NOVEMBER 2018

THANK YOU
YOUR VIEWS
In less than a week, over five thousand
people signed a petition, hundreds of
people contacted us, nearly £1,000
was raised, we featured in the national
and local press, bands and pubs
started to organise benefit gigs on our
behalf, a compilation album fundraiser
will be available soon, our film Glass
Roof: 30 Years of Lancaster Musician’s
Co-op likewise.
It’s all been a bit overwhelming. Choked
up to be honest! Just want you to know,
we really appreciate everyone’s support.
Ian, Mick & David
Lancaster Musician’s Co-operative
RE: AS WONGA GOES UP THE
WALL, CAN CREDIT UNIONS SEIZE
THE MOMENT?
A whole page on Wonga and credit uinions
seizing the moment and no mention
of the Irish League of Credit Unions
initiative with the Irish government to do
emergency loans with repayments from
state benefits.
Has Brexit come early for Co-op News?
Is the border already down the
Irish Sea?
Erskine Holmes
Ulster Community Investment Trust
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Co-operative News
THE DUTCH CO-OPS RAISE THE
GOVERNANCE CHALLENGE
In December, co-operators from the UK,
Sweden, Belgium, Denmark, Finland and
the Netherlands will meet in Amsterdam to
explore the vexed subject of co-operative
governance. What is different about
this debate is some brilliant work the
Dutch co-ops umbrella body (NCR) led
by Arjen van Nuland have done on the
relationship between good governance and
member engagement.
Clearly a key issue in any co-operative
business structure is to ensure that
senior managers pursue the interests
of their stakeholders. Leadership and
governance in a co-operative setting is the
act of steering the co-operative towards
economic social and cultural success. The
key question, however, is how can this
best be achieved as an association and
as a business?
British co-operators had a unique
insight into the research that NCR have
pulled together on the vital importance
of the critical relationship between good
governance and member engagement, on
a recent visit I had the privilege of leading
to the Netherlands.
We had an intense and exhilarating
visit that included key insights into the
governance issues from a range of Dutch
co-operatives including the retailer
Co-op Netherlands, wholesaler SuperUni
and multi-stakeholder retailer Primera.
Our group enjoyed visits to a Co-op
Netherlands store and to Primera HQ. NCR
have done some very interesting work
on business efficiency, governance and
member engagement. Research that was
shared with us by Wilbert van dear Bosch
in literally very engaging presentation.
I think that this is vitally important work.
Our approach to governance has been
reactive and legalistic but the voice of
members, not only in the formal structures
but also in the way members have influence
over their co-operative. This matters
because we know business success and
member engagement are closely related.
We have a lot to learn one from the other
in this area as co-operators and I hope
we in the UK will be open enough to use
methods and techniques for improving
member engagement and in the process
better governance of our co-operatives.
It is worth remembering, as Arjen points
out, “the co-operative is not a goal in itself
but a vehicle for the goals of its members.”
Ensuring those goals can be achieved
through the co-operative is the only
guarantee of its future success.
Nick Matthews
Chair, Co-operatives UK
24 | NOVEMBER 2018