Monday 19 June was Armed Forces Day, which allows everyone to show their support for the men and women of the Armed Forces past and present, including currently serving troops, service families, reservists, veterans and cadets, providing a much-valued morale boost for Armed Forces personnel and their families.
Here in High Peak, we are flying the flag to support our Armed Forces across the borough, including at Pavilion Gardens in Buxton and Norfolk Square in Glossop.
We would thank each and every one for their public service to our King and country.
We both recently represented High Peak at the national Local Government conference of the Co-op Party (a sister party to the Labour Party) to learn and share best practice to make real impact for the people we serve. High Peak has some fantastic co-operative businesses operating currently – where they’re owned and run by local people, with profits going back into the community.
Examples include Torrs Hydro in New Mills, a community hydroelectric co-op that provides renewable energy for the town, and Chinley Co-op Shop, a friendly place where it’s easy for locals to shop with minimal waste and where their suppliers have been carefully selected to be trustworthy, sustainable and ethical.
As co-operators, we believe that the principles behind successful co‑operatives – democratic control by customers and workers and a fair share of the wealth we create together – should extend to the broader economy and our society.
Following the Labour Gain here in High Peak, we want to boost the number of not-for-profit co-operatives operating in High Peak, and we will ensure that High Peak Borough Council will support current and new co-operative businesses to enrich our local economy.
Cllr Anthony Mckeown, Leader
Cllr Damien Greenhalgh, Deputy Leader
(This column was published in the Glossop Chronicle, 22 June 2023)
