OCTOBER 2018

WORKING TOGETHER:
A final update from the Co-operative Heritage Trust
In 2017 the Co-operative Heritage Trust launched
Working Together, a project to find record and
preserve the heritage of the worker co-op movement
of the 1970s-1990s. As the project draws to a close,
archivist Philippa Lewis gives a final update...
SCOPING AND COLLATING MATERIAL
The first stage of the project involved finding out
what material existed – and where it was. Many
items were still held by individuals, often packed
away and forgotten in cupboards or attics.
Working with members of the project steering
committee (who have all been active participants in
the workers’ co-operative movement), we were able
to draw up a list of individuals and co-operatives to
contact. The scoping exercise escalated from this
original list of contacts, with people passing details
of the project to others involved in the worker
co-operative movement.
In total, we contacted over 300 co-operatives or
individuals, many of whom held material relating to
workers’ co-ops that they were keen to deposit with
us at the National Co-operative Archive.
ORAL HISTORIES
Alongside physical items – like banners, bags,
minutes and leaflets – we also spoke with some
of the people involved in worker co-ops during the
1970s, 80s and 90s, which allowed more personal
recollections to be recorded.
In total, staff and volunteers undertook 26
interviews across the UK, with people associated
with, for example, Unicorn, the 8th Day and
Delta-T Devices.
MAKING OUR FINDINGS ACCESSIBLE
From the outset, the aim of the project was not just
to collect material, but to make it accessible to as
large an audience as possible.
Material deposited at the National Co-operative
Archive has now been catalogued, with descriptions
available on the archive catalogue online. This
catalogue will allow researchers to search for
workers’ co-operative collections and choose
material to access in the National Co-operative
Archive reading room in Manchester.
However, it was also recognised that, as a
national project, it was important that material
was also made accessible online, for people who
cannot visit. One way we have done this is to display
workers’ co-operative images on a dedicated Flickr
account, which allows images to be uploaded and
shared, with others able to tag and engage with the
images.
To make the oral histories more accessible, full
transcripts and summaries of the interviews have
been created (many of which were completed by
project volunteers). These have been uploaded
with the recordings to the National Co-operative
Archive website.
A travelling exhibition has also been developed
to showcase some of the findings of the project.
This has been displayed at various venues including
Manchester Central Library and Warwick Modern
Records Centre, and is now at the Rochdale
Pioneers Museum.
INTO THE FUTURE
Although the project itself is coming to an end, the
material and lessons learned from it will live on in
the wider collections of the National Co-operative
Archive. Another long-term aim of the project
is to ensure that workers’ co-operative material
continues to be deposited at the archive.
This will ensure that the heritage of this key part
of the co-operative movement will be preserved
and made accessible to current and future
researchers alike.
The Working Together
exhibition is available for
display at co-operative
events and venues in
the future. If you would
like to know more about
the project, hosting the
exhibition or have some
material you would like
to donate please visit
the National Co-operative
Archive website, contact
us or tweet us.
archive@co-op.ac.uk
@cooparchive
OCTOBER 2018 | 25