{"id":13198,"date":"2020-02-27T14:58:12","date_gmt":"2020-02-27T14:58:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.powertochange.org.uk\/blog\/conversation-rebecca-luff-copy\/"},"modified":"2021-07-30T13:17:51","modified_gmt":"2021-07-30T12:17:51","slug":"conversation-jonathan-atkinson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.powertochange.org.uk\/news\/conversation-jonathan-atkinson\/","title":{"rendered":"In conversation with: Jonathan Atkinson"},"content":{"rendered":"
It\u2019s a pleasure to build a business in a different way. I get excited about businesses who trade in a way that is radical and has that triple impact \u2013 social, economic, environmental<\/p>\n
– Jonathan Atkinson Co-founder, George Street Community Bookshop<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Jonathan Atkinson is co-founder of the George Street Community Bookshop in Glossop, Derbyshire, and Carbon Co-op, a community energy enterprise based in Greater Manchester. He has been on the Power to Change Community Business Panel since July 2019.<\/em><\/p>\n
What gets you up in the morning? What motivates you?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n
It sounds a bit cheesy but I\u2019m motivated by the impetus to change things for the better. I\u2019m really interested in the concept of mutual aid, how people can help each other. Community business is a way to empower people and communities. Charities ask people for help and donations, whereas community businesses are all about self-help.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m also really interested in climate change. I grew up in Middlesborough which was very industrial. So I\u2019ve always wanted to make a difference and preserve nature through collective action.<\/p>\n
How did you get involved in community business?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n
I did a degree in Environmental Science but soon realised that the perceived role for researchers is to document the destruction of the Earth but not do anything about it. That was really frustrating, so I looked around for a more active role. I saw an ad in The Big Issue magazine for a job at a worker co-op called Ethical Consumer Magazine.<\/em> It\u2019s sort of like Which? but for ethical companies. It was amazing! I learnt all about community, marketing, business and worked there for five years. Then I co-founded an art and design collective which was more about graphics design and websites. After that I joined the Carbon Coop which brought me closer to my goal of helping reduce the impact on the environment.<\/p>\n
More recently, I got involved in the George Street Community Bookshop in Glossop where I live. The existing bookshop was closing down so the whole community rallied round to save it.<\/p>\n