Social media Mastodon co-operative seeking help!

Technology
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I am part of sunbeam.city, a co-operative solarpunk Mastodon social network server with around 400 active users and around 1600 users overall from all over the world. We’re looking to setup some sort of legal co-operative entity to ensure the assets of the co-op remain collective even as individual members come and go.

Does anyone have any advice in this area or know anyone who might be interested in helping? Could be a unique opportunity for the movement to help support an emerging platform co-op.

For more info see: start []

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Not sure how much I’d actually be able to contribute, but it’s quite co-incidental as I’ve been thinking of creating a Mastodon server specifically for Co-operators (unless there’s one around that i’ve missed?). How have you found the running of it?

Leigh

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There is some others that are run as co-ops:

https://wiki.sunbeam.city/doku.php?id=federation_of_democratic_instances

I wasn’t really involved it setting it up so I can’t provide massive insights bu there’s a lot of history here.

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The Mastodon server that is primarily by and for co-operators is https://social.coop

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Awesome - I don’t need to then!

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In terms of advice I would encourage you to contact @coopsmark who will be able to suggest relevant low cost UK co-op legal options. If you want to register the legal entity somewhere else I’m not sure. A good list of relevant resources is at Useful co-operative development resources - HackMD

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@Graham yep, we’re looking to register in the UK.

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Hi @kawaiipunk I’d be happy to help. Drop me a line at mark@culture.coop

If you want some background on UK legal structures, then I can recommend the Do-ocracy Handbook (PDF Download) not least because I wrote it.

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@coopsmark thanks for reminding me about the Handbook. On a pedantry note, you say that all incorporated forms other than an LLP have to have Directors, but does a Coop Society/BenCom?

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Hi Sion. Yes a registered society has Directors and a Board although it may call them something else.

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I have some relevant experience/expertise and interest in this area. You can see me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickandrews1/ Happy to have a chat if you think it useful. Good luck - what you are trying to do presents some interesting (!) challenges.