Modbury,  near Plymouth in Devon,  has an inspiring story of community spirit to tell - and better still they have put their ‘how to’ story on the web, for anyone who wants to copy them.

This year,  urged on by Rebecca Hosking, a local resident, the town’s shopkeepers banded together to make the town a plastic shopping bag free zone - the first in the UK.  From the 1st May 2007 no trader there will issue a plastic bag to shoppers - instead they will encourage all shoppers to either bring their own bag, buy a reuseable bag,  or issue a disposable paper or cornstarch bag.  

You may or may not agree with the campaign itself; the real inspiring part of story to me is in the way Rebecca has got all the traders to work together on a common cause.  A cause that has led to an increase in community spirit that they are now hoping to use on other community projects. 

It is often said in change management, that you can build collaboration by finding a common cause.   Modbury is a very good example of how to do it.