Over the years, mutual models have been developed to solve societal problems: co-operatives of all kinds, co-housing, intentional communities, Local Exchange Trading Schemes and so on, all based on the premise that humans do better co-operating than competing.
New legal forms, such as Community Interest Companies are currently popular (we are one!) but the basic idea is the same and the actual form just needs to serve the function in the best way it can.
Charity is fine, but it often only ameliorates the symptoms of social inequity. Mutuality is about self-help and sorting out the root causes.
Personal Budgets in Social Care and Health create new opportunities for mutual models and public expenditure pressures demand alternative solutions.
If you want to explore the potential for mutuality, please get in touch.