December 2017

news
DECEMBER 2017
TOGETHER
Diversity hailed
at Global ICA
conference
Plus ... How co-ops
help refugees ... A short
history of co-operation
... Why Quakers didn’t
go co-op in business
ISSN 0009-9821
9 770009 982010
01
£4.20
www.thenews.coop

CONNECTING, CHAMPIONING AND
CHALLENGING THE GLOBAL CO-OP
MOVEMENT SINCE 1871
Holyoake House, Hanover Street,
Manchester M60 0AS
(00) 44 161 214 0870
www.thenews.coop
editorial@thenews.coop
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Anthony Murray
anthony@thenews.coop
DEPUTY EDITOR
Rebecca Harvey
rebecca@thenews.coop
EDITORIAL
Anca Voinea | anca@thenews.coop
Miles Hadfield | miles@thenews.coop
DESIGN: Keir Mucklestone-Barnett
DIRECTORS
Elaine Dean (chair), David Paterson
(vice-chair), Richard Bickle, Sofygil
Crew, Gavin Ewing, Tim Hartley,
Erskine Holmes, Beverley Perkins and
Barbara Rainford.
Secretary: Ray Henderson
Established in 1871, Co-operative News
is published by Co-operative Press Ltd,
a registered society under the Cooperative
and Community Benefit Society
Act 2014. It is printed every month by
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the global co-operative movement,
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Co-op News is, on occasion, supported by
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information and views set out in opinion
articles and letters do not necessarily
reflect the opinion of Co-operative News.
@coopnews
news
cooperativenews
The International Co-operative Alliance is at a crossroads to its future.
Its president Monique Leroux ended her term early and has been replaced by
Argentina’s Ariel Guarco, and the board is currently deciding who the successor will
be to director-general Charles Gould, who is set to retire next year.
It is also quickly approaching the end of its Blueprint for a Co-operative Decade,
which called for co-operatives to be the fastest-growing business model by 2020.
Whether that target has been, or will be reached, is not yet known. But an
influential figure in co-op circles has called on the Alliance to be bold and affirm a
post-2020 strategy.
Ahead of the election of the Alliance’s new board and president last month in Kuala
Lumpur, Jean-Louis Bancel, president of Co-operatives Europe and president/
executive vice-chair of Crédit Coopératif, said it is “necessary to launch a new phase”
of the organisation and to launch a review of the mission/objective of the board.
Ben Reid, chief executive of Midcounties Co-op and an Alliance board director,
agreed. In a series of questions to board members from Mr Bancel, Mr Reid said: “At
the moment we spend the majority of our time inwardly focused which feels like a
lost opportunity, given the quality that sits around the board table.”
He added: “The timing for a review feels right. We will have a new president, new
board and indeed a new director-general. There could not be a more opportune
moment to review how we operate and establish policies and procedures that will
underpin our drive forward to create a more inclusive and effective ICA.”
So what is this new direction for the Alliance? Mr Bancel believes the movement
should focus on “the better world” that co-ops declare they want to build. In
particular, he believes the aims of UN’s Sustainable Development Goals should be
adopted in the new stage of the international co-operative movement.
What are your thoughts?
Our view: The future of
international co-operation
ANTHONY MURRAY - EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Co-operative News is printed using vegetable oil-based
inks on 80% recycled paper (with 60% from post-consumer
waste) with the remaining 20% produced from FSC or PEFC
certified sources. It is made in a totally chlorine free process.
2 | DECEMBER 2017

trouble? ... Communitybased
Member Pioneers
... International credit
union updates ...
ISSN 0009-9821
01
9 770009 982010
THIS ISSUE
CLOCKWISE FROM FAR LEFT
Meet Kayleigh Walsh, from Outlandish and
the Worker Co-op Council (p30-31); one of
the many co-operative initiatives to help
refugees entering Europe (p42-48); how
co-ops are supporting the common good
(p38-40); and Gro Harlem Brundtland gives
her view of the challenges facing the world
– and the co-op movement – at the Global
Conference (p23)
news Issue #7290 DECEMBER 2017
Connecting, championing, challenging
news
DECEMBER 2017
YOUTH
Co-operative
thinking from
an early age
Plus ... Is Fairtrade in
COVER: The International
Co-operative Alliance held its
Global Conference and General
Assembly in Kuala Lumpur last
month and Co-op News was there,
bringing back reports on keynote
speeches, board elections and
special sessions on how the
movement is putting people at the
heart of sustainable development.
Read more: p20-29
£4.20
www.thenews.coop
20-29 ICA GLOBAL CONFERENCE
20 Opening speeches
21 Presidential and board elections
22-23 Keynote speakers: Economist
Linda Yueh and former Norwegian
prime minister Gro Harlem Brundtland
offered delegates their thoughts on the
economic, social and environmental
challenges facing the world – and the role
co-ops can play in dealing with them
24-27 Panel sessions: Conference events
saw discussions on youth engagement,
the collaborative economy, the refugee
crisis and gender equality. The Alliance
also announced this year’s winner
of the Rochdale Pioneers Award, the
movement’s highest honour
28-29 World Co-op Monitor: The latest
figures on the world’s top 300 co-ops are
presented to delegates
30-31 MEET ... KAYLEIGH WALSH
Worker-owner at Outlandish and a
member of the Worker Co-op Council
32-33 QUAKERS AND CO-OPS
One is a religious movement, the other
secular –but there is ethical common
ground between the two, writes Quaker
and social entrepreneur Robert Ashton
34-37 A SHORT HISTORY OF
CO-OPERATION
Ed Mayo, secretary general of
Co-operatives UK, traces the story of
co-operation – and finds early examples
as long ago as ancient China
38-40 CO-OPERATION FOR THE
COMMON GOOD
Cliff Mills and Gillian Lonergan look at
the ways that co-op organisations work
for the benefit of their members and
the wider community – and look at the
movement’s past to show how these
values are written into its DNA
42-48 REFUGEES
Europe is facing the biggest displacement
of people since the Second World War –
and co-ops have stepped up to the task of
helping them. Our in-depth report looks
at how co-operative initiatives are helping
refugees become self-sustaining and find
a place in their new communities
REGULARS
4-12 UK updates
14-19: Global updates
48-49: Reviews
50: Diary
DECEMBER 2017 | 3

NEWS
BUDGET
Hammond signals
change for credit unions
and housing co-ops
Chancellor Philip Hammond announced a
series of measures in his Budget statement
that will impact credit unions and housing
co-operatives.
Mr Hammond committed the
government to building 300,000 extra
new homes a year by the middle of the next
decade. He also pledged to create a £630m
small-sites fund to “unstick” the delivery
of 40,000 homes and a further £2.7bn to
double the Housing Infrastructure Fund.
Overall, the chancellor promised a total
of at least £44bn of capital funding, loans
and guarantees to support the housing
market. The initiative was designed to
boost the supply of skills, resources, and
building land and to create the financial
incentives necessary to deliver 300,000
additional homes a year, on average, by
the mid-2020s.
Nic Bliss, head of policy at the
Confederation of Co-operative Housing
welcomed the capital funding but said
more details were needed.
“There have been discussions with
the government about funding for
community-led housing and if they
announce that funding within the capital
programme, then that could kickstart our
sector,” he said. “Perhaps it is concerning
that stamp duty abolition is likely to lead
to further house price inflation and that
there was so little emphasis on the need
for affordable housing.”
For credit unions, the main change is
an increase in the number of potential
members a credit union serving a local
area can have from two to three million.
Matt Bland, head of policy and
compliance at the Association of British
Credit Unions, said this was a “welcome
liberalisation” which was part of a
range of measures his organisation had
requested from the government.
“It will enable credit unions in larger
urban conurbations to extend their
common bonds to cover more of a heavily
populated area and may facilitate the
helpful consolidation of credit unions
where appropriate,” said Mr Bland.
“Over time it will also enable and
facilitate the growth of the largest credit
unions where they would otherwise have
their expansion curtailed by the two
million limit.”
He added: “There are a number of other
areas – including the powers credit unions
have to provide new and innovative
services – which we believe warrant
further legislative review and reform with
great potential to unlock latent growth
in the credit union sector and to allow
it to play a broader and more effective
role in the financial life of the UK. We
will continue to work with the Treasury
to make the case for these reforms and
are encouraged that they are open to
considering all feasible legislative reforms
which are likely to have a significant
positive impact on the growth potential of
the sector.”
There was response to the Budget from
elsewhere in the co-op movement. Tony
Armstrong, chief executive of Locality,
said the government should look at the
role community organisations can play
in providing person-centred services
to reduce long-term burdens on public
services and employing local people.
“We want to see the government set out
a clear strategy for how it will draw upon
and strengthen the huge power that exists
within our communities – convening
government action, maximising limited
resources and building strong local
partnerships – so together we can create
a fair society where every community
thrives,” he said.
Campbell McDonald, managing director
at Baxendale, an employee-owned
enterprise, warned that the national
productivity drive envisaged in the Budget
speech would require a “clear view of the
social impact”. “Investment in R&D, in
emerging UK businesses, in digitalisation
is a great thing,” he said. “We just need to
make sure we are alive to the social impact
of the changes we bring.
“If we want people engaged
and passionate at work, they need
organisations with clear strategic purpose,
where they are managed in a way that
respects the effort they bring and seeks
to align reward with those who actually
generate value, and where leaders hold
themselves to account for the impact
of everything they do – not just on their
numbers, but on the people who work for
them, the communities they affect, the
planet they inhabit.”
4 | DECEMBER 2017

p T
SOCIETY RESULTS
Independent retail co-ops release trading figures in “challenging” period
Chelmsford Star Co-operative has
recorded a year on year growth in sales of
7.4% in its interim report for the 28 weeks
to 12 August 2017.
Trading surplus before depreciation
was £1.5m, down slightly from £1.6m
for the same period last year, but gross
takings were £59m, up from £55m.
The report said: “Overall trading
performance is beginning to show
signs of growth after a number of
challenging years.”
The food business, including fuel,
saw a year on year decline in trading
profitability but the report says the result
is 5.4% ahead of the business plan.
Department stores saw a year on year
decline of 4.3% in sales. and the business
continues to review its operation.”
At Travel, turnover was up 11.8%. but
the main driver of growth is currency,a
lower margin product, affecting trading
profitability, down 11.3% on last year.
The funeral arm has faced growing
competition, with sales 14.7% down
on last year, and trading profit
has fallen by £112,000 or 51.4%,
“well below the level envisaged within the
business plan”.
A strategic review of the business will be
implemented later this year, says the report.
But food core categories, fuel, travel
and investment property are delivering
growth, the report adds, with gross profit
of £12.9m compared to £12m last year,
representing growth of 6.6%.
p Chelmsford Star’s Quadrant store
p Lincolnshire saw “strong” food sales
Lincolnshire Co-op reported “a strong
trading year” in its annual results, but
said its trading surplus was down £4m
after cuts to its NHS pharmacy income.
The report for the year to 2 September
2017 said competition has been “intense”
but total sales had risen 3.5% to £312m,
(2016: £301m) with an expanded market
share and customer base.
Trading surplus fell to £16m (2016:
£20m), “due primarily to NHS cuts
to pharmacy income but also our
development work, pension costs and the
new dividend card roll out”. Turnover was
£287m (2016: £278m) and gross profit was
£94m (2016: £93.9m).
The society signed up 28,181 new
members over the year, said the report,
and membership now stands at 286,661.
Food stores enjoyed “another year of
strong growth with sales up 6.8%, helped
by an increase in customer numbers and
average basket spend,” said the report.
At the society’s Post Offices, “income
continues to fall but we have supported
this service with some transformation
monies received from the Post Office”.
The travel business saw sales rise 10%
with an increase in customer numbers
and booking values.
In the society’s pharmacies, “the
predicted cuts to NHS Pharmacy income,
together with a further significant cut in
July 2017, depressed income severely.
The funeral division reported growth
in client numbers and funeral plan sales
and the major refurbishment of premises
in Grimsby and Gainsborough. Two new
Funeral Homes were opened in Coningsby
and in Market Rasen.
Midcounties Co-operative announced
“strong progress” in its interim results for
the six months to 29 July, with gross sales
up 16% to £747.2m.
Operating profit before significant items
was £5.4m, up from £5.3m for the same
period last year.
The society reported a strong
performance in food despite “difficult
trading conditions” with like-for-like sales
up 2.3% on last year and convenience
trading up 3.5%.
Developments include a new
convenience store in Rissington, Gloucs.,
while a new supermarket in Bourton-onthe-Water
is due to open later this year.
At travel, gross sales rose almost 9% on
last year, with foreign currency sales up
12%. Midcounties says it is improving its
online service, revamping store and is set
to launch a Business Travel arm.
The Energy division took on customers
from failed supplier GB Energy at the end
of last year, through Ofgem’s Supplier of
Last Resort mechanism. The acquisition
takes our customer numbers to 390,000
and our half-year sales to £210m.
The Pharmacy division has suffered due
to government funding cuts but a new
Patient Medication Record has improved
efficiency and services, says the report. A
new web platform will be launched later
this year, combining all its online services
in one place.
Funerals had a strong first half of the
year, conducting 3,838 funerals, a year-on
year increase of 3.6%.
The society is rebranding its Childcare
arm, which recently acquired First Steps
nurseries, and all its nurseries continue to
be rated Ofsted Outstanding or Good.
p Midcounties saw a slight profit increase
DECEMBER 2017 | 5

RETAIL
Nisa members back
Co-op Group takeover
Three-quarters of Nisa members have
approved the Co-op Group’s offer to buy
100% of the business.
Members passed the motion with the
needed three-quarters majority at an
emergency meeting at Elland Road, Leeds,
where 75.79% voted in favour, while
24.21% were against.
The purchase will cost the Group
£137.5m, which will see 1,186 shareholders
receiving a payment of £20,000 per
shareholder, alongside a deferred payment
of up to £1,654 per share (compared to the
current price of £135). There are 50,389
shares issued. Additionally, there will be
an extra payment of up to 1% of rebateable
sales for each shareholder until March
2022. The Group will also take on £105m
of Nisa’s existing debt.
The offer requires clearance from the
Competition and Markets Authority,
which is expected around the end of
March next year.
Nisa chair Peter Hartley said: “We are
delighted that our members have chosen
in such significant numbers to vote in
favour of Co-op’s offer. We as a board
are firm in our belief that a combination
with the Co-op is in the best interests of
Nisa’s members. The convenience store
environment is changing rapidly, and is
unrecognisable from that which existed
when Nisa was founded more than
40 years ago. Co-op will add buying
power and product range to our
offering, while respecting our culture
of independence.”
Jo Whitfield, CEO of Co-op Food,
said: “We are delighted that Nisa
members have supported our offer
and our ambition to create a stronger
member-led presence within the UK
convenience sector. Together Co-op and
Nisa can go from strength to strength,
serving customers up and down the
country and creating real value for them
in their communities. Our offer remains
conditional on CMA approval and we
remain in discussions with them.”
Nisa members will still enjoy the
independence to operate their stores as
they wish and will be able to remain part
of a member-owned organisation within
the growing UK convenience retail sector.
In October, Nisa reported a positive
H1 trading for the 26 weeks to 1 October
2017, with total sales up 12.4% to
£728m on the comparable period.
In June, the business also announced
that it had completed the £120m
refinancing of its debt facilities,
providing long-term, cheaper, and
more flexible capital for Nisa to further
invest in growth over the next three to
five years.
POLITICS
Labour’s Scottish leader backs co-op ideas
Richard Leonard, who has won the
Scottish Labour Party’s contest for the
leader, is set to support a co-operative
economy in Scotland.
Mr Leonard, who was the Scottish
Co-operative Party’s nominee for the
election, is a long-standing member
of the Co-operative Party. Ahead of the
election, he told Co-op Party members:
“Our approach to the economy
must be to promote and encourage
greater industrial democracy,
with those who create the wealth
having greater influence and control
over that wealth.
“That encouragement cannot
simply be warm words – we need
to give workers the first right of refusal
(similar to that contained in the Land
Reform Act) to buy the company they
work in. We need to create a properly
resourced Scottish Investment
Bank and put in place preferential
finance for workers to support
worker control. We need to review
Co-operative Development Scotland
(CDS), put it on a statutory footing and
give it the instruments of investment
needed to grow the co-operative sector.
“We need to look at our procurement
rules and regulations, and assess
how these can be used to help
support and grow co-operatives and
worker-owned companies.”
6 | DECEMBER 2017

DEMOCRACY
Learn how to
communicate ethical
values to members
A step-by-step guide has launched to
help co-operatives report their values
to members.
The Narrative Reporting framework
is built around three core pillars that
co-operatives can report on:
uMember value: how it is delivering
value to its members
uMember voice: how its members have
directed the co-op
uCo-operative values: how it is living
up to the co-operative values.
It has been produced by Co-operatives
UK’s Co-operative Performance
Committee, which is made up of senior
finance leaders from the co-operative
sector. It is intended as guidance on how
co-ops can structure their annual reports
to members and offers a lens through
which co-ops can view their wider
member communications across the year.
“Narrative reporting forms a key part
of the relationship between a reporting
entity and its stakeholders and is
one of the hottest topics in business
reporting,” said CPC chair John Sandford.
Launching the document, he said
there has been considerable guidance
issued on this topic over the last few
years, but this has “been led by the larger
corporates” and co-ops have generally
been “followers”.
This guidance specifically for co-ops
is an attempt to bridge that gap, added
Mr Sandford. He said this is an area
where co-ops should be leading the
field. “At their heart, co-operatives exist
to serve their members and so any
narrative reporting they do should look to
fulfil that purpose and clearly articulate
how the individual co-operative is
achieving that goal.
“It aims to provide help and direction
for all co-operative entities in relation
to the format and content of their narrative
reporting. In doing so it is hoped that
the co-operative sector will show
leadership in this area and drive
improvements in reporting to the benefit
of its members. The framework can
also be used as a more general toolkit
for use with any or all member
communication.”
The framework emphasises the
uniqueness of the co-operative model,
the closeness of the relationship between
members and their co-operatives
and the overall articulation of the
‘co-op difference’.
The model reflects a ‘principles’ based
approach rather than being prescriptive
in nature and each co-operative should
choose those areas of the framework
that will particularly resonate with their
members using the model as an ‘options
menu’ for developing best-practice
narrative reporting.
u To download the full framework,
visit: www.uk.coop/nr
Richard McCready, the Co-op Party’s
political officer for Scotland, said: “In
his time in the Scottish Parliament,
Richard has been at the forefront of
arguing for a more democratic economy.
Richard supports massively expanding
the co-operative sector and he is looking
to expand the role of Co-operative
Development Scotland to achieve that.
He has led debates in the Scottish
Parliament on that very topic.”
He has also committed to promoting a
Scottish version of the Marcora Law from
Italy which gives workers first refusal
to buy their company when it is put up
for sale or facing closure.
Mr McCready added: “Richard is also
campaigning for ‘Mary Barbour Law’
to fix the broken private rented system
in housing. He is looking to our history
to find ways of applying the radicalism
that took Mary Barbour from the
Co-operative Women’s Guild to running
a rent strike in Glasgow during the
First World War, to being one of
the first women elected to Glasgow’s
City Chambers - and finding ways
of applying that radicalism to 21st
century problems.”
In an article in the Scotsman, Mr
Leonard said: “In this campaign I have
made clear that we must end poverty
including poverty pay, promote the Living
Wage and trade union organisation
and make work secure; that we need
to tackle rogue private landlords and
embark on a massive social housing
building programme; that we need
an industrial strategy for the 21st
century; re-empowered and properly
resourced local government; a
renaissance of public and co-operative
ownership and new and innovative
public investment in public services;
more economic planning and less market
in the economy and a radical
redistributionist policy that
taxes wealth as well as income
more progressively.”
He added “These are the radical
ideas that can reach out and win back
those voters that Labour has lost in
Scotland. It is an approach which will
build a bridge to young voters, and it
will bring renewed belief to Labour
voters who have stuck with us through
thick and thin.”
DECEMBER 2017 | 7

CO-OP GROUP
Nominations open for Co-op Group board members
The Co-op Group is seeking two member
nominated directors (MNDs) for its board.
There are four MNDs on the
board, with two new directors being
elected each year at the annual
general meeting. At the 2018
meeting, the board seats of Hazel
Blears and Margaret Casely-Hayford
are up for re-election. During 2017’s
meeting, Paul Chandler was re-elected,
while Gareth Thomas was newly
appointed by members.
Directors sit on the main board and
have the following responsibilities:
u Determining a strategy for the
Co-op, consistent with the purpose and
the values and principles and meeting the
needs of its members
u Overseeing the business and performance
of the Group under the strategy
u Motivating and retaining an executive
team to deliver the strategy
u Holding the Executive to account in
the performance of its duties, taking into
account the views of the council.
Overseeing a risk and internal audit
framework designed to provide adequate
assurance as to the protection of the
Group’s assets; the health, safety and
welfare of customers, members and staff;
compliance with all relevant laws and
regulations and the maintenance of the
reputation of the society.
The term of office is two years from the
date of an election, but this is currently
under review and may, subject to the
approval of the Members’ Council and
members, be increased to three years.
On expiry of each term of office,
reappointment will be subject to a
contested election. Each MND can serve
a maximum of three terms. MNDs are
expected to commit three to four days a
month towards the role and will receive
£60,000 a year.
Once candidates have been assessed
against the eligibility and membership
criteria, which states they must have
been a member before 5 January 2014
and accrued 1,000 trading points in the
year to January 2018, their application
will be considered by the MND
Joint Selection and Approvals
Committee, which comprises
representatives from the Group Board
and Members’ Council.
If a candidate is shortlisted, to meet
regulatory requirements, they will be
asked to provide further information to
enable background screening checks to
be undertaken before being approved
as a candidate in the election. Any
appointment is subject to approval by
the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority
(SRA). Shortlisted candidates will then
be invited to a mutual due diligence day,
for an interview.
Those selected will be announced in
advance of the 2018 Annual General
Meeting to approximately 2.2 million
members who are eligible to vote. The
results will be formally declared at the
AGM on 19 May 2018, and successful
MND candidates will begin their
two-year term of office at the end of
that meeting.
u The deadline for nominations is midday
on Thursday 21 December. To apply, visit:
www.co-operative.coop/mndelection.
ENERGY
Welsh solar farm named community renewable project of the year
The Community Renewable Energy Project
Award has been won by a Gower-based
organisation, Gower Regeneration Ltd.
The award, sponsored by the
Renewable Energy Association, is given
to: “The most commendable sustainable
electricity generation project undertaken
by a community group across Wales
and England.”
The project, Wales’s first communityowned
solar farm, has 3,658 solar panels
and is based on top of an old coal mine
and next to a school.
It produces enough clean energy to
power the equivalent of 300 homes,
and all profits – estimated at more than
£500,000 through the 30-year life of the
project – will be reinvested in other ecoprojects
and education about sustainable
development.
Ant Flanagan from Gower Regeneration
at the awards event with Dr Nina
Skorupska, CEO of the Renewable Energy
Association
A community share offer has seen more
than 400 people sign up as members,
raising more than £775,000, with a
projected 5% annual return to investors,
Ant Flanagan, one of the founder
directors of Gower Regeneration, said:
“It is a great privilege to win such
a prestigious awardand go into the
Community Energy Hall of Fame
alongside other fantastic projects.
“It is really incredible, the amount of
different people and organisations that
have helped make this project happen.
We have had such a high level of
commitment from so many of the
project partners.
“I can’t list them all but I really think
I ought to give a special mention to Gower
Power Co-op, Gower Heritage Centre,
Juno Energy, the Energy Savings Trust,
Finance Wales and Robert Owen
Community Finance, for being so
instrumental in the project’s completion
let alone a national award.
“And, of course, a massive thank you
to the hundreds of individuals who have
applied for community shares.”
8 | DECEMBER 2017

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Mutual insurers across the UK have
outperformed the rest of the insurance
market, according to research from the
International Cooperative and Mutual
Insurance Federation (ICMIF).
The Market InSights: UK 2016 report
shows the sector reported the highest level
of insurance premiums since the financial
crisis of £19.6bn – a 10% climb on the
previous year (2015: £17.8bn). Growth
exceeded the average market growth in
six of the previous nine years, resulting in
the mutual sector’s share of the total UK
market rising from 4.4% in 2007 to 8.7%
in 2016, its highest level since the 1990s.
BUSINESS
UK mutuals outperform insurance industry
There are 100 mutual insurers in the
UK, which collectively employ around
27,000 people and serve over 30 million
members/policyholders. The majority of
the UK’s oldest insurers still operating
today are mutual (mostly friendly society)
insurers and many have been writing
business and serving their members for
over 150 years. The report was published
in partnership with the Association of
Financial Mutuals (AFM), the UK trade
body that represents mutual and notfor-profit
insurers, friendly societies and
other financial mutuals.
Andy Chapman, chair of the AFM
and chief executive of The Exeter, said:
“The results in the latest Market InSights
UK report prove how resilient the UK
mutual insurance sector is now. In the
last 10 years, while the UK insurance
market has lost £1 in every £6 of
premium income, among mutuals, we
have grown premiums by two-thirds.
The sector continues to promote its
consumer-focused credentials, and is
lobbying for rule changes that level the
playing field and help maintain our
impressive recent growth.”
Shaun Tarbuck, chief executive of ICMIF,
added: “Now that we are approaching the
10 year anniversary of the global financial
crisis, it is encouraging to see that UK
mutual insurers are continuing to grow,
and at a faster rate of than the rest of the
market. The consistent growth in market
share is very positive, but more so is the
growth in membership numbers for our
sector. Over the previous five years, there
has been a 13% increase in the number
of members or policyholders of mutual
insurers, highlighting that in the backdrop
of political and regulatory uncertainty,
the UK consumer is recognising the
benefits of being protected by a mutual,
especially in terms of their life insurance
and savings business.”
BUSINESS
Lincolnshire Co-op’s science park
buys city centre property
Lincoln Science and Innovation
Park has bought a city multimillion-pound
building in a deal
worth £4m.
The joint venture owned by
Lincolnshire Co-op and the
University of Lincoln aims to
create jobs and offer environment
for high-growth companies. It has
acquired the freehold of Hestia p Tom Blount
House, a 26,331 sq ft building that
is being let to the Barbon Insurance Group Ltd.
Director Tom Blount says the property is on land which adjoins
Phase 2 of the science park, and can be developed “while causing
as little disruption as possible to the tenant”.
The Phase 2 expansion will cost £20m and create more than
than 10,000 sq m of commercial floorspace in Lincoln’s industrial
heartland and around 800 new jobs. The first phase opened
the Joseph Banks Laboratories, which houses the University of
Lincoln’s School of Pharmacy, School of Life Sciences and its new
School of Chemistry, in 2014.
Mr Blount added: “We would like to work with the tenant
to help them consolidate their base in Lincoln and support
local employment.”
10 | DECEMBER 2017

Shotley Pier receives £62k community ownership boost
BUSINESS
Ecology CEO celebrates
25 years at mutual
Paul Ellis, the longest standing chief
executive in the UK building society
sector, is celebrating a quarter of a century
at Ecology Building Society,
The ethical finance bank has enjoyed
30 years of profitability, with Mr Ellis
overseeing an increase in assets of more
than £150m (more than 900%).
“We are really contributing to building
the blocks, or pointing the way to a new
economy,” said Mr Ellis, who has spent
22 of his years as chief executive. “We’ve
proved the sustainability of our model
that pursues values.”
His time at the helm of the building
society, based in Silsden, West Yorkshire,
has seen it widen its remit from residentialonly
mortgages to lending for a wide
range of commercial and community-led
housing projects. Last year, Ecology lent
more than £30m to sustainable projects.
Mr Ellis was born in Hull but, with his
father serving in the Forces, lived all over
the world, giving him an “internationalist
outlook”. “I very quickly gained a
feeling we needed to protect our natural
environment,” he said. “I then allied that
into an interest in social justice.”
He studied European integration at the
London School of Economics (LSE), before
meeting Jean Lambert, a founder of the
building society and now a Green MEP.
Mr Ellis joined the Ecology team 25
years ago and in just three years rose
to the top position of CEO.
He said: “It’s about addressing
imbalances in the housing market.
We need a massive national retrofit
and renovation programme to get
things up to scratch if we are to have
any chance of meeting our climate
change commitments.”
Royal recognition for Co-op Funeralcare apprenticeships
Pub becomes community owned after £300,000 campaign
Seven Co-op stores opening in London
The renovation of Shotley Pier has been
given a boost, with the £62,000 invested by
local people matched by a further £62,000
from from the Community Shares Booster
Programme run by Co-operatives UK and
Locality, and funded by the independent
charitable trust, Power to Change. The
investment will allow the organisation to
purchase the pier for restoration.
Co-op Funeralcare has been awarded
a Princess Royal Training Award for its
apprenticeship programme. The Co-op
Group’s funeral provider opened its doors
to apprentices in 2013 and has since seen
around 500 people join each year. Only
40 organisations have received a Princess
Royal Training Award, which celebrates
best practice.
When the Kings Head, the last surviving
pub in Pebmersh, Essex, was up for sale,
locals rallied to save it as a communityowned
venture. The group completed the
purchase in June this year, securing its
long-term future as a community asset for
Pebmarsh and the surrounding area. The
pub, which has had necessary repairs and
re-opened last month.
The Co-op Group is investing £4.8m in
opening seven stores across London
throughout November. A variety of local
community groups are also set to get a
funding boost through the Group’s new
membership scheme, which sees 1% of
spend on own-brand goods going directly
to local causes. Around 100 jobs will be
created in the capital with the openings.
Robin Murray receives the Albert Medal posthumously
The 2017 Albert Medal of the Royal Society
of Arts (RSA) was awarded posthumously
to Robin Murray for pioneering work
in social innovation. A co-operator,
environmental and industrial economist,
Robin Murray passed away earlier
this year He was an associate of Co-ops
UK as well as the London School of
Economics (LSE) and the Young Foundation.
DECEMBER 2017 | 11

PRACTITIONERS FORUM
Working to strengthen co-op values
Co-operative delegates came together on 16 November for Practitioners Forum, hosted by Co-operatives UK, which offers
professional training for people operating in key roles in large and small co-ops. The day focused on communications,
finance, governance, HR and membership. Here, some of the delegates share their thoughts on the day in Manchester …
Nassali Douglas, member pioneer
manager for the Co-op Group, led a
session in the Membership Forum, “A
better way of doing business for you
and your community.”
“Sharing best practice and ideas is at the
heart of the co-operative movement, so it
was great to hear how our co-operative
colleagues are working around the
country, throughout a range of industries,
in truly innovative and thought-provoking
ways. There were lots to learn from the
day, from both the speakers and the
people who attended. There was a really
positive buzz about the event.
“I really enjoyed the opportunity to
talk about the Co-op Group’s community
proposition. It was a particular privilege
to introduce one of our Member Pioneers,
Sandra, who moved me (and I think,
everyone in the room) with her obvious
passion for the communities that she’s
working with. She was the perfect
example of how by co-operating we can
make a difference to our communities,
by connecting members, encouraging
participation and inspiring active
citizenship.
“The supportive and engaging nature
of all of the sessions I participated in was
great, and I made a few new contacts
through our shared interests.”
Caroline Maddox, engagement and
PR manager at Central England
Co-op, presented a membership
session, “Making a difference that’s
worth millions”, which focused on the
society’s Social Return on Investment
(SROI) strategy.
“As a co-op we are committed to doing
good and giving back to the communities
in which we operate. Measuring the
impact our community activities generate
has been at the forefront of our community
strategy over the last 18 months.
“Having embarked on an SROI report
in 2016, we have learnt a great deal. Our
session was intended to share these
lessons and open up the debate on the
effective measurement of communitybased
activities. Our session helped to
position the importance of reporting
and we hope enlightened other coops
to consider implermenting similar
measurement tactics.
“The forum was a great opportunity
to meet and talk to other liked-minded
people and organisations. It was great for
networking and sharing ideas.
“We really enjoyed delivering our
session on SROI and hope that as a wider
movement we can adopt a sector wide
mode of measuring the social impact that
we generate as a sector.”
Jon Alexander, co-founder of the
New Citizenship Project, presented
a session on “The power of everyday
participation”.
“My contribution – off the back of a
collaborative innovation project we’ve
been running with Lincolnshire Co-op,
Phone Co-op, Co-op Group and Nationwide
– was to challenge practitioners to develop
what we call ‘everyday participation’.
“This is all about giving people more –
and more creative – ways to participate
in our work on a day-to-day basis.
The example of Brewdog is one every
co-op should be looking at. Brewdog
is not a co-op, but from effectively
inventing equity crowdfunding, to the
Cicerone course training people to be
beer experts, to open-sourcing their
recipes, to the 6,000-attendee AGMs,
to building bars where their ‘Equity
Punks’ are, this is a business harnessing
everyday participation. The result is huge
commercial benefit, with Brewdog the
only company to rank in Britain’s 100
fastest growing for the last five years.
“This is the kind of success we believe
the co-operative movement deserves,
and we want to help that happen. We’re
working with Co-operatives UK on how
best to share our broader findings – so get
in touch at info@newcitizenship.org.uk.”
12 | DECEMBER 2017

An investment that’s
simply divine
For people. For planet. For profit.
“Oikocredit is a genuine social investor whose patient
investment in Divine Chocolate has enabled us to build a
global company, delivering real benefits to cocoa farmers.”
Sophi Tranchell, Divine Chocolate Ltd, CEO
International social impact investor, Oikocredit, holds an equity
stake in social enterprise, Divine Chocolate – a 100% Fairtrade
chocolate company. Divine Chocolate’s largest shareholder is
Kuapa Kokoo, a Ghanaian cocoa-producing co-operative that
secures fair prices and practical support for their farmer members.
This has enabled smallholder farmer, Ama Kade, to educate her
children and earn extra income for her family and community.
Established in 1975, Oikocredit invests over €1 billion per annum
in more than 800 social enterprise partners (like Divine Chocolate)
across Africa, Asia, Latin America and Central & Eastern Europe.
We prioritise inclusive finance, smallholder agriculture and
affordable, renewable energy sectors to reach the most financiallydisempowered
communities in the world so that they can build
and sustain their livelihoods.
Oikocredit’s activities, and related social impact monitoring,
also connect with many of the United Nations’ 17 sustainable
development goals (SDGs) to reach by 2030.
The investment opportunity for individuals and organisations in
the UK is via depository receipts in the Oikocredit International
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Find out more and download our prospectus
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This advertisement was produced by the Oikocredit International Share Foundation (OISF) and has been approved by Wrigleys Solicitors
LLP who are authorised and regulated by the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority). The OISF prospectus is approved by the AFM (Autoriteit
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Ama Kade, cocoa farmer, Ghana. Photography: Divine Chocolate.

GLOBAL UPDATES
USA
Initiative set up to help electric co-ops increase clean energy
A campaign across the US is encouraging
people in rural communities to support
electric co-ops.
The National Cooperative Business
Association CLUSA International has
teamed up with the Environmental
and Energy Study Institute to deliver
the programme to reduce energy costs,
improve reliability and comfort, and
increase efficiency in rural households
across the country.
Electric co-ops will be supported
through the partnership to develop “onbill
financing programmes” for energy
efficiency upgrades, community projects
in solar, and clean energy storage.
On-bill financing gives electric co-op
members the ability to finance energy
improvements that are repaid over time
on their bill.
Doug O’Brien, executive vice president
of programs at NCBA CLUSA, said:
“Co-ops are the best way to make sure
this programme reaches those who need
it most. Rural electric co-ops, as memberowned
entities, are uniquely organised
to always put their members first. With
growing opportunities in energy efficiency
and renewable energy, co-operatives are
the way to make sure that people have
access to these cutting-edge solutions.”
EESI executive director Carol Werner
added: “On-bill financing means more
money in the pockets of rural households.
On-bill financing makes it much easier
and cheaper for households to invest in
renewable energy and energy efficiency,
which helps them save money. It makes
their homes more comfortable and creates
local jobs. Electric co-ops have been
innovative leaders of this approach over
the past decade, and there is enormous
potential to grow: there are more than
900 electric co-ops across the country.
EESI has been actively supporting onbill
financing since 2010. We’ve helped
develop federal loan opportunities that
allow rural electric co-operatives to
pursue on-bill programmes.”
The partnership’s leads are Jason
Walsh for NCBA CLUSA and John-Michael
Cross for EESI. Mr Walsh was previously
a Senior Advisor to the US Department
of Energy’s assistant secretary for
energy efficiency and renewable energy
(EERE), and the director of EERE’s Office
of Strategic Programs; he also served
as a senior policy advisor at the White
House Domestic Policy Council. Mr Cross
has led EESI’s On-Bill Financing Project
for the past six years.
“The 42 million Americans served
by rural electric co-ops should have an
opportunity to be part of the clean energy
revolution,” says Arturo Garcia-Costas,
program officer for the environment
at New York Community Trust, which
has supported the initiative through a
one-year $150,000 grant. “We need to
support those who want to embrace
technologies that can save money, protect
the environment, and safeguard their
family’s health.”
CANADA
Housing co-ops welcome national strategy on affordable homes
Canada’s housing co-operatives have
welcomed the federal government’s
National Housing Strategy to protect lowincome
residents and to build affordable
housing for those in need.
Across the country, tens of thousands
of low-income co-op housing residents
were in danger of losing their affordable
homes. Federal and provincial funding
agreements that assist more than 20,000
low-income households living in co-op
housing with their rents were coming to
an end in large numbers.
This group consists mostly of
seniors, single-parent families, new
and indigenous Canadians, and those
living with disabilities. The strategy
announced detailed plans to protect
long-term affordability for 385,000 lowincome
residents of community housing,
including co-operatives.
After a decade of work by CHF Canada
and housing co-ops across the country,
the funding for the National Housing
Strategy has now been budgeted through
2028. It will also assist the same number
of households that are currently assisted.
“After years of uncertainty, we welcome
the federal government’s detailed plan
on how it will protect the affordability of
co-operative housing for our low-income
neighbours,” said CHF Canada president
Nicole Waldron. “We are pleased that the
government sees the value of protecting,
preserving and expanding co-op housing,
and we look forward to partnering on
solutions to the housing crisis.”
The strategy also included plans to
build new affordable housing, including
an expansion of community housing of
50,000 new units. Housing co-ops own
an estimated $5.6bn in assets and are
well positioned to support the expansion
of affordable, co-operative housing.
“It is important that we protect what we
have, but we also need to grow to help more
Canadians access an affordable home,”
said Karla Skoutajan, acting executive
director of CHF Canada. “We look forward
to working with the federal government
to ensure these initiatives are rolled out.”
14 | DECEMBER 2017

INTERNATIONAL
What role do co-operatives play in international development?
Co-operatives play a key role in
international development, according
to research published by a coalition of
European co-operative organisations
active in development.
The Cooperatives Europe Development
Platform (CEDP), which is composed
of 10 members, found that co-ops help
promote capacity building, training and
education worldwide. Furthermore, CEDP
members rely on network building and
strengthening to build trust between the
partners and the local community. The
research document, Good practices in
international cooperative development, is
part of the ICA-EU Partnership framework
and was led by Cooperatives Europe, The
Co-operative College, Coopermondo-
Confcooperative and Kooperationen.
This report shows CEDP members have
wide-ranging experience of international
co-operative development, from planning
stages through to evaluation across 74
countries and within a wide range of
sectors from agriculture and banking
to tourism, environment and energy. In
around 50% of projects, CEDP members
said they partner with other co-ops.
The report’s authors said there is
a distinction between ‘traditional’
international development and
international co-operative development.
They said: “International co-operative
development is an enterprise
tool that fosters economic, social
and environmental sustainability.
International co-operative development
workers share collective business skills
and practical co-operative approaches
with their co-operative partners in
developing countries to create wealth and
reduce poverty in a sustainable way.”
They added: “Co-operative development
moves away from a more paternalistic
approach of some international
development projects merely based on
aid, and focuses on developing people’s
capacity to work together to strengthen
livelihoods, build communities and
improve the infrastructure to support
this activity.”
The main priorities guiding the work of
the CEDP focus predominantly on youth
and gender equality along with training
and education. The group also stressed the
importance of capacity building in order
to strengthen the skills, competencies and
abilities of people and communities in the
global south.
There is a strong focus on training
and institutional building as well as the
implementation of legal frameworks
and policy reforms. Beneficiaries are
involved in project implementation
through surveys, monitoring reports and
needs assessment.
Member organisations include: AJEEC-
NISPED (Israel), Cera/BRS (Belgium), the
Co-operative College (UK), Coopermondo
(Italy), DGRV (Germany), Euro Coop (EU),
Kooperationen (Denmark), Legacoop
(Italy), REScoop (EU), We Effect (Sweden).
The authors of the report said one of
the main purposes of the research was to
“encourage knowledge sharing in order
to build more resilient partnerships” and
it found a “common thread through most
of the work done by the group relates to
the significance of the co-operative values
and principles”.
“The co-operative values and
principles are not only crucial for social
integration and inclusion of minorities
and underprivileged groups,” added the
report, “but also provide a guiding light
in times of social, politic and economic
upheaval. This research shows that
empowering people by strengthening their
livelihood is at the heart of international
co-operative development.”
The document maps the activities of the
CEDP in diverse geographic and thematic
areas, showcasing good practices and
tools used by members.
The report made six recommendations
to improve the way the sector works.
These include sharing expertise and
strengthening communications.
u View the full article: bit.ly/2AEvPpJ
DECEMBER 2017 | 15

AUSTRALIA
Canada’s Saputo to acquire Murray Goulburn dairy co-operative
Canada’s dairy company Saputo has
entered a binding agreement with Murray
Goulburn co-operative, which will see
it acquire all of the operating assets
and liabilities of MG for approximately
AUD $1.31bn.
The transaction was unanimously
recommended by the MG board directors
and is subject to approval by regulators
as well as an ordinary resolution of MG’s
voting shareholders.
MG chairman John Spark said: “The
board believes that the transaction
represents the best available outcome for
our suppliers and our investors.
“Saputo is one of the top ten dairy
processors in the world and active in
Australia through its ownership of
Warrnambool Cheese & Butter (WCB).
This transaction will crystalise real
value for MG’s equity, while rewarding
our loyal suppliers through the milk
supply commitments.”
He added: “MG has reached a position
where, as an independent company,
its debt was simply too high given
the significant milk loss. Securing a
sustainable future for MG’s loyal suppliers
is of paramount importance to the board.
“We are pleased with the strong milk
commitments secured as part of Saputo’s
offer to reward this loyalty. Saputo has
demonstrated itself to be a credible
and trusted partner for Australian dairy
farmers through its investment in WCB.
The transaction has the unanimous
support of the MG Board.”
With this transaction, MG announced
new commitments regarding milk supply
to Active MG suppliers. The business
will step up the fiscal year (FY) 2018
farmgate milk price by $0.40 per kg MS to
$5.60 per kg MS for milk supplied from 1
November 2017.
In addition, MG will give suppliers a
$0.40 per kg MS retrospective back pay
amount in respect of all qualifying milk
solids supplied between 1 July 2017 and
31 October 2017, reflecting the difference
between MG’s current FY18 farmgate milk
price of $5.20 per kg MS and $5.60 per kg
MS. Active MG Suppliers will also receive
a $0.40 per kg MS loyalty payment for all
milk supplied in FY18.
Saputo has committed to collect milk
from all active MG suppliers for five years
from the FY19 season on terms no less
favourable than MG’s existing collection
terms. The Canadian company also agreed
to pay Active MG Suppliers a market
competitive farmgate milk price for the
same period.
Regarding representation, once
the transaction is completed and
MG is wound up, Saputo will establish
a supplier relations and pricing
policy committee. This will comprise
four active MG suppliers, two WCB
supplier representatives and three
Saputo representatives.
Earlier this year, the Australian
Competition and Consumer Commission
launched Federal Court proceedings
against Murray Goulburn and its former
chief executive over claims they misled
and mistreated farmers.
Another class action was filed last year
by investors who claim MG misled the
market ahead of its float last year. MG
will be wound up after the conclusion
of the case.
MG intends to make an estimated
initial distribution of the net transaction
proceeds of approximately AUD $0.75 per
share and unit, to be paid shortly after
completion. Further cash distributions to
shareholders and unitholders are expected
upon conclusion of the regulatory actions
and class action.
“The recent events at MG demonstrate
that co-ops must have a strong balance
sheet in order to support family farming.
MG took an understandable path to look for
external financing,” said Melina Morrison,
chief executive of the Business Council of
Co-operatives and Mutuals (BCCM), the
apex body for Australia’s co-ops. “That’s
not an unusual thing for co-ops to do.
Co-ops are a successful business model but
can be constrained when it comes to
funding for growth.
“But the options are limited for co-ops
and mutuals, and that leads to innovative
thinking and unique solutions that are
untested. As an industry organisation,
our role remains to open up options for
co-ops in Australia to secure funding
through changes to legislation and
through greater education and awareness
that do not lead to the inadvertent
corporatisation.”
16 | DECEMBER 2017

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS
NEW ZEALAND
Biodiesel co-op launches in New Zealand to recycle cooking oil as fuel
A group of friends are forming a biodiesel
co-op in Kapiti, New Zealand, to reduce
waste and lower their greenhouse gas
emissions by 86%.
The co-op will collect cooking oil from
local businesses to filter and process it
into a fuel which can be used in any diesel
engine without modification.
One of the key figures behind the project
is Matt Lamason, founder and director
of the People’s Coffee in Kapiti, who
wanted a sustainable solution for the
problem of waste in his business.
“The idea came from visiting a small
farmer in Australia who was making
biodiesel in his backyard,” he said. “I
thought, we can do that. Here in NZ, we
eat a lot of fried fish and chips, so the
waste oil was a factor in seeing the gap
in the market for a local, small-scale
fuel project that has the potential to
reproduce around NZ and maybe in the
Pacific islands where fossil diesel is at
very high prices.”
While not a co-op, his coffee shop
sources Fairtrade coffee from co-ops in
p Some of the founders of the Kapiti co-op
Ethiopia, Rwanda, Mexico, Guatemala,
Nicaragua, Colombia and Peru.
“I wanted to experiment with starting a
co-op and how it feels to begin a business
that starts with a different premise,” he
said. “The model suits members – they
collect waste cooking oil and deliver to
the co-op and all benefit from processing
and buying a cheaper, lower-carbon fuel.”
Ramsey Margolis, who advises co-op
start-ups, helped shape the co-op structure
of the business and is working with Kapiti
on governance, member engagement
and education. He said: “Unlike
most investor-owned start-ups, the
co-op is not looking to scale up,
rather they’re wanting to inspire
– and help – other small, consumerowned
biodiesel co-ops.”
The first biodiesel goes to the co-op’s
members in January 2018. It
currently has six members and
has set a target of $5,500 in the
crowdfunding campaign.
SINCE 1977
/sumawholefoods
DECEMBER 2017 | 17

AUSTRALIA
Co-op laws will be revamped to assist raising of capital
The government is planning to modernise
laws to create a better business
environment for co-ops and mutuals.
Federal treasurer Scott Morrison said:
“I want to see more competition and
more options for customers, especially in
banking and financial services. I want to
see more competitive markets by putting
customers at the centre.
“Mutuals, co-ops and member-owned
firms, including customer-owned banks,
can deliver on these outcomes. These
organisations are all about the customer
because they are owned by them.”
In March, he commissioned a review
of the sector from industry adviser Greg
Hammond, who found that mutuals,
co-ops and member-owned firms are an
essential part of the economy and could
make a more significant contribution.
Mr Morrison said: “The review
recommends legislative changes to
improve Commonwealth-regulated
co-operative and mutual enterprises’
access to capital and recommends
inserting a definition of ‘mutual company’
into the Corporations Act 2001 to deliver
greater certainty for mutuals.
“Additionally, changes to the income
tax legislation have been recommended
in order to assist mutual enterprises to
raise capital. Further consultation will be
undertaken with the sector on the detail
and implementation.”
He added: “Co-operatives, mutuals and
member-owned firms make a significant
contribution to GDP in Australia. They
represent a real alternative model
for delivering important customer
and community-focused services.
Until now our mutuals and co-ops
have been under-appreciated and
ignored by our federal laws, placing
them at a disadvantage to their much
bigger competitors.”
The Business Council of Co-operatives
and Mutuals (BCCM) said this will unleash
opportunities for new investments in
Australian business, and thanked the
federal government for signalling its
commitment to long-termism, social
responsibility and domestic ownership.
The new laws will adopt all 11 of the
recommendations in the Hammond
Review. Until these changes are approved,
co-operatives and mutuals cannot raise
capital by issuing securities without
risking the loss of their mutual status.
Once they pass, member-owned
businesses will be more able to make
strategic investments while ensuring
there is sufficient liquidity to meet any
short-term obligations.
“This is a game changer that will
unshackle the sector and allow the
flow of billions of dollars of previously
untapped investment to flow to
Australian-owned businesses,” said
Melina Morrison, CEO of BCCM, which
represents more than 2,000 co-ops
and mutuals.
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18 | DECEMBER 2017

CANADA
Government
backing for new stateof-the-art
apple packing
plant at Canadian co-op
The Canadian government is investing up
to $1.75m in Scotian Gold Cooperative to
support an innovative new apple-packing
facility in Coldbrook, Nova Scotia.
This investment has enabled producerowned
Scotian Gold, the largest apple
packing and storage operation in Eastern
Canada, to expand the site and buy two new
high-efficiency production lines.
The co-op hopes the development will
allow it to grow its and increase demand for
Nova Scotian apples in Canada and the USA.
President and chief executive David
Parrish said: “The new facility is an example
of Scotian Gold’s willingness to invest in the
future of our growers, our employees and
the apple industry.
This repayable investment is being
made through the Growing Forward 2,
AgriInnovation Program, a five-year, up to
$698 million initiative to develop Canada’s
agricultural sector. The food and beverage
processing industry is seen an important
driver of national economic growth. In 2016,
the Canadian apple industry generated $51
million in exports and over $220 million
in farm gate receipts.
Scott Brison, president of the treasury
board of Canada and MP for Kings–Hants,
said: “Investments such as this one will help
Scotian Gold bring fresh, high quality apples
to consumers, while expanding markets
and strengthening the economy.”
Scotian Gold dates back to 1912, when a
group of growers formed the United Fruit
Companies of Nova Scotia, which was
reorganised into its current form in 1957.
It now has 30 farmer members, and
markets fruit from another 25 farmers; the
co-op stores and packs 50% of the apple
production in Nova Scotia.
Crédit Agricole launches low-cost online banking service
One of the largest co-ops in the world
by turnover, French retail bank Crédit
Agricole is introducing a low-cost online
banking service. The EKO service, created
to address competition from fin-techs
and other online providers, will provide
an account, debit card, mobile app and
access to local branches for €2 a month.
Co-operative vision for the collaborative economy
Cooperatives Europe has presented its
vision paper, A cooperative vision for
the collaborative economy, during a
conference at the European Parliament,
hosted by Italian MEP Nicola Danti and
Cooperatives Europe. An answer to the
European Commission’s communication
on its agenda for the collaborative
economy, the paper analyses the current
climate, elaborates on prospects and
barriers, and proposes a new definition
for collaborative economy.
US co-op seeks applicants for scholarship fund
New Hampshire and Vermont-based
Hanover Consumer Cooperative Society
has launched a new scholarship and grant
fund. The Gerstenberger Scholarship has
been set up to help members deepen their
understanding of the co-op movement
and sharpen their skills as directors or
employees. The Gerstenbergers were also
staunch advocates of sustainable, organic
farming and gardening, a theme reflected
in HCCF’s second project: small-scale
grants ($500 – $2,500) to Upper Valley
non-profits. More information on the
application: s.coop/25x4c
Arla Foods merges with Swedish co-op Gefleortens
Dairy co-op Arla Foods is merging with
Swedish co-op Gefleortens. The deal,
approved by the country’s competition
regulator, will secure an increased
presence for Arla in the country. Arla,
owned collectively by over 11,200 dairy
farmers in Sweden and Northern Europe,
is the largest producer of dairy products
in Scandinavia. The co-op’s history
goes back to the 1880s when farmers
in Denmark and Sweden formed small
co-operatives to invest in joint dairy
production facilities.
DECEMBER 2017 | 19

YBhg. Dato’ Abdul
Fattah Abdullah,
president of
ANGKASA, greets
conference delegates
INTERNATIONAL
CO-OPERATIVE
ALLIANCE
Anca Voinea and
Miles Hadfield report
from Malaysia
Alliance gathers in Kuala Lumpur
for Global Conference
More than 1,800 delegates from around the world
met in Malaysia last month for the Global Conference
and General Assembly of the International Cooperative
Alliance.
They were welcomed by YBhg. Dato’ Abdul Fattah
Abdullah, president of Malaysian sector body
ANGKASA, during a gala dinner, before two days of
sessions on how co-ops are putting people at the
heart of development. Alongside a focus on the
UN Goals for Sustainable Development, there were
sessions on issues including youth co-operation,
health, the future of work and gender equality.
Speaking at the gala dinner, YB Dato’ Seri
Hamzah B. Zainudin, Malaysia’s minister of
domestic trade, co-operatives and consumerism,
said his government would work with ANGKASA
– the national apex body for the co-op sector –
to ensure the continued growth of the country’s
movement, and said he would reform co-op law.
“In Malaysia co-ops are one of the biggest sectors
acting as engine for growth for our domestic
economy,” he said.
“When it comes to big co-operatives all of us
are having an equal say in the company. It doesn’t
matter how much money you have in that co-op.
You only have one say so the most important thing
in a co-operative is leadership.
“Having so many leaders from over 90 countries
is something we should be very proud of. We can
learn from each other.”
The minister announced he was working on a
new legislation for the country’s co-operatives that
would be ‘progressive’ and wanted to give more
opportunities to co-operatives to compete with any
sector in the country. Malaysia’s 12,000 co-ops have
more than seven million members and a combined
turnover of RM 34,950.98m (USD $8,126.29m).
Alliance president Monique Leroux told the
dinner: “We can never say enough about how much
the movement contributed to a better world.
“There is a wonderful diversity in this room, with
women, men, young and not so young people from
different countries. We are united in diversity.”
She added that in a complex world divided by
economic inequalities the co-operative movement
brought the message of peace, tolerance and respect
for others. “In fact, the co-operative movement
has always been destined to remain a modern
movement, always at the forefront of promising
social and economic innovations. This explains
why the co-operative movement is benefiting
not only its members but all people and why the
co-op movement is bringing positive changes in
communities and societies across the world.”
p Monique Leroux pays tribute to the co-op movement
20 | DECEMBER 2017

Assembly elects
new president
and board
Ariel Guarco from Argentina was elected president
of the Alliance at its General Assembly.
Mr Guarco is president of Cooperar, the
Co-operative Confederation of Argentina, and has
been a board member of the Alliance since 2013.
Cooperar works with 67 co-operative federations,
5,000 co-operatives, and ten million members.
Mr Guarco comes from a family of co-operators,
his mother having worked for her local village’s
electric co-op. After joining the co-op and holding
various positions, Mr Guarco was elected president.
He later became president of the federation of
public service co-operatives of Buenos Aires
(Fedecoba). He still presides over the Buenos Aires
Electric Cooperative Federation.
He says his priorities at the Alliance will be to
strengthen the interactions between its regional
and sectoral organisations, as well as consolidating
youth and gender spaces. He wants to improve
the quality and quantity of information given to
members on income, balance sheets, and projects
– and in doing so, empower organisations when
it comes to decision-making. All his proposals are
explained on his website.
Mr Guarco takes over from Monique Leroux, who
led the Alliance since 2015. During her leadership,
the Alliance sought to present the movement’s
voice at international forums and at major
economic gatherings. Co-ops were represented
by the Alliance at B20 meetings, the International
Economic Forum of the Americas’ Conference in
Montreal and the United Nations.
Ms Leroux said it had been a difficult decision
not to stand for re-election but that the diversity
of the business more also meant that co-operators
from different regions with different experiences
convictions would be represented.
Mr Guarco was the only candidate in the election
after Yogeshwar Krishna from Fiji withdrew his
candidacy. The second co-operator from the region
to lead the organisation, he received 671 votes.
He said: “It is a tremendous honour to be elected
president of the Alliance. Our movement includes
one billion people across the world. The Alliance
needs to be the lighthouse that guides them.
“The global context requires us to go out on the
pitch wearing the co-operative shirt and confront
warmongering, speculators and those controlling
p Ariel Guarco accepts the presidency of the Alliance
the economy, who are taking humanity on a road
without return, with our coherence and diversity.”
He said co-op principles were important for “the
construction of more just, inclusive and peaceful
society” and wanted the Alliance to make an
impact on decisions being made at a global scale,
on the issues facing the world.
Composition of the new Alliance board
Gregory Wall (Australia, nominated by Capricorn Society); Onofre Cezário
De Souza Filho (Brazil, nominated by Organização das Cooperativas
Brasileiras); Alexandra Wilson (Canada, nominated by Co-operatives
and Mutuals Canada); Susanne Westhausen (Denmark, nominated
by Kooperationen); Marjaana Saarikoski (Finland, nominated by SOK
Corporation); Florence Raineix (France, nominated by Coop FR); Aditya
Yadav (India, nominated by Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative); Carlo
Scarzanella (Italy, nominated by Associazione Generale Cooperative
Italiane); Toru Nakaya (Japan, nominated by JA Zenchu – Central Union of
Agricultural Co-operatives); Kamarudin Ismail (Malaysia, nominated by
Malaysian National Cooperative Movement – ANGKASA); Om Devi Malia
(Napal, nominated by National Cooperative Federation of Nepal); Kok
Kwong Kwek (Singapore, nominated by Singapore National Cooperative
Federation); Anders Lago (Sweden, nominated by HSB); Ben Reid (UK,
nominated by the Midcounties Co-operative); Martin Lowery (USA,
nominated by National Rural Electric Cooperative Association).
The Assembly also increased the number of sectoral representatives
to four and the inclusion of the Gender Equality Committee chair on
the board. The board has been ratified with vice presidents Stanley
Charles Muchiri (Africa); Ramon Imperial Zúñiga (Americas); Chunsheng
Li (Asia-Pacific); Jean-Louis Bancel (Europe). Sectoral representatives
Kim Byeongown (International Co-operative Agricultural Organisation);
Isabelle Ferrand (International Co-operative Banking Association); Manuel
Mariscal (CICOPA); Petar Stefanov (Consumer Cooperatives Worldwide).
From the Gender Equality Committee, Maria Eugenia Pérez Zea; youth
representative, Sébastien Chaillou.
DECEMBER 2017 | 21

Co-op model offers innovation in a
globalised world says Linda Yueh
p Linda Yueh gives
her keynote speech in
Kuala Lumpur
Automation and globalisation are putting pressure
on the global economy despite growth in emerging
countries – but the co-op model offers answers,
according to economist Linda Yueh.
In her keynote speech at the Global Conference
of the International Co-operative Alliance, Prof
Yueh said the US had suffered 40 years of wage
stagnation because of automation.
She told the opening plenary of the conference
that the struggles of the US economy had led
to the rise of Donald Trump and his “America
First” policy.
Meanwhile, she added, China had risen into
the ranks of middle-earning countries, with a
burgeoning middle class.
But she warned against Trump’s rejection of free
trade and said the models of co-operativism could
point the way forward for a globalised economy.
She said automation meant the revival of
manufacturing in the US had not brought any
benefits regarding wages, and the answer
was, therefore, rebalance economies from
manufacturing to services – a move which has
already paid off in China.
And co-ops are well-suited to this rebalancing
process, she argued, because it facilitates
innovative ideas needed as the world economy
changes and because they are rooted in civil society
as well as in business.
“The co-op model has advantages regarding
innovation because innovation comes from
people, and the investment of co-ops is
in their members and customers,” she
told delegates.
“This co-operative model has been around a long
time and fits this era very well – how do you come
up with ideas for what you need to deliver? A lot of
companies struggle because they are out of touch.”
She added: “We need to think a lot more about
business rooted in civil society – collectives,
co-ops, who know their communities, which can
promote sustainable growth.
“We need to rethink our model of economic
development, away from a top-down one where
international experts tell people what to do, and
think instead about incorporating views from the
bottom up.
“That would be a much more fruitful way to
try to tackle the challenges of our time. We need
reorientation in thinking about growth, to move
from thinking about the speed of growth to the
quality of growth.”
This suits the co-op model well, she said,
meaning they have a role to play in ensuring those
left behind as the economy moves to new skills are
looked after.
It will also be useful in meeting the UN Goals for
Sustainable Development, she said.
“There are 767 million poor people in the world,”
she said. “New approaches need to be brought to
end poverty, especially in Africa and South Asia,
and this is a role co-ops can play.”
22 | DECEMBER 2017

How to play a role in building
a sustainable future
How can co-operatives contribute to meeting the
United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals?
The topic was the main theme of Gro Harlem
Brundtland’s keynote speech closing session
of the conference.
The former prime minister of Norway presented a
sobering picture of the challenges facing the world
but described “a vital force for good”.
She also praised the movement for the initiatives
taken in eradicating poverty, improving access
to essential goods and services, protecting the
environment, and building a more sustainable
food system.
Dr Brundtland’s 1987 report for the
World Commission on Environment and
Development document coined the concept of
sustainable development.
A member of a co-op herself, she said
co-op values were part of her up bringing
in Norway.
“For the first time in human history the present
generations are in fact aware that we are on an
unsustainable path, and that we will be the ones
responsible for the fate of all future generations,”
she said.
She said she was “optimistic” about the future but
pointed out that the business sector had to focus on
respecting human rights, addressing inequalities
within the corporate culture and committing to
leading on the Sustainable Development Goals.
Co-operatives are already pledging to the SDGs
via the Alliance’s platform Coopsfor2030.coop.
“Business generally, as well as the co-operative
sector specifically, has long been a force for wealth
creation. Today, they can also be a much greater
force for justice and peace.
“Working with and for society, they can help
fulfil the vision of sustainable development we
launched three decades ago,” she said.
Speaking after the plenary session, she expanded
on how co-ops could play a role.
“The movement is one example of those where
people get together and share a value base
and do things together. That is important for
building trust, and for creating opportunities that
apply to all.”
She said the more politics and society reflect such
values the better, “because we are in this together”,
adding: “These principles need to be addressed,
spoken about and written about.”
p Gro Harlem Brundtland
said business needed
to commit itself to
helping solve the
world’s problems
DECEMBER 2017 | 23

Exploring co-op options for
the collaborative economy
p Panelists discuss new
ways of working
q Stocksy is an example
of the new wave of
online platforms
The collaborative economy is a massive
transformation in the way in which people are
connected to the internet and digital platforms,
which transforms the ways of working.
Nicole Alix, president of La Coop de Communs
in France, explained how these changes brought
opportunities for new forms of solidarity, to
mobilise further resources like knowledge and
force participation and empowerment.
In a conference session she explained how
technology was changing the way in which goods
were produced, delivered and chosen by customers.
“The way we vote and participate in democracy, all
these fields of living and working are influenced by
the digital economy,” she said.
However, what is known as the “sharing
economy” or the “collaborative economy” involves
work that sometimes is not digital performed by
freelancers who are not paid a fair wage and do not
benefit from health and social security. “Sometimes
trade bet individuals is enabled by huge platforms,
which generate a large part of values and capturing
data,” she added.
The session featured presentations from
practitioners from this sector, who looked at the
role co-ops can play in delivering a new model of
the collaborative economy.
Melina Morrisson, CEO of Australia’s Business
Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals, looked at
some case studies of co-ops in her country involved
in the sharing economy. She pointed out that
co-ops across the country were yet to show support
for already existing platforms run by other co-ops.
“We have to innovate on our own, with our very
own characteristics,” she added.
NRMA, one of the largest mutuals in Australia,
has developed a website to connect older members
of co-ops to engage around the challenges of
ageing, including being unable to drive. The
mutual provides a range of services, including
roadside assistance, international drivers licences,
car reviews, a diverse range of motoring, travel and
lifestyle benefits.
In Belgium SMART, a business which converted
into a co-op in 2016 after deciding the model was
better suited to the needs of its users, has grown
into a network of 80,000 autonomous workers and
freelancers from different sectors.
CEO Sandrino Graceffa said the co-op was the
opposite of Uber and enabled workers to benefit
from legal and administrative services, insurance
for accidents at work, cash and financing services,
co-working spaces as well as support and advice.
Danny Spitzberg from the Buy Twitter campaign
described his efforts to turn the platform into a
co-operative. “There are many good ideas coming
out of this campaign,” he said, adding that another
option would be for co-ops to create our alternative
of Twitter to provide a real stake in the business
and better terms of service for users.
24 | DECEMBER 2017

Breaking down the barriers to young
people in the co-op movement
The co-operative movement faces challenges when
it comes to engaging young people, who sometimes
see the model as outdated and struggle to rise
through the ranks of co-op organisations, a session
at the global conference heard.
The Youth Network of the International
Co-operative Alliance discussed its work on a
co-operative youth manifesto and strategic plan to
improve the situation.
The meeting also saw the network look to select
a new representative to the ICA board. Sébastien
Chaillou, from France, is set to take over the role
from Gabriela Buffa. He was elected by the network
by 48 votes to one abstention, with the appointment
to be ratified by the Alliance.
Andrea Sangiorgi, from Italy, was elected to the
Youth Network’s executive committee as memberat-large
from the European region.
The seat for Africa region received no nominees
and has been left vacant.
Delegates heard updates from regional networks
– the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Africa on
their work for the past two years. Representatives
said efforts have been made to develop business
opportunities, create networks, encourage
co-operative education, share information and
lobby governments.
The co-op manifesto for youth adopted at the
meeting was developed from studies of statements
made at youth events around the world over the
past few years. It notes that “youth have long
been, and increasingly are, disproportionately
affected by unemployment, underemployment,
disempowerment and disengagement”.
It adds: “Through effective involvement with
co-operatives, youth can work together with
governments, civil society and other stakeholders
to overcome these challenges.”
But it also notes problems within the movement,
with a generational divide “leading to difficulty
in integration of youth into the co-operative
movement.”
The manifesto warns that young people see
co-ops as “outdated” and says there are barriers
to promotion and representation for young cooperators,
and young people in the movement
often receive fewer resources, the event heard.
To tackle these issues, the meeting saw delegates
split into working groups on four initiative areas:
uCo-ordination: How the network can work via
regions, sectors and organisations such as the ILO
and EU
uConsultation: mapping co-op the youth
movement and gathering statistics
uParticipation: using meetings, virtual
meetings, networking to consult network members
uCommunication: using websites, emails, social
media to develop the network’s strategy.
Feedback from the session will be used
by network organisers as they go forward with
their strategy.
p Sébastien Chaillou
and Gabriela Buffa
lead a discussion at the
youth meeting
DECEMBER 2017 | 25

What co-ops are doing to help refugees build better lives
A session explored the potential for
co-ops to address the refugee crisis.
Simel Esim, head of the Cooperatives
Unit at the International Labour
Organisation (ILO), talked about the
challenges faced by refugees, including
access to jobs. In 2016, the ILO conducted
a study on how co-ops engage with
refugees. One of the findings was that
partnerships between co-ops and refugees
are critical. The research concluded that
co-ops provide services and goods, such
as social care and housing, which are
essential for refugees but not as readily
available through other enterprises.
Jan Anders Lago from HSB housing
co-op in Sweden said that without the
contribution of refugees to the economy,
the country would be poorer.
Carlo Scarzanella from AGCI, the
General Co-operative Association of Italy,
talked about Auxilium, a social co-op
which has been active since 2007 in the
management of several reception centres.
Hoseyn Polat, senior adviser to the
National Co-operative Union in Turkey,
highlighted that local communities were
the most crucial player in the integration
of refugees, with co-ops being part of it.
They can help reduce tensions between
local communities and provide jobs
for refugees.
Guido Schwarzendal, managing
director of Bauverein Halle & Leuna, a
housing co-op in Germany, said 1.4% of
their tenants were refugees, for which the
state covered the rent and membership
fee. The co-op is also working to promote
integration among members, moderating
discussion groups between neighbours
and publishing brochures with
information about how to live together.
Akram-Al-Taher, director general of the
Economic and Social Development Centre
of Palestine, described the Al-Jiftlik co-op
in Jordan, which is made up of women
involved in food processing. The co-op
model offers secure employment and has
enabled them to set up a kindergarten for
their children.
In addition to these case studies, the
ILO study includes examples of 27 co-ops
that are involved in responding to refugee
needs in different contexts.
uFeature: Co-ops and refugees, 42-47
Dr José Carlos Guisado given posthumous Rochdale Pioneers Award
The Rochdale Pioneers Award was
posthumously awarded to Dr José Carlos
Guisado, who died aged 61 on 14 October
last year while attending the International
Summit of Co-operatives in Quebec.
Dr Guisado, pictured, was president
of the International Health Co-operative
Organisation (IHCO) for 15 years. IHCO
is a sectoral organisation of the Alliance
that represents and provides a forum for
discussion about health co-operatives. It
allows people to share information about
the sector and promote its development of
health co-operatives.
Dr Guisado took his medical training at
the university hospital in Seville and at
University College Hospital in London.
He was involved in the health
co-operative movement for more than
34 years; he was appointed the general
secretary of the European branch of IHCO
in 1998 and chair of IHCO in 2001.
He was also a director of the Spanish
Business Confederation of Social Economy
(CEPES) and chief executive of Fundacion
Espriu of Spain, which provides health
services to over two million people and
employs 32,500 health professionals.
He joined the board of the Alliance
in 2013, after being nominated by the
Sectoral Organisation Liaison Group.
The award aims to recognise, in the
spirit of the Rochdale Pioneers, an
individual or an organisation that has
made an outstanding contribution to
the global co-operative movement. It
was presented by Monique Leroux,
president of the Alliance, who said: “His
personal convictions led him to the co-op
movement whose values he bore tirelessly
and consistently,
“He belonged to that category of human
beings who are an inspiration to all the
work that we do.”
The reward was received by Dr Guisado’s
wife and sons, and his friend and former
colleague Dr Carlos Zarco, director general
of Fundacion Espriu.
Dr Zarco said: “I was lucky when I knew
him 20 years ago, he chose me to help
him manage a hospital as his deputy. He
became the best teacher I ever had, and he
gave me his faithful friendship to the end
of his days.
“He was always thinking about how
to improve healthcare co-operatives,
and to improve healthcare. I believe
that if he could see us today he would
be smiling upon us, extremely pleased
and grateful.”
26 | DECEMBER 2017

Maria Eugenia Pérez Zea
re-elected chair of Gender
Equality Committee
The Gender Equality Committee held a
pre-conference session where it declared
its intent to deal with the challenges
facing women around the world and
empower them within the movement.
Maria Eugenia Pérez Zea from Colombia
was re-elected chair of the committee.
She is also chair of COOMEVA, the
country’s biggest co-operative, and is
executive director of Ascoop, the national
association of co-operatives. Ms Pérez has
been active in the movement for 18 years.
The close-run election saw Marjaana
Saarikoski from SOK Group in Finland
come second. She was elected vice chair
along with Xiomara Nunez de Cespedes
from the Dominican Republic. Ms Pérez
said the committee – the first thematic
committee to be set up by the Alliance –
still faces challenges, adding that it needs
to coordinate its work with all regions
of the Alliance.
Issues such as violence against women
and the need to promote training for
female employees and representatives
were crucial to the genuine empowerment
of women in the movement, she added.
The executive committee was elected for
a four-year term, with seven candidates
standing for seven positions available.
The Gender Equality Committee now
comprises: Maria Eugenia Pérez Zea
(chair); Marjaana Saarikoski, Finland
(vice chair), Xiomara Nunez de Cespedes,
Dominican Republic (vice chair); Vania
Boyuklieva, Bulgaria; Arti Bisaria, India;
Stefania Marcone, Italy; and Malena
Riudavets Suarez, Spain.
Building international partnerships
What next after the co-operative decade?
Consumer co-ops’ sectoral body election
Co-operators and development
practitioners came together in a
#coops4dev session to stress the
importance of partnerships with co-ops
for international development. The event
featured high-level representatives of the
European Union, International Labor
Organization (ILO), CSO Partnership
for Development Effectiveness (CPDE),
International Trade Union Confederation
(ITUC) and United Cities of Local
Authorities (UCLG).
Representatives from the Alliance’s
global board, regional boards, sectoral
organisations boards and thematic
committees participated in the first
joint board meeting to discuss the
action plan for the Blueprint for a
Co-operative Decade. The meeting is
the first to bring together the various
organisations and committees within
the Alliance.
Consumer Co-operatives Worldwide
(CCW) held its general assembly which
saw Petar Stefanov, president of CCU,
Bulgaria, re-elected resident of the
organisation. Eiichi Honda, president of
JCCU in Japan, was elected vice-president.
Members pledged active co-operation
in the field of co-op-to-co-op trade,
youth policy, intersectoral collaboration
and in pooling together co-operative
academic resources in drafting the longterm
strategy for the development of
Consumer Co-operatives Globally: Vision
2030 And Beyond.
Putting health co-ops on the world agenda
On World Diabetes Day, representatives
from health co-operatives from around the
world met in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to
discuss the sector’s vision for the future.
Secretary José Perez said: “It’s important
that health co-ops are on the agenda of
governments because they are part of the
solutions to the challenges that we will
face in the future to maintain the national
health systems.”
DECEMBER 2017 | 27

World’s top 300 co-operatives
have a combined turnover of
$2.164TRILLION
The largest 300 co-operatives and mutuals in the
world have a combined turnover of $2.164tn.
The figure is revealed in the latest World
Co-operative Monitor, which was presented at
the International Co-operative Alliance’s Global
Conference and General Assembly in Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia.
The Monitor collected data for 2,379
organisations across eight sectors of activity,
1,436 of which had a turnover of more than
$100m. Now in its sixth year, the Monitor is
produced in partnership with the Alliance and
the European Research Institute on Cooperative
and Social Enterprises (Euricse).
Presenting the results, Gianluca Salvatori, CEO of
Euricse, said automation meant skills needed in the
workforce were “based on human interaction and
empathy, that cannot be replaced by machines”.
“Building a sense of common good is becoming a
priority in our societies,” he added. “It means there is a
new space for co-ops, creating a new trust in societies.
It should be a priority to show the contribution of the
co-operative model to social progress.”
Mr Salvatori said the world was also seeing a
transition to a knowledge economy, with companies
like Google and Apple seeing huge success because
of their use of big data. “The co-op movement could
collect an enormous amount of data about the needs
of society and people,” he added. “We need a change
of mindset in the co-op movement to collect that
data and interpret it to plan new services.”
Mr Salvatori said the monitor showed that the top
300 co-ops were all well capitalised, but smaller and
younger co-ops were in need of support. He said the
movement could provide this through funds and
loan guarantees for new co-ops.
Charles Gould, director general of the Alliance,
added: “We are attempting to get data on smaller
co-ops. If the countries could produce their own
reports on their own movements, we could look
deeper into those.”
The Monitor refers to data from 2015, which was
collected from various sources such as national
rankings, sector rankings, existing databases
containing financial data and annual reports.
Insurance is the largest sector represented within
the top 300, which takes up 41% of entries. Other
sectors include agriculture (30%), wholesale and
retail trade (19%), banking and financial services
(6%), industry and utilities (1%), health, education
and social care (1%) and other services (1%).
To ensure consistency, this year’s ranking is
created by converting the home currency into the
international dollar, using World Bank calculations.
One international dollar would buy in the cited
country a comparable amount of goods and services
a US dollar would purchase in the United States. This
method was used to provide a better picture of the
purchasing power parity of the co-operative. The new
methodology was used to create a ranking based on
a value that removes the conversion distortion.
Also new this year is a trend analysis on the
top co-operatives and mutuals by sector activity.
The monitor also features a trend analysis on the
top co-operatives and mutuals by sector activity,
as follows on the below chart.
THE TOP FIVE CO-OPERATIVES
BASED ON TURNOVER
Groupe Crédit Agricole, France
Kaiser Permanente, USA
State Farm, USA
BVR, Germany
Zeykyoren, Japan
$70.89bn
$67.44bn
$64.82bn
$56.26bn
$49.17bn
28 | DECEMBER 2017

AGRICULTURE AND FOOD INDUSTRIES
Data was collected for 668 agricultural organisations
from 35 countries, 454 of which had a turnover of
more than $100m. The top 20 came from 11 countries
and had a combined turnover of $273.02bn. The
biggest is Zen-Noh from Japan, followed by CHS from
the USA and NH Nonghyup in the Republic of Korea.
Calculated in international dollars, the ranking
changes with NH Nonghyup second and CHS third.
INDUSTRY AND UTILITIES
There were 111 organisations from 12 countries in
this sector, of which 74 had a turnover higher than
$100m. The largest co-operative was Mondragon
Co-operative from Spain ($13.35bn turnover), with
Basin Electric Power Cooperative in the USA coming
second ($2.13bn) and Oglethorpe Power Corporation
from USA ($1.35bn) on the third position. The top
three ranking does not change when the turnover is
calculated in international dollars.
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE
The report collected data for 289 organisations
from 32 countries, 215 of which had a turnover of
over $100m. At the top of the list is REWE Group
in Germany ($48.18bn), followed by ACDLEC
– E. Leclerc in France ($39.25bn) and Edeka
Zentrale from Germany ($31.82bn). The top three
ranking remains unchanged when done based on
international dollars.
INSURANCE
Across 41 countries, statistics were gathered for 549
organisations, of those 484 had a turnover of over
$100m. Ranked first is Kaiser Permanente in the USA
with a turnover of $67.44bn. It is followed by State
Farm also in the USA ($64.82bn) and Zenkyoren in
Japan ($49.17bn). The top three remain the same
when based on international dollars.
BANKING AND FINANCIAL SERVICES
The top 10 co-ops and mutuals came from seven
different countries and had a collective turnover of
$194bn. The top three are Groupe Crédit Agricole
from France with a $49bn turnover, BVR from
Germany ($44.81bn) and Groupe Credit Mutuel
from France ($31.21bn). The top three remain
unchanged when the ranking is done based on
international dollars.
HEALTH, EDUCATION AND SOCIAL CARE
The sector has a combined turnover of $28.5bn
among the top 10, which come from six countries.
They are Unimed from Brazil with a turnover
of $15.92bn, Health Partners from the USA
($5.74bn) and Group Health Cooperative in the USA
($3.66bn). The top three ranking does not change
when using international dollars. However,
under the new methodology, a Colombian
co-operative – Universidad cooperativa de Colombia
enters the top 10.
Another addition to
this year’s report is the
analysis of the capital
structure of not only
the Top 300 but also
a sample of smaller
co-op’s and mutuals,
allowing for comparison
of different types of
co-op businesses. The
results of the research
on capital show that
large co-operatives and
mutuals do not have
specific problems raising
capital related to the
co-operative business
model, though smaller
co-operatives do have
some challenges mostly
related to obtaining
internal capital and
long-term debt.
To read the full
results, visit:
monitor.coop
To put the figures into perspective, the top 300 co-ops combined
sits between the whole of India ($2,263) and Italy’s GDP ($1,849).
Or the same as, the GDP of the Netherlands, Thailand, Norway,
Hong Kong and Ireland combined.
India’s GDP is $2,263,522 Top 300 co-ops’ GDP is $2.164
Italy’s GDP is $1,849,970
DECEMBER 2017 | 29

MEET...
... Kayleigh Walsh,
worker owner at Outlandish
and member of Worker
Co-op Council
Kayleigh Walsh is a worker co-op member at Outlandish, comprised of around
20 collaborators and co-owners who build digital applications. She is also
involved in CoTech, co-founded by Outlandish, which is a network of 28 co-ops
that sell technology services. It aims to create a better technology sector in
the UK that focuses primarily on the worker, customer and end-user needs,
rather than on generating private profit. Kayleigh is also a member of the
Co-operatives UK Worker Co-op Council, which shapes strategic priorities
for worker co-ops, and acts as a sounding board on important issues.
WHY ARE YOU INVOLVED WITH CO-OPS?
I found out about Outlandish through an
ex-colleague. They were on the lookout for a new
person, and she thought I would be a good fit. When
I started in February 2016, it was all new to me.
It was my first introduction to co-ops. I had no idea
about the benefits and principles, but I hit the ground
running and just learned as I went along. It was a
fresh new way of working for me. When I joined
Outlandish, it was just transitioning to a co-operative.
Previously it was an LLP (Limited Liability
Partnership). It was always employee-owned
but not officially a co-operative. I helped with a
lot of the bureaucracy and tasks that we needed
to do to change.
DIGITAL BUSINESSES ARE INNOVATIVE IN MANY
WAYS, DOES OUTLANDISH FEEL DIFFERENT?
I think we are different because we are making a
difference in the world. We invest all our surpluses
into projects that help us achieve our goals. For a
lot of companies that is not their aim, they are more
about exploiting workers and making a profit. But
we are trying to make the world a better place using
technology. We can make a positive contribution, and
“” WORKER CO-OPERATIVES
ONE OF MY MAIN AIMS IS
TO LIGHTEN THE BUREAUCRACY
THERE IS AROUND STARTING
we decide where to spend our surplus. For example,
we worked with NEU the education union and paid
ourselves £10,000 to build a data tool to understand
government formulas for education spending which
meant you could look up schools in London and see
what the funding formula meant in terms of cuts. This
made a huge impact and difference, so we decided to
make it a commercial product and took it nationwide.
OUTLANDISH IS ALSO A CO-FOUNDER OF CO-TECH,
THE COALITION OF TECHNOLOGY CO-OPS. WHAT
IMPACT IS THIS MAKING?
It is having a lot of impact in the co-op sector. One of
the reasons we started CoTech was out of solidarity.
We knew some co-ops did not have enough work and
they needed support, so it was about sharing our
skills and collaboration. We meet nationally once a
year and have regional meet-ups. We recently won a
project with UNICEF – washdata.org – in partnership
with Agile, another co-op. The programme gathers
data on global hygiene and sanitation from almost
every country in the world, and the accompanying
analysis is used by UN agencies, NGOs, donors,
journalists and academics in their decision making.
We approached that project as an experiment and one
of the reasons we got it was because we are part of the
CoTech network.
YOU’RE ALSO ON CO-OPERATIVES UK’S WORKER
CO-OPERATIVE COUNCIL – WHAT ARE YOU HOPING
TO ACHIEVE AS A MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL?
One of my main aims is to lighten the bureaucracy
there is around starting worker co-ops. There is
not enough information out there, and a lot of it is
not accessible enough. Although co-operatives are
growing in numbers, we are still not there in general
terms of raising awareness. Many people do not know
what co-ops are even though they may be operating
as a co-op and following co-operative principles.
30 | DECEMBER 2017

WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?
It’s quite varied. I do lots of different things. I am a
project manager and also deal with finances and
community work, so it depends on the day. We are
based in Finsbury Park in London, but there is a fair
amount of travelling in what I do. Last month I went
to Naples to speak about CoTech and how technology
can serve social co-operatives. I am invited to a fair
amount of events to speak, and some days I also
work from home, so overall it is all quite flexible. Our
governance structure is to have ‘circles’ which are
equivalent to traditional departments, so I am part
of the finance and project management circle and the
community business development circle.
join our journey
be a member
YOU ARE WEARING A LOT OF HATS ACROSS THE
CO-OP SECTOR - WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF
SO FAR?
I am most proud of delivering high-quality projects to
our clients like the one we did on school cuts with NEU.
There is also the fact we do a lot of work on business
delivery and showing people that technology is viable
and that it doesn’t have to be about the top ranking
people getting all the profits.
WHAT CHALLENGES ARE YOU FACING?
Some people are still a bit wary of technology so
getting people to engage is often always a challenge.
But I think once people realise that co-ops are
delivering high-quality products and proving that
we are capable of producing on the same level as
commercial agencies that will make a real difference.
HOW CAN CO-OPS USE TECHNOLOGY TO AID
COLLABORATION?
Every co-op could do with a bit more technology, and
it is our job to show how it can make life easier using
online tools like Loomio to keep communication
going, aid transparency and share ideas in an
open forum.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE FUTURE HOLDS FOR
CO-OPS AND TECHNOLOGY?
I hope that on a national basis CoTech can provide coops
in the UK with their digital needs and help anyone
who needs it. It is a network they can speak to and
there also organisations like the Co-operative Group
where we want to start talking to more. Generally,
I would like to see more co-operation across the
movement. If we don’t do that, we may be in a little
bit of trouble.
news
We’ve relaunched our membership,
offering member-owners more opportunity to
help us plot the future of our independent coverage
of the co-operative movement.
Find out more at:
thenews.coop/join
DECEMBER 2017 | 31

What do Quaker and
co-operative businesses
have in common?
HISTORY
BY ROBERT ASHTON
Entrepreneur, writer,
publisher and Quaker
Somebody said to me the other day that the
difference between Quaker businesses and co-ops
was that the Quaker organisation was a family affair,
whilst co-operatives embrace a wider membership.
I thought long and hard about this, both as a Quaker
and a huge fan of the co-operative movement.
Looking back to the founders of both
movements, one was assertively Christian and the
others more secular. But setting God to one side
for a moment, I believe they had more in common
than we conventionally recognise. Members of
a co-operative feel a strong sense of collective
ownership, just like a family firm. And the Rochdale
Principles bear more than a passing resemblance
to the Quaker testimonies, which are equality,
simplicity, peace, truth and integrity.
As Quaker academic Dr Nic Burton wrote; ‘the
Quaker business community were encouraged not
to trade beyond their means, to keep their word in
all business matters and be honest in advertising.’
Many co-ops too were formed to provide their
members with good quality products at fair prices.
THE QUAKER BUSINESS COMMUNITY
WERE ENCOURAGED NOT TO
TRADE BEYOND THEIR MEANS
Both contrasted starkly with what Quaker founder
George Fox described as; ‘deceitful merchandise
and cheating.’
Early Quakers were persecuted and barred
from hold public office or going to University.
Quaker schools and apprenticeships provided
an alternative pathway into employment.
The education of employees and their children
was important to co-ops too. For a time I was on
the Board of a co-operative trust of ten schools.
Everyone there knew and understood the co-op
principles that set them apart from other schools.
It’s not surprising then that in the 18th century, 74
banks across Britain were run by Quaker families.
Quakers also dominated the chocolate industry,
with Cadbury, Fry and Rowntree major players.
As Cambridge professor of ethics Dr Rosamund
Thomas pointed out to me; ‘cocoa was then
regarded as a beneficial and healthy alternative
to alcohol.’
Until the middle of the 19th century most
businesses were privately owned with the risk of
personal bankruptcy ever present.
Co-ops were the exception. For the
Quaker firms, their religious belief
shaped their business practice.
The Joint Stock Act of 1844,
followed by the Limited Liability Act
of 1856 meant that business owners
could both accept new shareholders
and limit liability to the value of the
32 | DECEMBER 2017

share capital invested. This legislation, coupled
with the rapid technological advances of the mid-
19th century created real opportunity for anyone
running a business. Whilst co-ops remained coops,
Quakers being quick to embrace new practices,
chose incorporate, accept investment and expand.
Over time their underlying Quaker values became
diluted as new blood entered the Boardroom.
Of course once the focus shifts from customer to
shareholder things begin to change. For Rowntrees
this meant becoming part of the Nestle empire in
1988, with Cadbury bought by Kraft in 2010. Once
part of a multi-national the values of the founders
become forgotten. Today there are few remaining
Quaker businesses.
Co-ops on the other hand have retained their
values to this day. It was no surprise when Doug
Field, joint CEO of East of England Co-operative
took the chair of New Anglia LEP recently that he set
about focusing on a return to basics. He promised to
listen more to business, rather than simply chasing
investment in the area. To Doug, business leaders
in his LEP area are like members of a co-operative.
He knows that it is they, not Government who hold
the key to his region’s economic prosperity.
Today there is growing evidence that a return
to basic values can benefit any business’s bottom
line. Loughlin Hickey, co-founder of charity
Blueprint for Better Business told me that; ‘Too
many people accept that success in business
requires all to pursue their own self-interest. Not
only is that a narrow view of human instincts but
it actually blocks business potential.’ So is there
an opportunity for a new generation of Quaker
entrepreneurs to emerge?
Businesses that have purpose beyond profit
are more resilient than those that focus on profit
alone. Twitter gives voice to disgruntled customers
and millennials are increasingly choosing to work
for firms with wholesome values. I think there
is a place for Quaker led businesses today, more
perhaps than ever before.
So as a social entrepreneur and Quaker I have put
this theory to the test. Earlier this year I founded
the Turnpike Press as an ethical publisher with
overt Quaker values, we publish non-fiction books
that can confront prejudice and spark positive
social change. Out first title is a book on charity
leadership and our second will help parents and
their children improve their mental health.
Books are sponsored, with the sponsor’s
investment refunded from early book sales.
Sponsors naturally take an interest in the book they
support. They make sure it’s on message and more
importantly, open doors that can help sales. Once a
sponsor is repaid, we spilt future profits 50:50 with
the author. We publish books that can provoke
equality of opportunity for readers, sponsors and
of course our authors too.
I’ve also helped set up a few community cooperatives
and seen how well they engage local
people and thrive. Let’s see if I can develop
a contemporary version of a family-owned
Quaker firm.
t Doug Field, joint
CEO of East of England
Co-operative
t Turnpike Press,
an ethical publisher that
ensures profits are fairly
distributed
DECEMBER 2017 | 33

A snapshot in time:
12 early examples of co-operation
You may know the story. In 1844, weavers and workers in Rochdale in the
North of England – the ‘pioneers’ – started a food store in a venture that has
come to be seen as the first co-operative in the world. There were pioneers
before, but only when I saw a map of co-ops in Britain before 1844 in the
Co-operative Archive did I realise their extent. What follows is a series of
examples of early co-operation and mutuality around the world that can
also perhaps be considered as pioneers.
EARLY CO-OPERATION
BY ED MAYO
THE TOWN MARKET
The Confucian Mencius, or Meng Ke,
lived in China in the fourth century BCE.
From sayings attributed to him, we know
of market traders who set up ways to
exchange together, with officials to oversee
the process.
THE COMMONS
In India, communities have long
collaborated to sustain local assets such
village tanks. In Karnataka, most of the rains
the state experiences come in the monsoon
season. If the rains fail, the effect of farming
is crippling, so the rationale for rainwater
harvesting has always been strong. An
inscription dated to 1371 in Karnataka
describes the contribution of villagers
in Nanjapura to a water tank. They provided
four bullock carts and the materials needed
to maintain the tank.
THE COLLEGE
A stone’s throw from the walls of Rome,
the Collegium of Aesculapius and Hygia
was founded in around 153 AD by a wealthy
Roman woman named Salvia Marcellina.
This served as a dining club for its 60
members, and a burial society. The college
lent money to its members, using the
interest to pay its expenses. As a member,
you were guaranteed a burial, including
all of the costs associated with a funeral.
The college had a president, the officers
were ’caretakers’ and the body of regular
members was termed the ‘the people’.
34 | DECEMBER 2017

THE MARITIME MUTUAL
From the late eighth century, a range
of partnership models for enterprise and
trade on the seas emerged in the Islamic
world, allowing people to co-invest and
share returns. These permitted, on an agreed
basis, the sharing of losses including acting
as surety for other partners and to acting
on a mutual basis across the partners. The
term typically used, Sharikah, or al-Shirkah,
means in effect a sharing, co-partnership.
The most comprehensive form, Sharikat al
Mufawadah, offered members equal rights
in economic terms and an equal say
regarding the ability to act on behalf of
the partnership. Early West European
companies, such as the Compagnie de la
Nouvelle France formed in 1627 to pursue
trade in furs with North America, also
operated by one member, one vote.
THE WORKSHOP
The Ahi (‘brotherhood’ or ‘generous, openhanded’)
movement in Anatolia, modern
Turkey was started in the thirteenth century
by Pir Ahi Evran-e Veli, a master leather
craftsman and scholar, born in Iran in 1169.
The context was warfare and Mongolian
invasion close by. The vision was one of
both enterprise and faith. The first leather
workshop established by Ahi Evran was
in Kayseri. Trades, crafts and arts were
grouped in bazaars; each one is given over
to one profession (along with a baker and
barbershop allowed for each) and each
with its symbol. Fatma Bacı, the wife of Ahi
Evran, established a bazaar for women,
allowing them to group and to sell the goods
that they produced.
THE LENDING CIRCLE
Lending circles can also be traced back to
thirteenth century Japan, in the form of Ko
or Mujin, where groups of rural villagers,
between twenty and fifty people, pooled
savings and took turns to win credit. The
ring was one of the few forms of collective
self-help and resistance potentially open
to slaves. Operating as a private activity,
it could be hidden from those attempting
to suppress it. Rotating savings and credit
associations have a long history by different
names in different countries: Hui in
Southern China, Kye in rural Korea, Tontines
in West Africa, Muzikis or Likelambas in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ekub in
Ethiopia, Stokvel in South Africa, Mukando
in Zimbabwe, Tandas and Cundina in
Mexico, Chits, Kuries and Bhishies in India
and Thong Thing in Cambodia.
DECEMBER 2017 | 35

THE ARTISTS GUILD
Guilds emerged in Western Europe in the
eleventh century. To become a master,
a guild apprentice needed to complete
a ‘masterpiece’ passed for its quality
by the guild. The ‘Dutch Masters’ – an
extraordinary generation of painters in the
Netherlands were indeed masters in their
own time. The patron saint of artists was
St Luke. With church patronage in decline
in the Low Countries, the Guilds of St Luke
turned to domestic customers, developing
an extraordinary market for art. By 1660,
the year that Vermeer died and Rembrandt
completed his last etching, 45,000 paintings
were estimated to hang on the walls of
homes in Delft.
THE LABOUR SOCIETY
The Shore Porters Society, which dates back
to 1498, formed by the Scottish porters,
or ‘pynours’, working in the harbour at
Aberdeen. One of the first members for
whom we have a name is that of a woman,
Megy Tod, in 1514. In a trade that required
strength and skill, women could find a
place – at least early on. The business still
runs today, specialising in removals – a
contemporary enterprise that continues in
partnership and with the same competence,
of heavy lifting, that it started within the
early days of the guilds.
THE WOMEN’S GUILD
The guilds typically had masters,
not mistresses. There is evidence both of
laws against women as members, such as
in the guilds in Germany, and of those laws
being flouted or resisted. In 1628, more
than forty women who were spinners broke
into the city hall of Barcelona. They threw
insults at the councillors in protest at the
action of master drapers, who were sending
wool to be spun outside the city. There
are also initiatives to recognise women.
The seamstresses in Paris in 1675 set up
a guild that entitled them to sew and sell
clothes for women and children.
36 | DECEMBER 2017

THE INSURANCE MUTUAL
Associations such as ‘fire guilds’ or ‘death
guilds’ emerged to provide mutual assistance
against risks as varied as fire damage,
death, shipwreck and the death of livestock.
The first recorded society was founded in
Schleswig Holstein in 1537. In 1752 Benjamin
Franklin founded America’s first mutual,
the Philadelphia Contributionship of the
Insurance of Houses from Loss by Fire. This
was modelled on one he had seen in his time
in London, to insure and protect buildings
from the hazard of fire.
THE FARMER CO-OPERATIVE
On the mountain slopes of Switzerland and
Franche-Comté, cheese-making societies,
on Fruitières, spread from the fourteenth
century. They offered ways for neighbours
to pool milk to produce cheese. We can
trace the lines of mutuality, including selfgoverning
quality standards and charters,
such as the Appellations d’Origine Protégée,
to the co-operatives that are responsible
for the production of Comté and Gruyère
cheese today. In the late nineteenth
century, George Jacob Holyoake wrote: “It is
clear that Gruyère should be the favourite
cheese of co-operators, as it is the first
cheese made on their system.”
THE PRISONERS CO-OPERATIVE
The Decembrists in Russia were sentenced
to exile and hard labour in Siberia after a
failed revolt in December 1825, with special
orders from the Tsar to make life as hard
as possible for them. There, they founded
the Great Artel, a form of co-operative, to
survive together. They shared food parcels
coming in, fenced off land next to the prison,
started to produce clothing and footwear,
saved money and offered credit and even did
well enough to sell potatoes and beetroot to
peasants in the area. Pyotr Svistunov, in a
letter dated September 1831, said it “is our
Lilliputian state. Every year, by means of a
majority in a secret ballot, we elect a ruler and
a chancellor, who will enact the will
of the Artel.”
Ed Mayo is the author
of A Short History of
Co-operation and
Mutuality, which
highlights the roots
of today’s co-op and
mutuality. For more
information, visit:
uk.coop/shorthistory
DECEMBER 2017 | 37

CO-OPERATION
FOR THE COMMON GOOD
PLANNING
BY CLIFF MILLS AND
GILLIAN LONERGAN
q The global appeal fund
reached £117,395 thanks
to co-operatives around
the world.
Co-operatives UK’s emergency flood appeal for
funds for co-operative reconstruction in countries
devastated by hurricanes stands within a long
tradition of co-operation supporting those in need.
Among the co-operative archives in Manchester
is a history of the Bury District Co-operative
Society, written to commemorate its jubilee in 1905.
It contains a table of grants made by that society
over its first 50 years.
By 1905 the list, which is added to from year to
year, runs to 17 different causes including hospitals
(Manchester Royal Infirmary and Dispensary,
Bury Dispensary Hospital, Manchester Royal Eye
Hospital, Manchester Ear Hospital); the Bury
Ragged School; the Royal National Lifeboat
Institute, and a range of other local charities and
causes such as the Bury Cinderella Club, the Poor
Children’s Mission Bury,
and the Queen’s Jubilee
Nursing Fund Bury;
and, of course, the
Central Co-operation
Union fund.
The amounts of
money are modest
but significant. For
example, £116 was
paid to hospitals by the
Bury Society in 1905,
probably equivalent to
about £10,000 today. The total amount paid to
charities by the north-west section of co-operative
societies that year was £16,975.
Such payments were generally approved by
members meetings and came out of surplus before
distributions were made to members as a dividend
on purchases. The model rules for retail societies
provided that after paying for the expenses of the
business and interest on shares, a specified amount
(commonly 2.5%) was to be applied for educational
purposes, other sums for provident purposes
permitted by the laws applying to Friendly
Societies, and after that the remainder was to be
paid to members as a dividend on purchases.
While co-operative societies were a self-help
mechanism to enable individuals to meet their
immediate needs (in this context access to basic
provisions), their purpose was always wider than
just the economic interest of the members.
The constitution of the Rochdale Society of
Equitable Pioneers (the “Law First”) clearly states
that the underlying purpose was to improve
the financial, social and living conditions of its
members. The shop was part of this, but so was
providing work, employment, housing and indeed
establishing a new society served by enterprise.
So supporting local institutions like hospitals,
and other charitable causes which may not
bring obvious benefits to the locality (the Bury
society’s regular support to the RNLI being a good
38 | DECEMBER 2017

illustration), was part of a wider contribution to the
common good.
Last month’s edition of
the News featured extensive coverage of
how co-operatives today are having an impact
on their local communities. The Community
Impact Index provides evidence of what
co-operatives are doing under the seventh
principle, concern for community,
and it is good to see this celebration
of the vital contribution which societies make
to their communities. Co-operation wasn’t and
isn’t just for its members: it contributes to the
common good.
Furthermore, it isn’t just the contributions
to local good causes and emerging public services
which are paid out of surpluses. Or the 2.5%
levy for the education fund enabling people
to improve their own circumstances through
access to learning and development. The
very laws which enabled co-operative
societies to be formally registered
had built into them, and retain today, crucial
features which clearly separate co-operative
businesses from those trading for the benefit
of private investors.
None of these features existed in the company
law tradition under which most businesses
operate. While such businesses might also have
made generous contributions to charitable
causes and do so today, that was not part of their
core purpose, which was essentially focused on
generating shareholder value. Investor-owned
companies were and remain today enterprise for
private benefit. Co-operatives, we would argue,
are enterprise for the common good.
The outward-facing nature of co-ops is
clearly visible in the ICA Statement on the
Co-operative Identity, through open and voluntary
membership, the limits on interest on capital, the
commitment to education, co-operation amongst
co-operatives and concern for community. The last
three principles in particular, together with the
ethical values of social responsibility and caring for
others, firmly commit co-operation to an outwardlooking
dynamic, which clearly goes beyond
the direct interests of members, their families
and communities.
This is wonderfully captured in the background
paper to the 1995 ICA Statement where Dr Ian
MacPherson wrote: “Throughout its history, the
co-operative movement has constantly changed;
it will continuously do so in the future. Beneath
the changes, however, lies a fundamental
respect for all human beings and a belief in their
capacity to improve themselves economically and
socially through mutual self-help. Further, the
co-operative movement believes that democratic
procedures applied to economic activities are
feasible, desirable, and efficient. It believes that
u The commitment to one member one vote,
ensuring equality of access
to everyone
u The nature of co-operative capital, enabling
individual members to withdraw their funds
but without diminishing the value of reserves
for other members and future generations
u The mechanism for societies to merge
(transfer of engagements) which brings
co-operative businesses together for
the benefit of members, rather than as a
mechanism for extracting shareholder value.
democratically controlled economic organisations
make a contribution to the common good.
The 1995 Statement of Principles was based on
these core philosophical perspectives.”
It is interesting to note how societies today are
increasingly looking to distinguish themselves
from private corporate competitors by emphasising
not just their distinctive ownership and governance
arrangements, but their distinctive purpose. Look
at the home pages of leading societies today, and
you will see a high level of emphasis on member
ownership and control; on supporting and
responding to the needs of their local communities
and suppliers; and their commitment to
social purpose.
How things have changed from the days of
the Co-operative Commission in 2002, and
its recommendation to return to the focus on
social goals and the “virtuous circle” to drive
co-operative growth.
We have become so used to reading negative
stories about businesses, about their focus on u
q A copy of a Co-op
Workers Society shares
book from 1914
DECEMBER 2017 | 39

u profits for shareholders, and their disregard for
their impact on workers, customers and the wider
community, that there is a danger that we fall into
the lazy assumption that it must be like that, that
business must operate simply for private benefit.
But it’s just not true. Co-operative businesses
contribute so much more.
How do co-ops identify
themselves compared to
investor-owned competitors?
A brief review of the home pages of the websites of
the largest UK retail co-operatives, compared with
the homepages of investor-owned competitors,
reveals a common pattern (see right).
Much more could be said – about their individual
focus on values and principles, explaining what it
means to be a co-operative, campaigning on social
justice issues – but three important points emerge
from this very brief look at societies’ websites.
First, individual participation or membership,
and member ownership are at the forefront of how
these businesses present themselves to the public.
How they are owned and democratically controlled
is as important as what they sell. Second, these
businesses are all looking beyond the society itself
to the community within which they are trading, to
their impact on that community, supporting and
striving to make that community and the world
beyond a better place. Third, they are projecting
these features prominently on their homepage,
their shop window, alongside and sometimes
before projecting their core business.
In other words, a key part of the promotional
u
u
u
u
Co-ops strongly feature membership,
participation and ownership
They all feature community in some
way: making a difference, supporting
communities, local businesses and
suppliers, being a business for the
community, being there for the future,
and in some cases even referring to the
common good
On the homepage, the core business of
selling food is not so dominant – in some
cases, it even seems secondary to the
nature of the organisation as
a co-operative
In most cases, membership and
community are two of the main tabs on
the homepage alongside the different
areas of the society’s business
message of these large co-operatives today, and
how they distinguish themselves from investorowned
businesses, is how they benefit a wide
range of people, members, communities and
future generations. This isn’t about corporate
social responsibility or philanthropy; this is
about enterprise serving a much bigger and wider
objective, and the corporate entity itself having a
fundamentally different reason for existence.
u Co-operation for the Common Good is the
title of a document written by Cliff Mills and David
Alcock of Anthony Collins Solicitors. Download the
document for more information. s.coop/25x4a
40 | DECEMBER 2017

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TAKING STEPS
to meet the long-term needs of refugees
REFUGEES
BY ANCA VOINEA
Upon entering Europe, asylum seekers face
significant barriers when looking for a job, according
to the European Commission.
Countries need to take swift action to integrate
refugees into communities, says the Commission,
by providing education and training to ensure they
have a chance in the job market. Research suggests
that early and active labour market participation is
a key aspect of the integration process.
One of the answers to this call for action has come
from a group of socially responsible businesses.
In particular, co-operative businesses in Italy and
Greece have been responsible for helping refugees
to be self-sustaining.
With the continent facing the biggest
displacement of people since the Second World
War, around 165,000 refugees seeking asylum have
reached Europe from non-EU countries in the first
three months of the year.
Following an agreement between the EU and
Turkey last year, refugees have been unable to use
the Balkan route into Europe and are now travelling
to Italy instead. Around 99,742 have reached Italy so
far this year, with 15,230 arrivals in Greece.
The integration process falls upon individual
member states with the EU providing support and
incentives. But, as social businesses, co-operatives
have found a role in helping refugees.
In Italy, social co-ops provide 18,000 refugees,
asylum seekers and migrants with services and
projects in 220 welcome centres and 170 housing
structures.
One of them is Camelot, a social co-operative
in Bologna, Ferrara and Ravenna, which offers
mentoring, Italian language classes, training
courses and internships. Since 2001 the co-op has
been working with the public administration to
provide information, advice and assistance services
concerning migration to Italian and foreign citizens.
Camelot runs a series of projects including Vesta,
which offers Bologna residents the chance to host
young refugees. Those who want to help must apply
via an online platform, with suitable candidates
selected for an interview. Those who pass this stage
are given training and asked to sign an agreement to
respect Vesta’s rules.
On 12 September, Camelot presented its
successful integration initiatives during an event at
the European Parliament in Strasbourg, themed: A
story of experiences for a European vision.
The co-op’s delegation included president Patrizia
Bertelli, delegate administrator Carlo De Los Rios
and the head of the society and rights department,
Elisa Bratti. Joining them were Laura Di Salvo and
42 | DECEMBER 2017

Francesco Malossi, a couple from Bologna who
hosted Becaye, a young refugee who went on to
secure employment.
“Becaye relates to the neighbourhood much
more than we do and is now part of our group of
friends,” the couple said.
Moussa Molla Salih, a refugee who has been
hosted for nine months by another couple, is now
completing a degree while working part-time.
Speaking at the event, he said: “I’ve been
welcomed by Antonella and Fabrizio as if I were
part of the family. Now, with my work as an operator
in a hospitality facility, I hope I can help other kids
to become autonomous and start a new life path as
happened to me.”
So far, 28 families from Bologna have taken on
refugees as part of Camelot’s initiative. The co-op
is looking to extend the project to other Italian
regions as part of the Ministry of the Interior’s
Protection System for Asylum Seekers and Refugees
(SPRAR) system.
The co-op has also been providing more than
8,700 hours of tutoring and 3,400 hours of
Italian language classes across the Ferrara and
Bologna provinces.
Under SPRAR, local authorities and voluntary
sector organisations can go beyond the simple
distribution of food and housing by providing
complementary services such as legal and
social guidance and support and developing
programmes to promote socioeconomic inclusion
and integration.
Drama workshop organised by Camelot involving
six younger and newer migrants who arrived
in Italy without family members and local
teachers or volunteers.
SPRAR projects exist across the country
and Camelot is also involved in these, helping
unaccompanied minors and adults. Through the
co-op, children arriving in Italy without adult
reference figures receive support from a technical
coordinator, a legal advisor, a psychologist, an
anthropologist, a counsellor and a case manager.
The case manager plays a key role in planning and
monitoring the integration activities, educational
projects, vocational training and job placements.
For adults, a tutor is assigned to guide them
regarding vocational training, CV drafting, skills
analysis, active job search and securing job
placements. Camelot employs five trainers who
help refugees gain the skills and confidence they
need to enter the labour market. Internships u
BECAYE RELATES TO THE
NEIGHBOURHOOD MUCH
MORE THAN WE DO AND
IS NOW PART OF OUR
GROUP OF FRIENDS
qDrama workshop organised by Camelot involving
six younger and newer migrants who arrived in Italy
without family members and local teachers
or volunteers
42 | NOVEMBER 2017

u are a first step in securing long-term employment
and in 2016 Camelot has secured 51 internships for
asylum seekers or refugees. Four beneficiaries are
currently involved in civil service organisations.
Camelot was set up in 1992 by 12 young people
and three associations with a background in social
work. The co-op has grown to employ 200 people,
20% of whom are migrants.
In addition to these initiatives, Camelot has been
implementing a project to help vulnerable refugees,
such as victims of torture or disabled people, set
up a co-op. Twelve enterprises have been created,
10 of which are co-operatives. The project included
the provision of training courses on co-operative
principles and how to manage them. In Ferrara,
three refugees set up a security service co-operative.
Similarly, in Greece, the social co-operative Wind
of Renewal has partnered with the Greek Forum of
Refugees, the Greek Forum of Migrants, and ANASA
Cultural Centre to develop a co-operative hostel that
provides temporary accommodation refugees and
promotes their social inclusion.
Named WELCOMMON, the shelter brings together
two concepts – “welcome” and “in common”. On
a daily basis, the hostel has between 160 and 180
people. Since being set up in 2016, it has been
accommodating around 500 refugees. More than
50% were under 18, who stay at WELCOMMON
for a few weeks up to a few months. They receive
accommodation and food as well as psychological
and medical support and help in building their
employment skills.
With guests coming from over 15 countries and
speaking 11 different languages, WELCOMMON
also provides interpreters. Refugees are selected
and sent to the hostel by the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and are
often among the most vulnerable of people. They
include pregnant women or women with babies,
single-parent families, victims of torture, rape and
trafficking, refugees left disabled by war or torture or
THE GOVERNING PRINCIPLE IS ‘LEARNING BY DOING’
– IT IS MEANT TO BE A STEPPING STONE TO ENABLE
THE PARTICIPANTS TO WORK TOWARDS ACHIEVING
SELF-SUFFICIENCY

people with medical and pharmaceutical support
needs, such as cancer patients.
On a daily basis, the hostel has between 160 and
180 people.
WELCOMMON currently employs 32 people,
many of whom are long-term unemployed Greeks
and refugees or migrants who have been living in
Greece for many years.
They focus on enrolling refugee children in
public schools, involving them in non-formal
education and empowering parents to be able to
take full care of their children, providing them with
the support needed to integrate.
The co-op hostel offers Arabic, English, maths
and science courses with Arabic-speaking
volunteer refugees, as well as German and Greek
courses with native speakers or computer training
workshops and painting and photography lessons.
One of the volunteers running the classes, 21-
year old Ahmed, is himself a refugee. He found
WELCOMMON while looking for help in Athens,
shortly after arriving in Greece.
“I decided to do something good for other
people,” he said. “I wanted to talk about the hope
through education. So, I initiated a children’s
school at the centre. Now I am sharing the value of
hope with around 15 children, every day, through
the maths, English and Arabic language classes.
“I will be relocated to Belgium very soon. I
dream about my future as a doctor even more now.
I witnessed and experienced how much the world
needs doctors who can take care of the poor and
the weak.
“I want to be a doctor, and I want to be ‘there’
where I needed them, such as in refugee camps. I
will try my best first to learn the language and try
to study in Belgium. Deep inside my heart, I dream
to establish a volunteers’ community for Syrian
people some day.”
WELCOMMON is also looking to create a
database of the refugees’ CVs – both for those living
within the structure and outside to help them gain
employment with businesses looking for particular
skills. They are also exploring ways to support the
creation of social enterprises with the participation
of Greeks, refugees and migrants.
Asked how they helped refugees to find a job,
Nikos Chrysogelos, president of the social cooperative
Wind of Renewal (ANEMOS ANANEOSIS)
and project manager of WELCOMMON centre, said:
“It is not an easy process. For the teenagers and
adults, with the help of the social workers, we try
to build a professional profile based on their skills
or past profession that will be used to promote
their capacity for job seeking. We aim to provide
many activities according to people’s preferences
and needs.
“We try to connect demand and offer based on
the needs of the Greek market and the skills of our
guests. But, even when they have the skills u

u required, the refugees don’t know the language or
sometimes they need to understand the environment
of an enterprise in Europe. For example, enterprises
selling food in Africa and Europe are two different
kinds of businesses. Many refugees need a job,
but they don’t know what social security means.
We want to protect them but also protect the
Greek society from the black economy, trafficking
or exploitation.”
Wind of Renewal is now looking to launch a
workshop for refugee women as well as Greek
women who have been unemployed for a long time,
to help them get training in designing and sewing
clothes out of recycled materials.
“The governing principle is ‘learning by doing’
– it is meant to be a stepping stone to enable the
participants to work towards achieving selfsufficiency,”
said Mr Chrysogelos. They are aiming
to start the workshop in December, provided they
obtain the funding needed.
For November, Wind of Renewal is planning a
food festival to connect restaurants with refugees
who can cook. The long-term aim is to set up a
multiethnic restaurant as a social enterprise, but
the project is at an incipient stage and likely to face
many administrative and capital-related hurdles,
said Mr Chrysogelos.
Another initiative led by the co-op focuses on
combating energy poverty. Wind of Renewal has
applied for funding via the European Economic
Area (EEA) grants for energy efficiency.
“A team consisting of Greeks, migrants and
refugees will help households suffering from energy
poverty to improve the energy efficiency of their
house and reduce the cost they pay for the bills and
heating/cooling,” said Mr Chrysogelos.
“In parallel, we will empower the households
by enabling them to participate in renewable
energy co-operatives, self-production and selfconsumption
schemes, or local grid networks. We
have applied to EEA programmes, and we hope our
project will be selected for a grant to create a green
hub and train 200 youngsters – Greeks, migrants
and refugees – to work for the energy efficiency and
the empowerment of 5,000 households in Athens.”
Other co-ops like Camelot and WELCOMMON
are also making a difference to the lives of
the refugees, preparing them for entering the
abour market.
A 2016 study by the ILO examined the potential of
the co-op model in responding to the refugee crisis.
The research concludes that, as people-centred
businesses, co-ops provide services and goods, such
as social care and housing, which are important for
refugees but not as readily available through other
enterprises.
Moreover, adds the study, co-operatives have
developed integrated practices suited to the
refugees’ needs. According to the research, cooperative
projects can help eliminate resistance
to refugees by involving host communities and
bringing them benefits. The ILO study highlights
examples of 27 co-ops that participate in responding
to refugee needs in different contexts.
RUAH, another social co-operative in Bergamo,
Italy, works with refugees, providing and working
on housing, labour, literacy, education, training
and integration issues. In Germany, housing
co-ops such as Gelsenkirchen in the north-west
have started reserving larger apartments for
refugee families and consciously renting them to
Syrian refugees.
Another project in Lebanon has seen the UNDP
and the ILO working together to establish the
44 | NOVEMBER 2017

Green House Nursery Cooperative, which treats,
grows and sells seeds at an affordable price in
the region, benefiting 200 Lebanese farmers and
Syrian refugees.
In the West Bank, the Kalandia Refugee
Camp Women’s Handicraft Cooperative enables
Palestinian women to secure their income by selling
handicrafts, dried fruits, tailoring and quilting. They
also receive vocational training and can benefit
from access to a kindergarten and a nursery via
the co-operative.
The ILO paper suggests the co-operative
enterprise model should be better integrated
into refugee response strategies. It adds that cooperative
organisations need to be sought out for
their knowledge and experience in responding to
refugee crises.
NOVEMBER 2017 | 45

REVIEWS
A short history of co-operation and mutuality
A short history of co-operation and mutuality
provides an overview of co-operative and mutual
initiatives that may have led to the modern-day cooperative
movement. Written by Co-operatives UK’s
secretary general, Ed Mayo, the book acknowledges
the risk of choosing one place as the start of
everything that followed, tracing back the roots
of co-operation.
When was the first co-operative or mutual? The
spread of customer-owned co-operatives in 19th
century Britain is well-known and celebrated. There
are also precursors of co-operation and mutuality
before this in countries right across the world.
While arguing that the work is merely a sketch
of the history of co-operation, Mr Mayo looks at
the co-operative dimension of human nature.
From mutuality in the Roman Empire through
collegia, to craft guilds that existed across Europe
in the medieval period, the book features various
examples of co-operation across the world.
“There are hundreds of established histories
of co-operative and mutual enterprise, whether
biographies of individual businesses or analysis
of wider co-operative sectors over time, national
and international that point back to 1844,” says the
author in his introduction. “They tell an inspiring
Meet Hammerhead and Captain Stinkypants
Meet Hammerhead and Captain Stinkypants
follows the adventures of two brothers and their
dad on the day they discover a secret land and
transform into superheroes. It’s written by Colin
Macleod, the chief executive of the Channel
Islands Co-operative.
As they chase a custard-headed monster,
the three characters have to face their deepest
fears. While describing the adventures of the
superheroes, the book teaches children to be
brave and deal with what they are scared of such as
darkness or the dentist.
The characters also pay a visit to a co-op
supermarket, which is shown by a graphic design
featuring the Toad Lane original co-op shop.
Colin says the children’s book was inspired
by his two sons, Harris and Lewis, whom he tells
bedtime stories.
“Like a lot of dads, my bedtime routines with the
boys have been dominated by storytelling. Harris,
Lewis and I have been fairly chaotic with the way
that we have imagined bedtime stories and we
often take it in turns to create different parts of a
story. This fairly random way of discovering our
collective imaginations has, over the years, led to
some themes emerging. We have built characters,
worlds, emotions and dreams together at
bedtime,” he said.
The book, which is his first, has already raised
£10,000 for Help A Guernsey Child and Variety, the
Children’s Charity of Jersey. Help a Guernsey Child
has used some of the funds to cover the costs of the
Amherst Primary Summer School.
With the funding received Variety purchased
an Acheeva Learning Station, which will enable
Mont a l’Abbe pupils with complex and continuing
health needs to be comfortably and easily
included in classroom activities. It also bought and
a specialist trike for Eliana Lazarrin, who was
brain damaged after a near-fatal drowning when
she was 21 months old.
“On a day-to-day basis, I very proudly lead a
business that is at the heart of island life and
I wanted to choose charities that mirrored that
community focus. I’m utterly delighted that we
have managed to raise so much money for Help A
Guernsey Child and Variety, the Children’s Charity
of Jersey,” added Mr Macleod.
Following success in the Channel Islands, the
children’s book will be sold by the Lincolnshire
Co-operative, with profits to be donated to
local charities.
48 | DECEMBER 2017

story and the co-operative sector is proud of its
history, but at the same time, I hope to offer a
gentle challenge to the entrenched co-operative
worldview of ‘1844 and All That’.
“My purpose is not to supplement or supplant
the pioneers of Rochdale, by pointing to 1864
and the tradition of Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen,
the extension of these models outside of the
circles of consumer retail and banking in which
they started, or an earlier generation of weavers
in the Scottish town of Fenwick in 1761. Instead,
while fully recognising their achievements, I hope
to acknowledge the risk of choosing one point or
place as the start of everything that follows.”
The chapters include references to not only the
Rochdale Pioneers, but also the weavers in the
Scottish town of Fenwick in 1761 and the tradition
of Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen. It also looks at the
commons, lending circles and labourer societies.
The book ends with an insight into the co-op
sector today. By describing the context in which
these various co-operative ventures have emerged,
the author argues that co-operation “is and always
will be with us”. He adds: “There was co-operation
before, and this is a short story of those roots of
today’s co-operation and mutuality.”
Download the
book for free,
by visiting:
uk.coop/
shorthistory
Written by Ed Mayo and
published by
Co-operatives UK
Ethical Business Cultures in Emerging Markets
The effects of globalisation, and the continued
growth of emerging economies, presents
opportunities but also a tangle of ethical issues –
not least for co-operatives.
From retail co-ops sourcing from international
supply chains to agri co-ops seeking new foreign
markets, co-operatives are operating on a global
scale – making their values and principles as
relevant as ever. And if they want a guide to this
complex new world, here is a new study of the
emerging economies, which focuses on ethical
issues and asks how companies can maintain
consistent values across a changing terrain.
It’s a collection of essays edited by Douglas
Jondle, consultant at Bains Jondle & Associates,
which works to foster ethical cultures, and
Alexandre Ardichvili, a professor at the University
of Minnesota and a fellow of the Center for Ethical
Business Cultures (CEBC), a US non-profit which
promotes ethical business practices.
Looking at the world still coming to terms with
the 2008 financial crisis and its lessons about
corporate behaviour, they say it is important to
ensure consistent ethical standards in a shifting
global economy. Incidents such as the collapse
of the Rana Plaza textile factory building in Daka,
Bangladesh, in 2013, which killed 1,135 people,
have put business ethics even further at the
forefront.
The co-op movement has a consistent set of
ethical standards of its own, in the shape of the
seven Co-op Principles, but how do these work
when a co-operative expands into new territory?
Although Ethical Business Cultures does not
deal with the co-operative business model per se,
it does look at the issues organisations face when
trying to enact their ethical values in new markets,
which may have different ethical systems of
their own. In these new markets, say Jondle
and Ardichvili, a complex network of national,
philosophical and political factors are at play.
Some favour informal rather and informal
arrangements when framing agreements; some
are hierarchical rather than individualistic, leading
to a weaker whistleblowing culture; some are
shaped by religious or philosophical contexts,
such as Islam in Turkey or Confucianism in China;
and some operate in authoritarian or heavily
bureaucratic state systems.
The book is split into two sections, the first
a series of essays on ethical business in eight
emerging economies, including the BRICS – Brazil,
Russia, India, China and South Africa, alongside
Turkey, Mexico and Indonesia.
The second section looks at how to build and
sustain ethical business cultures, including
a discussion of the CEBC’s Model of Ethical
Business Cultures, based on series of anonymous
interviews with business executives discussing
their opinions on “ethical business challenges,
risks, and opportunities facing their companies,
industries and countries”.
There is also a survey of employees’ perceptions
of ethical business practices across 22 of the
world’s economies, which recommends a diverse
recruitment policy, transparent processes,
fair leadership and employee engagement for
businesses looking to maintain their ethics in new
markets.
Here, co-ops should hopefully have a head start
– and this book offers a useful introduction to the
complex world in which they must now operate.
Edited by Douglas
Jondle, Bains Jondle
& Associates LLC ,
Alexandre Ardichvili,
Cambridge Press
DECEMBER 2017 | 49

DIARY
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Co-operatives
East Midlands visits the Rochdale Pioneers
Museum on 18 April; Karen Wilkie, deputy
general secretarty of the Co-op Party, is a
keynote speaker at Co-operative Women’s
Voices in Cardiff on 4 December; the
Worker Co-op Weekend takes place on
11-13 May in Great Hucklow, Derbyshire; Ed
Mayo, secretary general of Co-operatives
UK, at the Co-operative Retail Conference
which next year takes place on 9 March in
Kenilworth, Warwick.
4 December: Co-operative Women’s
Voices Wales
Informal networking session to ask
how Co-operative Women’s Voices
should be run over the next year. With
keynote speakers Karen Wilkie, deputy
general secretary of the Co-op Party;
Allison Soroko, head of engagement and
ownership at Merthyr Valleys Homes..
Organised by the Wales Co-operative
Centre and Co-operative College and
supported by Co-operatives UK and Co-op
News.
WHERE: Tramshed Tech, Pendyris Street
Cardiff CF11 6BH
INFO: info@wales.coop
19 January 2018: Restorative Approaches
to Housing Conference
Wales Restorative Approaches
Partnership (WRAP) event, with host
Julia Houlston Clark. The conference
will look at how to take a whole
organisational approach to restorative
approaches (RA), how you can work with
and train families using RA; and how RA
can help achieve better results, and save
time and money.
WHERE: Cardiff
INFO: jessicao@restorativewales.org.uk
9 March: Co-operative Retail Conference
Annual event for co-operative retailers.
It attracts the leaders, managers and
directors of consumer owned retail
co-operatives from right across the UK.
With keynote presentations from industry
specialists, best practice from retailers
and sessions for delegates to discuss
the co-operative retail environment,
the conference is an offers networking
and learning opportunities during a
challenging and fast-changing time for
the co-operative retail movement.
WHERE: Chesford Grange,
Kenilworth, Warwick
INFO: www.uk.coop
9 March: Regional Co-operative Councils
networking session and presentation
Networking session at the Co-operative
Retail Conference, offering a chance and
learn more about what is happening
in the different regional co-operative
councils. Organised by Co-operatives
East, Co-operatives East Midlands
and Co-operatives West Midlands,
with presentation from Jim Cook at the
Co-operative Foundation on helping
disadvantaged communities overcome
challenges by putting co-operative
values and principles into practice.
WHERE: Chesford Grange,
Kenilworth Warwick
INFO: s.coop/25x8s
18 April: Co-ops East Midlands – Visit to
The Rochdale Pioneers Museum
Coaches from Lincoln, Derby and
Nottingham. To register interest and
receive further details, please respond to
Jenny de Villiers, jdevilliers@btinternet.
com. A fun day out for store colleagues,
members, families and all interested in
the history of the Co-op
WHERE: Rochdale Pioneers Museum
INFO: s.coop/25x8t
11-13 May: Worker Co-op Weekend
The Worker Co-op Weekend, hosted by
Co-operatives UK, has practical sessions
covering a range of topics. Designed
and run by worker co-ops for worker
co-ops, with food sourced from co-ops
like Essential and Suma, with bread from
Infinity, beer from Bartlebys Brewery and
veg from Unicorn Grocery. Vegan-friendly
catering, camping and campfires.
WHERE: Foundry Adventure Centre,
Great Hucklow, Derbyshire
INFO: www.uk.coop/wcw18
50 | DECEMBER 2017

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