From Closure to Co-operative in Five Weeks: How a Mancunian Community Saved its Toy Shop

By David Parker

I feel like moving to South Manchester after talking to several members of Busy Bee Toy Shop. It sounds like community spirit and co-operative values are flourishing there.

There are several well established co-ops there: Unicorn Grocers, Ethical Consumer, Work for Change, Homes for Change, Open Space and probably more that I don’t know about.

And of course nearby in the city centre there are the main offices of The Co-operative Group, the bank, the college and Co-operatives UK. So when the much-loved Busy Bee Toy Shop closed last year the local community immediately thought of a co-operative solution.

They formed a community co-operative and raised the capital they needed to buy the business and take on the lease in just five weeks.

The members didn’t just invest money, they also drew on their very considerable range of skills – including legal, financial, electrical, plastering, decorating, and of course education, child care and play – to make sure the shop reopened for business. 

The co-op received free advice from The Co-operative Enterprise Hub. You can read more about it here.

I was delighted to learn that some of the members used to shop at Busy Bee Toy Shop when they were children.