Journalist Helen Clifton, has recently published an article in the Big Issue in the North, looking at the growth of co-operatives in the region. Helen was a member at OpenSpace and though new to the co-operative sector was won over by her experiences here. As well as featuring OpenSpace, Helen has talked to the Busy Bee toy co-operative from Chorlton, Manchester and the Nenthead Community Shop from Cumbria. Here's the extract from the article relating to OpenSpace: OpenSpace, a co-operative office facility in Hulme, Manchester, launched in October 2008 with the generous help of a £45,000 Co-operative Group grant. As with Nenthead, co-founder Jonathan Atkinson says OpenSpace was set up in response to a genuine need, rather than to create profit. Run by a board of freelancers who use the space, their ethical ethos guarantees a low monthly rent in exchange for co-op membership. And with the recession creating more redundancies and more freelancers, demand for affordable space is high. “It has gone from not having enough people to breaking even, and now we are full,” says Atkinson. “It satisfies a need that is real and out there. There are thousands of people working freelance in this city. We are quite principled – there isn’t a landlord taking money out of the pot.” Atkinson argues that the co-op tradition has always been alive and well in the north, but recent events mean people are now keen to find alternatives. “There is a really rich history of co-ops and DIY communities in Manchester,” he says. “There are enormous links between what we are doing and the ethos of Factory Records and the Haçienda.”