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Speaker: John Hall Presentation: The Cowley Club Website: Cowley Club The Founding of…: I used to live in a Radical Routes housing co-op, and have been involved in RR for 5 years. People in the past had suggested that there should be a club/ pub run along the same lines. I was talking with Andy Hill (Catalyst), and members of the Anarchist Teapot (café that was operated from squatted buildings in Brighton; from Funeral director’s parlour to abandoned cafes). They were fed up of having to move utensils/ equipment every few months. So I looked at getting a permanent space; the finances looked feasible, and the legal structure was formulated along the ICOM model rules for workers co-ops. We bought the buildings for £375,000. The building was renovated with voluntary labour, except for tiling the roof. And the plumbing. It has been going for 18 months. The building was financed by loanstock (£100,000), RR loan, mortgage and £60,000 from the Industrial Common Ownership Fund. Loanstock matured in 5 years from issue, and sometimes would need to be re-issued/ extended. Loanstock was very important in the formation of the Club. A form was sent to friends, sympathisers, supporters who were interested in investing in the venture. They were given an option of getting a 0% to 6% return on their investment. What the Cowley Club is and does: The Cowley Club (CC) is based in an old shoe shop, along the main shopping street in Brighton, London Road. It is a narrow but long shop that by day is a café and bookshop, which are cheap and busy. Basement is used for storage, the back a kitchen and above the shop is a flat which is a 4 person housing co-op. Out the back is a small courtyard and separate building (which will need rebuilding), and will be converted to a children’s area, office and library, which will double as meeting rooms. Fundraising activities such as Jumble Sales are held outside the Club and Sunday Lunches cooked in the café. On Mondays the club is used to teach English to immigrants. There are 140 members of the Cowley Club, who each pay a £1 share, and they elect the Management Committee. In the evenings, it is a private members club with a bar. We thought that the best way to off the loans and mortgage was to sell alcohol. A private members club was the easiest way of selling alcohol. The evening members club is a separate organisation called the 12 London Road Social Club, but members of the CC are normally members of both. The Members of the Social Club pay a membership and need to be involved with some aspect of running the Club for 6 months before being allowed to be a member. There are 1800 members. Once the Club is financially stable, we will be able to invest in other ventures, as the there will be a good surplus, as the work is done by volunteers. There are 60 volunteers, 20 of whom do a lot for the co-op. Question: “Have financial constraints made the Club less radical?” Answer: “No” Who was Cowley? Harry Cowley was a local hero, gangster scam artist. He organised the anti-fascist protests in Brighton, the open food market (reaction to town shops selling food at high prices). After World War II he was one of the Vigilantes, who opened up squats for returning servicemen and their families.	AUDIO 1 AUDIO 2
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