Where are you investing your financial resources?  A multinational bank, funding their investments around the world and earning next to nothing?  Stocks, bonds, mutual funds? Does the portfolio include companies involved in coal, oil, tar sands and pipelines, a myriad of other exploitative and questionable activities? There are other options.

Copy of IMG_2272New and growing, ethical and sustainable enterprises in Devon contribute to a healthier, happier place to live. Investing in such local enterprises can offer a financial return, as well as a social and environmental return. This is one alternative to the usual list of suspects, such banks and corporate securities. The Local Entrepreneur Forum is one way for local investors to meet local entrepreneurs. Another way is the Totnes Local Investor Network. (Interested in participating in the TLIN or being introduced? Send an email to reconomycentre@gmail.com)

Local investing can take other forms, as well. The links below will take you to more information about local investing and the different models that exist. Many of these links are to U.S. resources, where the local investing and community wealth building movement has been developing for the past 20 years. But the models that work there, and certainly the principles, can be adapted for the UK and Europe. If you would like to suggest UK and EU links, please do!

Advertisement