Cowley Club
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The Cowley Club is a libertarian social centre in Brighton, UK. It provides resources and meeting spaces for groups and individuals active in areas such as workplace and unemployed struggles, international solidarity, animal liberation, ecological defence, feminist and queer activism and opposing the arms trade. Its political identity is close to anarchism. It also houses a community café and Brighton's only radical bookshop. The centre is collectively owned and run as a base for those involved in grass-roots social change and those sympathetic to such activities. It is run entirely by volunteers — no-one is paid, and no private profit is made. The principles of the centre are summed up as being, "For a social system based on mutual aid and voluntary co-operation; against all forms of oppression. To establish a share in the general prosperity for all – the breaking down of racial, religious, national and sex barriers – and to fight for the life of one earth." The centre is named after local activist Harry Cowley (see below). It is currently the only such project in the South-East of the UK outside of London,[citation needed] and is part of the UK Social Centre Network.
[edit] About the centre
The Cowley Club is a cooperative. As such, assets and control are collectively owned, the idea being that those using the centre share the responsibilities and work that comes with running it. Money was raised via a mortgage, loans from cooperative organisations such as Radical Routes, and loan-stock (loans made by individuals on a five-year basis). The building purchase was completed in February 2002, then the lengthy renovation began. Much of the property was in disrepair and volunteers worked to renovate it, learning skills as they went along. Volunteers are organised into groups to take on various aspects of running the centre — there are collectives for the cafe, bookshop, kids club, cleaning, finances, maintenance and entertainments. There are monthly general meetings for overall co-ordinating, which have the ultimate responsibility for decisions taken.
[edit] Harry Cowley
Brightonian Harry Cowley was involved in grass-roots social activism from the 1920s until his death in the 1970s. He helped organise the unemployed, moved homeless families into squatted buildings after both world wars, was a key figure in confronting fascism in 1930s Brighton. He also campaigned for cheap food, mobilised pensioners, was involved in running social events and social centres and generally organising whatever was needed to provide practical aid for the poor and disadvantaged of the town. His actions were based in local neighbourhoods and outside political parties. The centre was named after him as a sign of its aim of furthering this tradition of grass-roots organising and class solidarity. The Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company has named a bus after Harry Cowley, and has a brief biography of him on its website.
