November 2017

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NEWS COMMUNITY £8m fund launched to develop co-op networks in England A community development programme has been launched by Co-operatives UK and Power to Change to channel £8m into seven areas across England. The five-year scheme, funded by charitable trust Power to Change, will give community organisations grants, support and tools to create networks of co-ops and community businesses. The initiative aims to show how concentrated clusters of co-ops and community businesses can build better communities and reduce inequality. Co-operatives UK, the apex body for co-ops, will manage the programme in partnership with the New Economics Foundation, Centre for Local Economic Strategies and Kineo. Power to Change selected seven catalyst areas for the programme: uBradford (Manningham) with Carlisle Business Centre uGrimsby (Southward, Nunsthorpe and Bradley Park) with Centre 4 uHartlepool (Dyke House) with Wharton Trust uLeicester (Braunstone) with B-Inspired uLuton (Northwell) with Marsh Farm Futures uWigan (Abram) with Abram Ward Community Charity uPlymouth (Devonport and Stonehouse) with the Real Ideas Organisation (RIO) and Millfields Trust. Vidhya Alakeson, chief executive of Power to Change, said: “Empowering Places is the first of our three place-based programmes to launch and probably our most revolutionary. By working at a grassroots level, we will be truly handing over the power for economic regeneration to local communities. The results are already highly promising in Plymouth and we have high expectations of the roll-out.” Ed Mayo, secretary general of Co-operatives UK, added: “Empowering Places has the potential to be truly transformational. By focusing on just seven areas we will be able to channel time and resources into supporting some incredible organisations. By helping them to inspire a flourishing co-op and community business sector we will together be giving people a stake in their local economy and a share of the wealth they generate.” One of the pilot projects started in Plymouth where the Real Ideas p RIO one of the organisations involved in delivering the programme has already had success transforming Devonport Guildhall into a community asset Organisation (RIO) has been working with micro-enterprises, co-ops and social enterprises in the communities of Stonehouse and Devonport. As part of this, they have taken on buildings, including the once derelict Devonport Guildhall, and transformed them into enterprising spaces that support start-ups and social enterprises, creating jobs and physical regeneration in the area. HALF-YEAR RESULTS Societies report steady performance as year brings challenging conditions Scotmid reported operating profit up 54% to £2,445,000 for the six months to 29 July (30 July 2016: £1,590,000). Trading profit saw a slight rise to £1,984,000 (30 July 2016: £1,977,000), with a small drop in turnover to £184.7m (30 July 2016: £185.5m). Surplus before tax was £1.4m, £1m up on 2016, largely due to profit from an investment property sale in Edinburgh. Chief executive John Brodie said: “Scotmid delivered another solid half-year performance against the background of continued uncertainty and cost pressures. “I expect the second half to be equally or even more challenging with increased cost growth from external factors and the continued market uncertainty over the Brexit outcome. Consequently we will continue to focus on innovation.” Heart of England Co-operative recorded like for like sales increases of 6.97% in the 21-week period to 17 June. Operating profit stands at £2m – up more than 100% on the same time last year. Food sales over the period rose by 5.73% despite tough competition from national multiples and from budget chains. On the Funerals side, like-for-like sales over the same 21-week period increased by 16.04%, with recent investments in Kenpas Highway, Coventry and Kenilworth all resulting in satisfactory performances. Chief executive Ali Kurji said: “Despite difficult conditions the society remains in a very sound and strong financial position. The society has continued to operate with positive cash flow and the cash reserves will be utilised for profitable projects.” Central England Co-operative welcomed an “encouraging financial performance and strong investment” with sales up 2.6% to £460.2m in the half-year to 12 August. Trading profit was £11.9m, down £1m on the previous year due to improved pay rates and other cost increases. The society said its “ambitious growth strategy” saw £19.2m invested in the first half of the year, up from £14.2m in 2016. £2.6m was distributed to members, colleagues and the community, and five new food stores and four funeral homes were opened. Chief executive Martyn Cheatle said: “We expect the trading environment to remain challenging and highly competitive for the foreseeable future, but are remain confident in our strategy.” 6 | NOVEMBER <strong>2017</strong>
p Jeremy Corbyn addresses the Co-operative Party conference in London CO-OP PARTY CONFERENCE World needs co-op values to fix its problems, says Jeremy Corbyn The world needs co-operative values to solve its problems, said Jeremy Corbyn at the Co-operative Party conference. The Labour leader said: “For millions of people, the current system is failing to deliver secure jobs, failing to deliver secure housing, and failing to deliver rising living standards.” He added: “Philip Hammond says Labour poses an ‘existential challenge to our economic model’ – Yes, we do. Their economic model is broken. Even the International Monetary Fund thinks inequality and low taxes for the richest are harming the economy.” In his speech to the conference, held in London from 13-15 October, he said people looking to start up a business should “consider the co-operative model”. He added: “When I meet entrepreneurs, and those trying to start their own business, their motivations are to express their creativity, serve their community, meet people’s needs, to create an income for themselves and jobs for others. “Their inspiration is often closer to the pragmatic principles of the co-operative movement than it is to the abstract ideology of Milton Friedman.” Mr Corbyn said a Labour government would “promote the co-operative option and support you to double the size of the co-operative economy”. He added: “When we talk about taking natural monopolies into public ownership we’re not inspired by the centralised and remote models of the 1940s and 1950s. We’re determined to create models of ownership that involve Labour leader wants two actions from co-operators 1: Promote co-operative start-ups “We know that co-operative start-ups are more likely to survive than conventional business start-ups so what can you as a movement do now, to engage with entrepreneurs to take up the co-operative model, working with local chambers of commerce and the Federation of Small Businesses. Let’s get Labour councils, the co-operative movement, and small business organisations working together to promote the co-operative model.” 2: Work towards a fairer digital economy “We are entering a period of unprecedented opportunity for socialist politics and co-operative principles. New technology is empowering participation, new social movements today are horizontalist rather than hierarchical, networked rather than top-down. The technology of the digital age should be empowering workers, enabling us to co-operate on a scale not possible before and yet too often it has enabled a more rapacious and exploitative form of capitalism to emerge.” workers and consumers based on co-operative principles, whether that’s at the community, regional or national level. “Last year the profit margins at the big six energy firms hit their highest level on record, falling wholesale costs were not passed on, and since then providers like British Gas have hiked prices again by 12.5%. Why does this happen? Because energy is run for profit, for the interests of the few over the many.” And he said he was “committed to bringing Royal Mail into public ownership – run in the interest of the public, Royal Mail workers and service users”. Mr Corbyn also called for co-op values in foreign policy, adding: “We live in a world riven by conflict, spurred on by ego and neo-imperial ambition. Never has the time been more important to restate our commitment to the UN Charter, the third clause of which states its aim ‘To achieve international co-operation in solving international problems’. “A global vision driven by our co-operative principles is more necessary than ever. Whether it’s Donald Trump or Kim Jong-Un, macho posturing needs to give way to calm, rational co-operation. “And across the world co-operatives play such a huge role as a spur to development, empowering women, bringing communities together. And today there are over a billion people worldwide who are members of co-operatives and I am proud to say that I am one of them.” uCo-op Party conference reports, p45-47 NOVEMBER <strong>2017</strong> | 7
Page 1 and 2: news NOVEMBER 2017 IMPACT How much
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Page 9 and 10: p Andy Burnham (right) addresses th
Page 11 and 12: HERITAGE Call goes out for records
Page 13 and 14: EDUCATION Ex-Army officer attacks w
Page 15 and 16: SYRIA First ever conference of co-o
Page 17 and 18: Project to build a young generation
Page 19 and 20: CANADA Massive volunteering effort
Page 21 and 22: YOUR VIEWS to the value of local, s
Page 23 and 24: CO-OP IRRESISTIBLE POTTED STILTON 2
Page 25 and 26: Little Trove Website: littletrove.c
Page 27 and 28: Expert views: Meet some of the peop
Page 29 and 30: Community Impact Index The index co
Page 31 and 32: local cause in their community. Aft
Page 33 and 34: Midcounties Co-operative’s region
Page 35 and 36: What are the latest trends for comm
Page 37 and 38: Should businesses look at integrati
Page 39 and 40: What does the future hold for CSR a
Page 41 and 42: Give credit to credit One of the bi
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Page 45 and 46: p The Co-op Party’s centenary ban
Page 47 and 48: Corbyn: ‘Co-operation is a natura
Page 49 and 50: priority, setting an important exam
Page 52: An investment that’s just your cu

November 2017

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