Communities Like Us – Launceston Community Development Trust
Like Mustard Seed Property, there are a number of other community-led organisations that bring people together to own land and property. From time to time each of us have a campaign to expand our membership and raise share capital. One of the seven co-operative principles is to be ‘co-operative amongst co-operatives’. So, we are wanting to introduce you to a different community-led organisation each time we do an update. Together we can build a community of people and organisations that share a vision for a stronger, more inclusive future!
Launceston Community Development Trust (LCDT) is a Community Benefit Society formed for the benefit of the people of Launceston, Cornwall. LCDT aims to bring local community assets into the ownership of the community itself. |It has several projects currently underway and in the pre-development stage –ranging from the delivery of affordable housing, availability of green spaces and sports facilities, through to commercial property restoration and local economic growth. Most recently LCDT opened ‘The Forest for Launceston’ a green space that to date has been inaccessible to the community and which is now open to all.
LCDT is always looking for other opportunities within the town and has begun to recognise a number of commercial properties on the fringe of the town centre which are being closed and at risk of being lost within the community. One of these properties is a pub, closed during the pandemic and which has never bounced back. Now up for sale, LCDT would like to purchase the building and provide a reimagined asset for the community. Over recent years Launceston has been in need of a local bookshop and stationer and this might be one of many ways in which LCDT would look to create a community hub. To achieve any of this, LCDT needs your help. Anyone can become a member of the community benefit society and in doing so, you become a shareholder of the organisation and for as little as £10 hold a piece of the activity being developed. If you are interested in staying up-to-date on potential projects or on becoming a member of LCDT, please visit the LCDT website.
