives many of which survive.


AIZLEWOOD’S MILL

Owned by our subsidiary company Clearfuture Ltd its management is contracted to one of our member co-operatives. Completed in 1990 the Mill achieved 90% occupancy in its first year. The Mill has been profitable for several years contributing substantially towards SCDG’s ability to offer a free of charge service to co-operators.

The Mill contains 58 units of various sizes, 30,000 sq. ft of lettable space in total plus meeting rooms which can be let to outside organisations as well as licensees for seminars, training and meetings.


SHEFFIELD CO-OPERATIVE VENTURES LTD

Set up in 1986 as a joint venture with the Council and the Co-operative Bank. SCV took over and managed approximately £200,000 of loans made by the Council to local co-operatives. The Council also added £45,000. capital. The aim was to use this base to form a revolving fund managed by SCDG with a joint board making lending decisions. Since then SCV has made £600,000 of new loans to South Yorkshire co-operatives and other organisations. Loans are charged at a competitive rate and are repaid according to agreed terms. SCV’s real advantage for co-operatives arises because it is much more flexible about arranging repayment terms. SCV is also flexible about security, which is rarely asked for, and never requires personal guarantees. As a result of this flexibility the default rate on SCV’s lending has been low, a factor which enables it to maintain interest rates at reasonable levels.

Loans average between £5,000 and £10,000 and vary from £700 to £50,000.
SCV’s day to day affairs are managed by SCDG officers and its progress is reported regularly to SCDG’s board. Information on individual cases is strictly confidential and is not disclosed outside SCV’s own loan board.


ALAN DOOTSON
SENIOR DEVELOPMENT WORKER
SHEFFIELD CO-OPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT GROUP LTD



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