REVIEW OF 2018

& the Executive Editor,
Rebecca Harvey
The co-op movement is a strange and wonderful beast,
populated by people doing some quite incredible things.
On 21 December 1844 – nearly 175 years ago – the Rochdale
Pioneers set out to change the status quo by opening the
doors to their co-operative store at 31 Toad Lane; today
that pioneering spirit is still demonstrated in every sector
and on every continent, driven by people doing things to
make a difference.
2018 has been a year of huge change at Co-op News,
as the organisation settles into new leadership and we,
as a team, strive to work more effectively and efficiently
with other co-operative support agencies. But one thing
that hasn’t changed is our commitment to connect,
champion and challenge the co-ops that make up our
movement around the world.
This includes the people behind them, too. So in
this review of 2018, we hand a lot of the pages over the
individuals working at the sharp end of co-operation.
The people working in co-operative education and
lobbying, in retail and politics – and in co-operative
communities that are separated by large distances,
but certainly not by their values or principles.
Over the last 12 months our journalists and analysts
have been giving voice to co-op stories around the world
– enabling mutual learning through the sharing of ideas,
information and best practice. Our networks of experts
have been working together to create content that is
relevant to our readers and members, feeding into a
forum of ideas to help grow the co-operative sector
around the world.
We’ll continue to do this in 2019, while we’ll also be
helping the Co-operative College celebrate its centenary.
The year after, in 2020, Co-operatives UK turns 150 and
then in 2021 it is our own 150th anniversary. That will be
a time of celebration as we look forward to the next 150
years, and the huge potential of co-operatives to pioneer
a new way forward.
Review 2018 5