# Radical Routes

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{{Short description|UK-based network of co-operatives}}
{{Infobox organization
| name                = Radical Routes
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| logo                = Radical Routes logo.gif
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| formation           = Incorporated {{start date|1992|04|01|df=y}}<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://mutuals.fca.org.uk/Search/Society/20127 |title=Mutuals Public Register: Radical Routes Limited |website=mutuals.fca.org.uk |access-date=27 October 2019 |archive-date=28 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191028221716/https://mutuals.fca.org.uk/Search/Society/20127 |url-status=live}}</ref>
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| type                = [Secondary co-operative](/source/Cooperative_federation)
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| registration_id     = 27587R
| status              = [Registered Society](/source/Co-operative_and_Community_Benefit_Societies_Act_2014)
| purpose             = [Social change](/source/Social_change)
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| region_served       = [United Kingdom](/source/United_Kingdom)
| services            = Co-operative development, finance, training, gatherings
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| num_members         = 36 housing co-ops and worker co-ops<ref>{{Cite web |title=Member Directory – Radical Routes |url=https://www.radicalroutes.org.uk/list-of-members-associates/ |access-date=2022-11-16 |website=www.radicalroutes.org.uk |language=en-UK}}</ref>
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| website             = [http://www.radicalroutes.org.uk radicalroutes.org.uk]
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[[File:Nutclough Housing Co-op (Zion), Keighley Road - geograph.org.uk - 1142445.jpg|alt=Radical Routes member Nutclough Housing Co-operative in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire.|thumb|Radical Routes member Nutclough Housing Co-operative in [Hebden Bridge](/source/Hebden_Bridge), [West Yorkshire](/source/West_Yorkshire).]]
'''Radical Routes''' is a UK-based network of [housing co-ops](/source/housing_cooperative).<ref>{{Cite web|date=29 July 2011|title=Housing co-ops: one way to find an affordable home|url=http://www.theguardian.com/money/2011/jul/29/housing-co-op-affordable-home|access-date=4 November 2020|website=The Guardian|language=en|archive-date=3 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803095504/https://www.theguardian.com/money/2011/jul/29/housing-co-op-affordable-home|url-status=live}}</ref> The organisation supports new and established co-ops through loan finance, training workshops, practical support, and national gatherings.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.radicalroutes.org.uk/aims-and-principles.html|title=Radical Routes – Aims & Principles|website=www.radicalroutes.org.uk|access-date=27 October 2019|archive-date=28 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191028221715/https://www.radicalroutes.org.uk/aims-and-principles.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Gradin |first=Sofa |date=2014-05-16 |title=Radical Routes and Alternative Avenues |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0486613414532764 |journal=Review of Radical Political Economics |volume=47 |issue=2 |pages=141–158 |doi=10.1177/0486613414532764 |s2cid=154224455 |issn=0486-6134|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==History==
Radical Routes emerged in 1986 from a network of people in London and Hull who wanted to develop workers' co-operatives.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gosling |first1=Paul |title=Fund sells a stake in radical ventures: Paul Gosling reports on schemes to provide low-interest loans for alternative businesses at home and abroad |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/fund-sells-a-stake-in-radical-ventures-paul-gosling-reports-on-schemes-to-provide-low-interest-loans-1485656.html |access-date=21 September 2019 |work=The Independent |date=18 July 1993 |language=en |archive-date=21 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190921174226/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/fund-sells-a-stake-in-radical-ventures-paul-gosling-reports-on-schemes-to-provide-low-interest-loans-1485656.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The network agreed its common aims and adopted the name Radical Routes in 1988, and became incorporated as Radical Routes Limited in 1992.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.socialauditnetwork.org.uk/files/6613/7716/9465/Radical_Routes_social_accounts_2013_-_full_and_final.pdf|title=Radical Routes Social Accounts 2013|date=2013|website=Social Audit Network|page=3|access-date=28 October 2019|archive-date=28 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191028221714/http://www.socialauditnetwork.org.uk/files/6613/7716/9465/Radical_Routes_social_accounts_2013_-_full_and_final.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1998 Rootstock Limited was incorporated as an investment scheme supporting Radical Routes co-operatives.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rootstock.org.uk/radical-routes.html|title=Radical Routes|website=www.rootstock.org.uk|access-date=27 October 2019|archive-date=28 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191028221717/https://www.rootstock.org.uk/radical-routes.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The original house in [Hockley](/source/Hockley%2C_West_Midlands) was set up as the 'New Education Housing Co-op'.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Albery |first1=Nicholas |author-link1=Nicholas Albery |title=The Book of Visions: An Encyclopaedia of Social Innovations |date=1992 |publisher=Virgin |isbn=9780863696015 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HN_wAAAAMAAJ |access-date=25 March 2019 |language=en |archive-date=9 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221009210254/https://books.google.com/books?id=HN_wAAAAMAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref>

According to Rootstock, between 1991 and 2012 Radical Routes made over sixty loans to member co-ops – totaling over £1m – with no co-operatives defaulting on loan payments.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rootstock.org.uk/radical-routes-loans.html|title=Radical Routes Loans|website=www.rootstock.org.uk|access-date=28 October 2019|archive-date=28 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191028221728/https://www.rootstock.org.uk/radical-routes-loans.html|url-status=live}}</ref> These loans have typically been used by member housing co-ops, in addition to finance from traditional lenders, to buy property.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thebristolcable.org/2019/08/housing-coops-a-landlord-you-can-trust/|title=Housing coops: a landlord you can trust|date=27 August 2019|website=The Bristol Cable|language=en-GB|access-date=13 January 2020|archive-date=13 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200113041642/https://thebristolcable.org/2019/08/housing-coops-a-landlord-you-can-trust/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Work==
Radical Routes provides small loans (up to about £50,000) to member co-operatives. Decisions on making loans are made collectively by other member co-operatives, this has been described as "peer-group loan appraisal".<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Field|first=Stuart|date=April 2015|title=Financial models for Community Development Finance Institutions in the UK|url=https://www.social-banking.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/ISB_paper_15_Master_thesis_Field.pdf|journal=ISB Paper Series|publisher=Institute for Social Banking|volume=15|pages=54|access-date=2019-10-28|archive-date=2019-10-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191028221716/https://www.social-banking.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/ISB_paper_15_Master_thesis_Field.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

Radical Routes publishes booklets on subjects such as How to set up a Housing Co-operative and How to set up a Worker Co-operative.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://radicalroutes.org.uk/publications-and-resources.html|title=Radical Routes – Publications & Resources|website=radicalroutes.org.uk|access-date=13 January 2020|archive-date=13 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200113023503/http://radicalroutes.org.uk/publications-and-resources.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

With [Cooperatives UK](/source/Cooperatives_UK) they launched proposals for an independent co-operative regulator after the government announced that it would be abolishing the [FSA](/source/Financial_Services_Authority). Previously the FSA had regulated co-operatives, which were registered as [industrial and provident societies](/source/industrial_and_provident_society).

Radical Routes is developing a ‘co-op cluster’ model for co-op housing with groups of housing co-ops combining their assets to buy new properties outright, eliminating mortgage interest.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenews.coop/95731/sector/community/radical-routes-plans-free-housing-co-ops-mortgage-trap/|title=Radical Routes Plans to Free Housing Co-ops from Mortgage Trap|last=Kidd|first=Marie-Claire|date=16 June 2015|website=The News Coop|access-date=13 January 2020|archive-date=2 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191102213920/https://www.thenews.coop/95731/sector/community/radical-routes-plans-free-housing-co-ops-mortgage-trap/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Membership==
Member co-operatives are expected to commit to a share of Radical Routes' workload as volunteers, and work toward radical social change.<ref name="RR PN2007" /><ref name="RR + radical social change">{{cite news |last1=Rai |first1=Milan |last2=Johns |first2=Emily |title=Radical Routes and radical social change |url=https://peacenews.info/node/7824/radical-routes-and-radical-social-change |access-date=26 September 2019 |work=peacenews.info |publisher=Peace News |date=December 2014 |archive-date=26 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190926162712/https://peacenews.info/node/7824/radical-routes-and-radical-social-change |url-status=live }}</ref>

At January 2024 the organisation has 30 members: 26 housing co-ops and 4 worker co-ops.<ref name="RR members">{{cite news |title=Radical Routes members and associates |website=www.radicalroutes.org.uk |url=https://www.radicalroutes.org.uk/list-of-members-associates/ |access-date=7 January 2024 }}</ref>

==Limitations==
A 2014 [round table](/source/Round_table_(discussion)) report by Radical Routes and Friends Provident Foundation identified [carpet bagging](/source/Carpetbagger), among other things, as a systemic weakness within the existing housing co-op framework.<ref name="Clusters">{{Citation |first= |title=Co-op Clusters – Round table report |website=www.radicalroutes.org.uk |url=http://www.radicalroutes.org.uk/publicdownloads/Co-opClusters_report_lowres.pdf |year=2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220619144002/http://www.radicalroutes.org.uk/publicdownloads/Co-opClusters_report_lowres.pdf |access-date=9 October 2022 |archive-date=2022-06-19 |author-link=Radical Routes}}</ref> 'Carpet bagging' refers to established co-ops significantly reducing their rents or, rarely, selling their property for private gain. The report explores ways in which the systematic weaknesses might be addressed, mentioning the ''[Mietshäuser Syndikat](/source/Mietsh%C3%A4user_Syndikat)'' model as having provably solved the carpet bagging issue.<ref name="Clusters" />

==See also==

* [Mietshäuser Syndikat](/source/Mietsh%C3%A4user_Syndikat)
* [Triodos Bank](/source/Triodos_Bank)

==References==
{{reflist|30em|refs=
<ref name="RR PN2007">{{cite news |last1=Nicholson |first1=Patrick |title=Radical Routes |url=https://peacenews.info/node/3875/radical-routes |work=peacenews.info |access-date=24 April 2015 |publisher=[Peace News](/source/Peace_News) |date=November 2007 |archive-date=15 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151015000811/http://peacenews.info/node/3875/radical-routes |url-status=live }}</ref>
<!--unused<ref name="Collective ownership PN2012">{{cite news |last1=Rai |first1=Milan |last2=Johns |first2=Emily |title=Editorial: Collective ownership |url=https://peacenews.info/node/6867/editorial-collective-ownership |access-date=26 September 2019 |work=peacenews.info |agency=Peace News |date=July 2012}}</ref>-->
}}

==External links==
* [http://www.radicalroutes.org.uk/ Official website]
{{Authority control}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2024}}

Category:Cooperative federations
Category:Housing co-operatives in the United Kingdom
Category:1992 establishments in the United Kingdom
Category:Organizations established in 1992
Category:Companies based in the London Borough of Haringey

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Radical Routes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radical_Routes) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radical_Routes?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.