MARCH 2019

MARCH 2019 

SO, WHAT 

HAPPENS NEXT? 

Co-operating for 

a better Brexit 

Plus ... A new generation 

of pioneers ... Meet Heart 

of England’s Ali Kurji ... 

and whatever happened to 

the International Summit? 

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9 770009 982010 

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£4.20 

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9 770009 982010 

www.thenews.c 

news Issue #7290 DECEMBER 2017 

Connecting, championing, cha lenging 

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 

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news Issue #7289 NOVEMBER 2017 


NOVEMBER 2017 

news 

IMPACT 

How much do 

co-ops give back 

to communities? 

Plus ... Helping 

tea farmers to unite 

... Jeremy Corbyn on 

co-ops ... Get set 

for Christmas 

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Issue #7299 SEPTEMBER 2018 Connecting, championing, cha lenging 

VA 

Are co 

losing gr 

businesses 

Plus ... Meet Tamwo 

Co-op’s Julian Coles ... 

Updates from OPEN 2018 

... Social Business Wales 

Conference: a preview 

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news 

Issue #7291 

JANUARY 2018 

news 

LEADERSHIP 

Finding the route 

to collective 

ecision-making 

.. Helping 

ead to 2018 

r gender 

ousing 

ans 

20 

news Issue #7293 MARCH 2018 


£4.20 

MARCH 2018 

CREDIT 

UNIONS 

Are credit unions 

ready to embrace 

new technology? 


Updates from the 6th Ways 

Forward conference ... 

Financial inclusion... The 

Fairtrade Shopper Report ... 

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sed Member Pioneers ... 

International credit union 

updates . 

news Issue #7294 APRIL 2018 


APRIL 2018 

EDUCATION 

Co-op learning: 

Principle 5 

in action 

Plus ... 150 years 

of East of England ... 

and updates from the 

Co-op Retail and Abcul 

conferences 

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so 

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Issue #7292 

OF WORK 

The challenges 

facing workers 

and co-ops 

news 

FEBRUARY 2018 

FUTURE 

news Issue #7298 AUGUST 2018 


AUGUST 2018 

GOING FOR 

GROWTH 

How to help the 

movement thrive 

Plus ... 150 years of 

Radstock ... Using spoken 

word to tell the co-op 

story ... Lessons from US 

worker co-ops 

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news Issue #7296 JUNE 2018 


JUNE 2018 

SUSTAINABILITY 

How co-ops are 

working towards 

the Sustainable 

Development Goals 

Plus ... Q&A with 

fiction writer Cadwell 

Turnbull ... and looking 

ahead to Congress and 

Co-operatives Fortnight 

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MAY 2018 Connecting, championing, cha lenging 

Plus ... He 

Meet new g 

chief ... 

Fairtr 

com 

BRUARY 2018 Connecting, champio

news 

Co-operating 

for a better Brexit? 

CONNECTING, CHAMPIONING AND 

CHALLENGING THE GLOBAL CO-OP 

MOVEMENT SINCE 1871 

Holyoake House, Hanover Street, 

Manchester M60 0AS 

(00) 44 161 214 0870 


editorial@thenews.coop 

EXECUTIVE EDITOR 

Rebecca Harvey 

rebecca@thenews.coop 

INTERNATIONAL EDITOR 

Anca Voinea | anca@thenews.coop 

DIGITAL EDITOR 

Miles Hadfield | miles@thenews.coop 

DESIGN: 

Keir Mucklestone-Barnett 

DIRECTORS 

Elaine Dean (chair), David Paterson 

(vice-chair), Sofygil Crew, Gavin 

Ewing, Tim Hartley, Beverley Perkins, 

Barbara Rainford and Ray Henderson. 

Secretary: Richard Bickle 

Established in 1871, Co-operative 

News is published by Co-operative 

Press Ltd, a registered society under 

the Co-operative and Community 

Benefit Society Act 2014. It is printed 

every month by Buxton Press, Palace 

Road, Buxton, Derbyshire SK17 6AE. 

Membership of Co-operative Press is 

open to individual readers as well as 

to other co-operatives, corporate bodies 

and unincorporated organisations. 

The Co-operative News mission statement 

is to connect, champion and challenge 

the global co-operative movement, 

through fair and objective journalism 

and open and honest comment and 

debate. Co-op News is, on occasion, 

supported by co-operatives, but 

final editorial control remains with 

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and views set out in opinion articles 

and letters do not necessarily reflect 

the opinion of Co-operative News. 

@coopnews 

cooperativenews 

As the UK prepares to leave the EU on 29 March, how are co-ops planning for 

the unknown? 

It’s difficult to prepare for something when you don’t know what is going to 

happen. That seems to be the most common narrative emerging around the 

UK’s exit of the European Union, whichever side of the vote you are on. Until 

29 March, Brexit preparations, mitigations and contingency plans are based 

on educated guesses – but they are still guesses nonetheless. 

To help organisations navigate these uncertainties from a co-op point of 

view, Ed Mayo, secretary general of Co-operatives UK, examines how coops 

can identify risks ahead of Brexit and secure their business (p38). And 

Todor Ivanov from Euro Coop reassures the movement that his organisation, 

which represents consumer co-operatives in Europe, will continue to engage 

with their UK counterparts in line with Principle 6 – co-operation amongst 

co-operatives (p41). 

Since the Irish backstop is the main obstacle to reaching a withdrawal 

agreement with the EU, we also hear from Alison Graham, European 

affairs executive at the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society, and 

Tiziana O’Hara, from Co-operative Alternatives in Northern Ireland, 

to learn how co-ops there might be affected by a no-deal withdrawal and what 

the sector could do to mitigate the impact of Brexit (p42-43). 

And with the Fairtrade Fortnight starting on 25 February, we speak to the 

Fairtrade Foundation to find out how producers in developing countries could 

be affected. This year’s Fortnight theme is around securing a living wage for 

cocoa farmers (p44-45). 

It’s also worth remembering that in the 1970s there was great uncertainty 

around joining the Common Market in the first place (p34-37). 

Ultimately, co-ops are resilient, people-based organisations – and whatever 

shape Brexit ends up taking, together there is an opportunity for co-operative 

communities to work together for a better future. 

ANCA VOINEA - INTERNATIONAL 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. 

MARCH 2019 | 3

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THIS ISSUE 

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT 

Sophie McCulloch looks at the history of 

learning at the Co-operative College (p25); 

Co-operation around the world (p27); Tiziana 

O’Hara on the possible effects of a hard border 

in Northern Ireland (p43); Co-operatives UK on 

how to be Brexit-ready (p38); and why was the 

co-op movement largely against joining the EU 

in the 1970s? (p34-37) 

news Issue #7305 MARCH 2019 

Connecting, championing, challenging 

MARCH 2019 

SO, WHAT 

HAPPENS NEXT? 

Co-operating for 

a better Brexit 

Plus ... A new generation 

of pioneers ... Meet Heart 

of England’s Ali Kurji ... 

and whatever happened to 

the International Summit? 

£4.20 


COVER IMAGE: A new 

generation of pioneers 

as the Co-op Group looks 

to recruit 43 Member 

Pioneer Co-ordinators 

Read more: p13 

22-23 MEET... ALI KURJI 

We speak to the chief executive of the 

Heart of England Co-operative Society 

25 CO-OP COLLEGE CENTENARY 

Sophie McCulloch, of the National Co-op 

Archive, on life as a co-op learner 

26 ENERGY EFFICENCY 

Phil Beardmore looks at the challenges 

of bringing old buildings up to standard 

27 AROUNDTHEWORLD.COOP 

A journey begins to discover co-operative 

stories in a dozen countries 

28-29 SAOS CONFERENCE 2019 

Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society 

calls for collaboration and innovation 

30-31 FUTURE CO-OP CONFERENCE 

How can we make co-op deserts bloom? 

32-33 CREDIT UNIONS 

Channel 5 has produced a documentary 

about Community First Credit Union – 

plus CCU’s Andrew Davey on why credit 

unions embody the co-op ethos 

34-45 BREXIT 

34-37 CO-OP MOVEMENT DIVIDED 

We look back to the Common Market 

debate of the early 1970s 

38 ED MAYO 

The secretary general of Co-operatives UK 

looks at preparations across the sector 

39-40 VIEW FROM THE EU 

We ask Umberto Di Pasquo, policy 

advisor at Copa-Cogeca, how Brexit will 

affect European agri-food co-ops, and 

look at lobbying efforts by the sector 

41 EURO COOP 

Why British retail co-ops will stay part 

of Euro Coop after Brexit 

42-43 IRELAND 

Alison Graham, of the Irish Co-operative 

Organisation Society, and Tiziana O’Hara, 

of Co-operative Alternatives, look at the 

implications for co-ops, north and south 

44-45 FAIRTRADE 

Will Brexit hurt the Fairtrade ecosystem? 

46-47 WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SUMMIT? 

The international Summit of Co-ops was a 

biennial fixture in the co-op calendar – why 

is it no more? 

REGULARS 

5-14 UK updates 

15-21 Global updates 

24 Letters 

48-49 Books 

4 | MARCH 2019

NEWS 

POLITICS 

Four Co-op Party MPs join the Brexit walkout from the Labour Party 

p Luciana Berger speaks at a press conference after the first seven MPs left the Labour Party 

A group of eight MPs, including four 

Labour/Co-op members, have quit the 

Labour Party, citing disagreements over 

Brexit and Jeremy Corbyn’s handling of 

the antisemitism row. 

The Co-operative Party-sponsored Mike 

Gapes, Luciana Berger, Gavin Shuker and 

Chris Leslie join Chuka Umunna, Ann 

Coffey, Angela Smith and Joan Ryan in 

breaking away from Monday to sit as the 

Independent Group. 

They were followed by three anti-Brexit 

Tories, Anna Soubry, Sarah Wollaston and 

Heidi Allen. They will sit as independents 

rather than forming a new party. 

Mr Gapes, MP for Ilford South, accused 

Mr Corbyn of facilitating Brexit, and said 

there was a problem with antisemitism in 

the Labour Party. 

He added: “Jeremy Corbyn and those 

around him are on the wrong side in so 

many international issues, from Russia, to 

Syria to Venezuela.” 

Mr Shuker, MP for Luton South, said: 

“We back well-regulated business but in 

return we expect them to provide decent, 

secure and well-paid jobs. 

“These are values that once would 

have been considered mainstream in our 

parties of government… The Labour Party 

has turned its back on the British public, 

their hopes and ambitions.” 

Mr Leslie, MP for Nottingham East, hit 

out at a “hard left” takeover of Labour 

and said it would be irresponsible 

to allow Jeremy Corbyn to become 

prime minister. And Ms Berger, MP for 

Liverpool Wavertree, said Labour was 

“institutionally antisemitic” and that its 

leadership had failed to address “a culture 

of bullying, bigotry and intimidation”. 

In response, Mr Corbyn said: “I am 

disappointed that these MPs have felt 

unable to continue to work together for 

the Labour policies that inspired millions 

at the last election and saw us increase 

our vote by the largest share since 1945. 

“The Conservative government is 

bungling Brexit, while Labour has set 

out a unifying and credible alternative 

plan. When millions are facing the 

misery of universal credit, rising crime, 

homelessness and poverty, now more than 

ever is the time to bring people together to 

build a better future for us all.” 

Many of the remaining Labour/Co-op 

MPs have taken to social media to voice 

their dismay, including Co-op Party chair 

Gareth Thomas, who tweeted: “Very sad to 

see good MPs leaving both UK Labour and 

the Co-op Party. Whilst I share frustration 

over the scale of antisemitism that still 

needs tackling, in the end we’ll only get 

the fairer, better country I want through 

a strong effective UK Labour – I’ll keep 

pushing for both.” 

In an outspoken string of tweets, Lloyd 

Russell-Moyle called on the seven to 

resign their seats and fight byelections, 

and warned the breakaway group risked 

handing power to hard Brexit Tories by 

“splitting the left/liberal vote”. 

But Stella Creasy tweeted: “Politics is 

about how you fight for a better future and 

values that keep you going through storms 

and sunshine, not who you hate and the 

badges that you wear. As someone Labour 

to my core who never ducks a fight I know 

today Labour has to learn from what’s 

happened, and not lash out.” 

A spokesperson for the Co-op Party 

said: “We regret that four Co-operative 

MPs have announced that they have 

resigned from the Labour Party. 

“This means that they are no longer 

eligible to sit as Labour & Co-operative 

MPs. We thank them sincerely for their 

support for the Co-operative Party and the 

co-operative movement over the years.” 

Meanwhile, Peter Hunt, managing 

partner at co-op consultancy Mutuo 

and general secretary of the Co-op Party 

from 1998 to 2008, has given up his 

membership of Labour. 

In a letter to the Guardian, he hit out 

at Mr Corbyn’s stance on Brexit and 

the Labour Party’s move to the left – in 

particular the return to the party of Derek 

Hatton, the former deputy leader of 

Liverpool City Council who was expelled 

from the party in 1986 for his membership 

of the Trotskyist entryist group, Militant. 

“I joined Labour in 1983 and had to 

spend much of the 1980s fighting hardleft 

infiltrators,” wrote Mr Hunt. “It was 

brutal, but eventually we became sane 

and electable. I had the privilege, as 

Co-operative Party general secretary, 

of working with great people in Labour 

governments, trying to make things better 

and improve our country. I was lucky, to 

see close up what good a moderate social 

democratic Labour party could achieve. 

“Corbyn does not represent my politics 

and Labour is now a hostile environment 

for people like me. I can’t be a member 

if I cannot bring myself to vote for his 

hard-left brand of politics. He is selling 

our country down the river on Brexit, is a 

threat to national security, and his cult of 

fans are increasingly nasty and shrill. 

“On Monday, seven good MPs left. 

I respect them as well as those who have 

decided to stay and fight. But Derek 

Hatton is back in. So I’m out.” 

Mr Hatton has since been re-suspended 

over an alleged antisemitic tweet. 


RETAIL 

Green policies help Midcounties to a membership milestone 

Midcounties Co-op has signed up its 

700,000th member, who says he was 

attracted by its environmental credentials 

and community engagement. 

Tom Waggett, from Somerset, joined the 

society through Co-op Energy, its UK-wide 

utilities business. 

He said: “We were really drawn to 

Co-op Energy’s environmental policies 

and commitment to green energy, 

and more widely the charity work the 

society does. 

“I look forward to being part of these 

initiatives and making a real difference 

within local communities in the future.” 

The society has seen a 22% increase 

in its membership base over a period 

of three years. Group chief executive 

Phil Ponsonby said: “Every new 

member grows our ability to support 

our local community and champion 

the issues that we know are important 

to them. 

“Our members – and the values they 

join us for – are part of our DNA. It’s what 

makes us different to other businesses 

they could choose to shop with or buy 

p Lee Franklin (member benefits manager, Midcounties), with Tom Waggett, Louise Waggett, Kate 

Webley and Amy Collins (assistant manager, Gillingham Co-op Travel) 

from. They are front-of-mind in everything 

we do – whether it’s how we source 

the food in our stores, do our part to 

tackle global environmental challenges 

or support local community causes.” 

More than 333,000 customers have 

now chosen Co-op Energy over other 

market suppliers. 

To mark the milestone – and the 

society’s commitment to local sourcing 

and efficient energy use – Mr Waggett 

was presented with a luxury gift hamper, 

containing a selection of local produce 

from Midcounties’ Best of Our Counties 

range and, an energy-saving pack. 

Mr Waggett added: “It’s a lovely gesture 

and emphasises one of the reasons we 

chose Midcounties – going the extra mile 

for their customers.” 

The society won Leading Co-op of the 

Year 2018 at awards organised by Cooperatives 

UK and recently gained a 5-star 

rating in Business in the Community’s 

Corporate Responsibility Index. 

RETAIL 

Co-op band plays on 

after Scotmid comes 

up with the brass 

Scotmid Co-operative has awarded 

funding to the North Lanarkshire-based 

co-operation band – previously known as 

the Co-operative Funeralcare Band. 

Twice crowned Champion Band of 

Great Britain, and 33 times winner of the 

Scottish Championships, the band lost its 

funding from the Co-op Group last April. 

Scotmid’s decision means the band, 

which celebrated its centenary last year, 

can continue playing – and competing. 

CEO John Brodie said: “Scotmid are 

pleased to be able to support the cooperation 

band – we understand and 

acknowledge the valued role they play in 

their local communities and beyond.” 

The band’s business development 

manager Steven Craig said: “The 

commitment from Scotmid will allow the 

band to prosper and grow over the next 

few years. New and exciting projects are 

being discussed and everyone at the band 

looks forward to working with Scotmid for 

the mutual benefit of both organisations.” 

Band secretary Keith Johnston said: 

“We are absolutely delighted to go into 

p North regional committee member Angus Maclean cuts the ribbon at the Drumnadrochit store 

the second century of our band history 

in partnership with Scotmid. This 

new relationship maintains the spirit 

of the band born out of the co-operative 

movement of which we are proud.” 

Meanwhile, Scotmid has officially 

opened a new state-of-the-art store in 

Drumnadrochit, by Loch Ness. 

The store, part of a five-unit complex, 

previously operated from a smaller site 

nearby Balmacaan employing 13 people. 

With the expansion, the store increased 

its workforce to 27. 

The building was designed with 

a spacious layout and energy-efficient 

refrigeration to reduce environmental 

impact. This is controlled by a central 

plant and run on a natural refrigerant 

(CO2) rather than polluting HFCs. 

Maurissa Fergusson, Scotmid’s head 

of property and development, said: “We 

are thrilled to be able to open the doors 

to our new Drumnadrochit store, which 

represents the future of Scotmid. 

“Our aim is for this store to be right at 

the heart of Drumnadrochit – serving 

a key role in the lives of local people.” 


HOUSING 

Swansea Council makes pledge for tenant power 

Swansea City Council has approved a 

policy to promote co-operative housing. 

Under the Co-operative Housing 

Policy, agreed at a local authority 

cabinet meeting, future plans for 

affordable rental or low-cost ownership 

schemes must consider granting tenants 

a bigger role in the management of 

the sites, including through forming 

a co-operative. 

Andrea Lewis, cabinet member for 

homes and energy on the council, 

said: “Co-operative housing is about 

communities having democratic control 

over decisions about their homes and 

their neighbourhood.” 

She added: “It gives communities the 

opportunity to come together, making 

them stronger and achieving more for the 

benefit of their community. 

“The new policy allows groups of people 

to set up their own co-operatives but also 

gives the council or a housing association 

the opportunity to recruit residents to form 

a group. It also highlights how the council 

can support these groups and housing 

associations where they are created.” 

In 2016, the Welsh government 

committed to building 20,000 homes, 

working with Community Housing 

Cymru and the Welsh Local Government 

Association. The government also pledged 

funding for housing schemes managed by 

a co-operative. 

The policy was developed by the 

council in collaboration with the Wales 

Co-operative Centre and the Confederation 

of Co-operative Housing (CCH). 

Nic Bliss, head of policy at CCH, said: 

“It is fantastic that Swansea City Council 

is playing a leading role supporting 

co-operative housing in Wales. We 

have worked with their officers on the 

development of the strategy and we know 

how keen they are to develop good quality 

affordable homes through community-led 

means. We look forward to seeing how the 

strategy develops in the future.” 

EQUALITY 

Disabled workers’ 

co-op finds historic 

home for new cafe 

Bishopwearmouth Co-operative, an 

award-winning plant nursery in 

Sunderland, has bought a Victorian 

lodge house, which it will convert into 

traditional tea rooms. 

The co-op, 60% of whose workers have 

disabilities, completed the purchase with 

a loan from Co-operative & Community 

Finance. 

It has been running a garden centre 

near the city centre since April 2017, and 

also provides landscaping and floristry 

services. It won the Social Enterprise 

Award at the Sunderland Echo Portfolio 

2018 Business Awards. 

Bishopwearmouth offers workbased 

placements and volunteering 

opportunities to adults with learning 

disabilities, physical disabilities and 

enduring mental health needs. There are 

currently 16 employees with disabilities 

and 10 additional staff. 

The lodge house is next to the garden 

centre, allowing the co-op to start a new 

income stream by serving local residents, 

and visitors to the garden centre and 

nearby crematorium. 

“There is a lot of work to be done,” said 

managing director Shaun Donnelly. “New 

flooring, new wiring, new kitchen, new 

toilets and making the whole premises 

accessible. There is a lovely walled garden 

that needs landscaping. With luck, the tea 

room should be open in June. 

“We want everyone to feel that they 

have ownership of the venture and have 

a say in what happens. We want to have 

a good cross section of the staff on the 

board. We also want it to be a lasting asset 

to the community.” 

Ian Rothwell, investment manager at 

Co-operative & Community Finance, said: 

“When I visited Bishopwearmouth, I was 

struck by how passionate everyone was 

about their work and also about being 

part of a co-op. It is a great example of 

the positive effect of giving workers of all 

abilities an equal say.” 


CO-OP FORTNIGHT 

Co-operators, get ready for your close-up 

A campaign film is being put together for 

Co-op Fortnight, celebrating the diverse 

range of activity in the UK movement. 

Organiser Co-operatives UK has put out 

a call for video clips from the movement, 

as part of the two-week drive to inspire 

members, customers, suppliers, friends 

and communities to work together to 

promote co-ops. 

After the success of last year’s video, 

which had more than 100,000 views 

online, Co-operatives UK has once again 

teamed up with Blake House Filmmakers 

Co-operative, who will edit submissions 

and create the film. 

The sector body is also inviting co-ops 

to carry out an act of co-operation, post it 

on social media using the #CoopFortnight 

hashtag and nominate or tag another coop 

to do the same. Activities can range 

from community clean-ups to collecting 

food bank donations or teaching the 

public about co-operation. 

Wendy Carter, head of communications 

and marketing at Co-operatives UK, said: 

p The Ceramics Studio Co-op was among those featured in last year’s video 

“We’re delighted to be working with 

Blake House Filmmakers Co-operative 

again on the campaign film for Co-op 

Fortnight. We love their idea of cocreating 

the video with contributions from 

the diverse co-op movement, celebrating 

the values that bind us. 

“You don’t need expensive equipment, 

as footage can be filmed on a mobile 

phone following the advice provided by 

Blake House. We can’t wait to see your 

footage and to make this film together.” 

u More information, including filming 

instructions, are available at uk.coop/ 

fortnight. The deadline for submissions is 

29 March. This year, Co-op Fortnight runs 

from 24 June – 7 July. 


COMMUNITY SHARES 

£1m funding in the pipeline to help community projects take off 

p A skater in flight at Projekts MCR, a community space under the Mancunian Way 

Community projects in England will 

share a £1m windfall thanks to a matchfunding 

initiative from Big Lottery-backed 

independent trust Power to Change. 

The Community Shares Booster, 

delivered by apex body Co-operatives 

UK, has seen 17 groups receive over £1m 

in equity investment since December 

2017. It invests equity of up to £100,000 

to match community shares investments 

into societies that can demonstrate higher 

than average levels of community impact, 

innovation and engagement. 

The latest scheme to benefit is Projekts 

MCR skate park, which occupies a 

previously disused space under the flyover 

section of Manchester’s inner ringroad. It 

forms a vital community hub, providing 

a safe place for people young and old 

to build their confidence, make friends 

and be active. They run female-only 

classes, adults’ classes and reach over 

3,000 children a year through skateboard 

coaching classes. 

John Haines from Projekts MCR said: 

“Over the last five years skate park 

attendance has shot up and so we 

recognised a need to expand, launching 

our first ever community share offer with 

an initial target of £50,000 to add more 

skate space, energy-saving LED floodlights 

and expand our spectator space. 

“In the end we raised £132,000, 

including match investment of £67,194 

from the booster programme, smashing 

our target. As well as the funding, through 

the share offer we’ve built a group 

of committed supporters who really 

care about the skate park and our work, 

because they have a stake in it. We cannot 

thank them enough.” 

Community shares are a popular 

approach to raising finance, with local 

people investing often small sums of 

money to become co-owners of vital 

local enterprises – from pools to pubs, 

community housing to heritage buildings. 

The booster programme has helped 

communities across the country to own, 

develop and save much-loved spaces and 

buildings including Nenthead Chapel 

in Cumbria, Stretford Public Hall in 

Manchester, Sutton Community Farm in 

London and Jubilee Pool in Penzance. 

Ed Mayo, secretary general of 

Co-operatives UK, said: “Investing over 

£1m via the booster programme is an 

important milestone, and it shows that, 

with the right support, communities relish 

the opportunity to look after the places 

that are important to them. 

“Community share offers can only be 

run by co-operatives or community benefit 

societies, as through their investment they 

become members who own the asset and 

have a say in decision making. We are 

seeing a rise in this type of organisation 

being formed as more and more people 

take control of community life.” 

Sara Buchanan, joint head of open 

programmes at Power to Change, said: 

“We believe community businesses can 

change lives and transform places for the 

better. This incredible milestone in the 

booster programme demonstrates how 

powerful community shares can be and 

we’re delighted to be able to support so 

many of them in this way.” 


CREDIT UNIONS 

Resilience and 

regulation: Abcul takes 

on the challenges of 

the digital age 

Going digital, increasing cyber security 

and measuring social impact are on the 

agenda as the UK credit union sector 

gathers for its annual conference. 

The Association of British Credit Unions 

(Abcul) conference, held in Manchester 

on 8-9 March, will feature a range 

of plenaries, workshops and speakers 

–including Caroline Siarkiewicz, from 

Single Financial Guidance Body. This is 

a new organisation bringing together the 

three existing providers of governmentsponsored 

financial guidance. 

Plenaries include a look at regulatory 

updates from Shoib Khan of the Prudential 

Regulation Authority, Lucy Castledine of 

the Financial Conduct Authority and Matt 

Bland from Abcul. 

This is followed by a choice of workshops 

– looking at the FCA’s view on operational 

resilience, going digital, digital marketing, 

tackling bad practices in the insolvency 

industry and ways to boost lending. 

In a second plenary, Abcul CEO Robert 

Kelly joins Paul Walsh from Cuna Mutual 

and sector advocate Brandi Stankovic to 

discuss the future of the movement. 

Day two – which includes Abcul’s 

AGM – features a keynote speech from 

John Glen, economic secretary to the 

Treasury, plus workshops on regulation, 

fraud prevention, resilience and risk 

management, employer engagement, 

mergers, cyber security, vulnerable 

consumers, measuring social impact and 

strategic business planning. 

There are two plenaries – the first 

looking at financial inclusion with Karen 

Rowlingson of Birmingham University, 

Martin King of Lloyds Banking Group 

and Pearl Wicks from Hope Community 

Development Credit Union, Mississippi. 

The second looks at fintech and digital, 

with Sheenagh Young from South 

Manchester Credit Union, Andrew Duncan 

from CU Soar, and Anna Laycock from 

Financial Innovation Lab. 

The conference also sees Abcul launch 

its Young Professionals Network, created 

p Abcul’s 2019 conference will take place at Manchester’s Midland Hotel on 8-9 March 

to provide a “robust and dynamic 

environment for young credit union 

professionals to connect, learn and live 

out co-operative values to enable them 

to develop into credit union leaders, 

and retain their talent within the 

British movement”. 

Debbie Smith-Hands, from Pennine 

Community Credit Union and The North 

West Youth Forum – another new Abcul 

initiative to engage the next generation 

– said: “The network will bring training 

and development opportunities for 

young people working in the sector and 

a platform for our future credit union 

leaders to connect with like-minded 

people. These networks are vital in order 

to retain young talent in our sector and 

I would urge all credit unions with staff 

members that fit the criteria to encourage 

them to get involved.” 

Abcul’s head of member services, 

Rosanna Donovan, said: “I am particularly 

excited to see the positive developments 

in engaging younger staff through the 

forums and am delighted a number of 

them will be joining us in Manchester.” 

The conference ends with the CU 

Futures 2017 Graduation and 2019 awards 

presentation, followed by dinner. 

u Find the full conference programme at 

s.coop/22bes 

u More on credit unions: p32-33 


Scotmid rolls up its sleeves for a national spring clean 

RESEARCH 

Academics look for 

ways to unlock the 

co-op alternative 

Researchers, academics and practitioners 

meet at Angel Square in Manchester next 

month to explore the potential of co-ops. 

The Unlocking Co-ops: Revealing the 

Hidden Potential conference, on 4 April, is 

organised by the Co-operative College and 

the UK Society for Co-operative Studies 

(UKSCS). Those attending will be able 

to share their research and discuss the 

strengths of co-op and social solidarity 

alternatives, and the barriers they face. 

They are also invited to pitch ideas for 

projects and look at how a Co-operative 

University might take shape. 

Ian Adderley, chair of the UKSCS, 

said: “Sharing ideas, discussing research 

needs, exploring barriers to co-operative 

alternatives, this event is ideal for current 

and future researches, as well as those 

with an interest in this area.” 

College vice-principal Cilla Ross said: 

“Research has never been more important 

to the co-operative and social solidarity 

movement as we look at how values-based 

alternative models of social and economic 

organisation are gaining ground in 

people’s imaginations. 

“From the scourge of zero-hour 

employment to the collapse of social 

care, research suggests co-ops can offer 

alternatives to the way we run our world. 

However, it’s vital that we explore such 

ideas critically and gather the evidence.” 

Dr Ross also sits on the Centenary 

Commission for Adult Education, which 

held its first meeting in Oxford in January. 

The commission is assessing the role of 

adult education in 21st century Britain. 

u More information at the Co-operative 

College website, www.co-op.ac.uk 

u Adult education commission meets, p13 

Scotmid Co-operative is supporting 

this year’s spring clean campaign from 

Keep Scotland Beautiful, which runs in 

April and May. The annual event, which 

draws tens of thousands of volunteers, 

was launched at Scotmid’s Tannochside 

store, with local environmental groups 

including Uddingston Pride, Brighter 

Bothwell and Bonnie Blantyre. For more 

info contact membership@scotmid.co.uk 

Midcounties makes its 100,000th food bank donation 

Food bank donations from Midcounties 

Co-operative last year helped to feed 

2,500 families living in poverty in the UK 

for three days. During the year, the society 

donated 30% more items to food banks 

than in the previous year, with a recordbreaking 

100,000 items sent to food 

banks. It boosted its efforts with the help 

of local food banks as well as schools. 

Southern lets the sunshine in to cut carbon footprint 

Southern Co-op is installing solar panels 

on four of its buildings to reduce its carbon 

footprint and protect it from energy price 

hikes. The panels will be fitted on stores in 

White Dirt Lane, Clanfield; Eastney Road, 

Portsmouth; Hambledon Road, Denmead; 

and its crematorium in East Devon, saving 

a projected 17 tonnes of CO2 a year. More 

stores could be fitted with solar in 2020. 

London Plus hails first decade with new innovations 

London Plus Credit Union celebrated its 

10 year anniversary at its recent AGM. It 

said its 6,000 members have taken £9m in 

loans over the last 10 years, and built up 

savings of more than £2m. It has also been 

upgrading its services to keep up with the 

market, launching a debit card and a phone 

app for members to manage their accounts. 

Home sweet home: Crowdfunding success for wood co-op 

Bristol Wood Recycling Project has raised the 

£430,000 it needs to buy its new premises 

in just a fortnight, via Triodos Bank’s 

crowdfunding platform. It works with 

40 volunteers – many from marginalised 

groups – to collect, repurpose and sell wood 

that would otherwise go to waste, saving 

500 tonnes from landfill every year. 


HOUSING 

New report calls for more co-op housing in Scotland 

More housing co-ops are needed in 

Scotland, according to a new report 

launched on 26 February at Holyrood. 

The study argues that housing cooperatives 

help to build stronger and 

safer communities, offer affordable rents 

and empower tenants – an it calls on the 

Scottish government to encourage more 

housing co-ops across the nation. 

While 150,000 people are on council 

house waiting lists, Scotland has just 11 

registered housing co-ops, compared with 

685 across the UK. 

The report is launched by Co-operatives 

UK for the Cross Party Group on Cooperatives 

in the Scottish Parliament. 

It features case studies of housing 

co-ops making a difference in 

Scottish communities including 

West Whitlawburn, Ploughshare and 

Edinburgh Student Housing Co-op. 

The authors recommend an eight-point 

plan to help deliver more housing co-ops 

in Scotland. They call on the government 

to fund a three-year pilot programme to 

aid the development of more housing coops 

in the social and private rental sectors, 

consult Scotland’s social tenants and 

lower the costs and increasing the scale 

of community-led housing projects. The 

report suggests working with the sector to 

create a Co-operative Foundation to help 

finance larger community-led projects. 

According to the report, current housing 

co-ops can also benefit from support from 

the government, particularly in terms of 

undertaking urgent safety improvements 

post-Grenfell. 

Another recommendation is to grant a 

“carefully targeted” relief from Land and 

Buildings Transaction Tax on additional 

property purchases made by fully mutual 

housing co-ops in order to help nonregistered 

housing co-ops expand. 

Nathan Bower-Bir, member of the 

Edinburgh Student Housing Co-op said: 

“Most student housing is either run down 

or outrageously expensive – or both. It is 

now a lucrative ‘investment opportunity’ 

– but students deserve homes over which 

they have control and that are integrated 

into wider society.” 

Paul Farrell, chief executive of West 

Whitlawburn Housing Co-op, added: “All 

the statistics show the day-to-day lives of 

tenants have improved under the co-op. 

Before we took over, there was no demand 

for homes and a high turnover of tenants. 

Within five years, we turned that around 

to increase demand and reduce turnover. 

That is still the case 25 years later.” 

Anne Anderson, has lived at West 

Whitlawburn for 40 years. She now chairs 

the WWHC Management Committee. She 

said: “As a co-op, it is definitely better - it’s 

a much better environment, a better place 

to live. It’s more of a community now.” 

Referring to the launch of the report 

James Kelly MSP, convener of the CPG on 

Co-ops, said: “We hope colleagues across 

the Scottish Parliament and beyond with 

an interest in co-operation, housing and 

social justice will read this report and 

support our recommendations for more 

co-operative housing in Scotland.” 

Opposite: West Whitlawburn 

Housing Co-op chair, Anne 

Anderson, with Paul Farrell 

(CEO) and Andy Duffin 

(secretary); and with Susan 

Anderson (left, vice-chair) 

outside the WWHC flats. 

Left and below: Nathan Bower- 

Bir at the Edinburgh Student 

Housing Co-op (ESHC); and 

with other members outside the 

building on Bruntfield Links 


CO-OP GROUP 

Co-operating for closer communities 

p Co-op Group member pioneers at St Hilda’s Community Centre in Tower Hamlets, London 

The Co-op Group is looking for people 

from across the co-operative movement 

to help guide, support and inspire its 

member pioneers. 

The Group currently has more than 300 

member pioneers, who work within their 

local communities to create networks 

of support and activity. Through these 

networks, pioneers link up members, food 

stores, funeral homes, local causes and 

other co-ops to help communities thrive. 

To help them with this work, the Group 

is now recruiting 43 member pioneer 

co-ordinators to take on a part-time, paid 

role to each lead a group of 10-15 pioneers. 

“We’ve found that our member pioneers 

really benefit from having someone to 

support them, and this makes the biggest 

impact in helping Co-op fulfil its ambition 

of creating stronger communities,” said 

Russell Gill, head of co-operative and 

local engagement at the Group. 

Mr Gill believes the co-ordinators 

will have a vital role in encouraging the 

pioneers’ work as they get to know local 

people, listen to their needs and take action 

on these needs to improve community 

wellbeing. “We’re looking for people who 

have the passion to bring communities 

together effectively, believe in the power of 

co-operation, and who hold the wellbeing 

of their community at the forefront of their 

mind, to truly make a difference in their 

community,” he added. 

The co-ordinators will also work to 

support the local causes chosen by 

Co-op members to receive funding from 

the Group’s membership scheme. Last 

year the retailer invested £19m in more 

than 4,000 groups, including village 

halls, community spaces, skills initiatives 

and neighbourhood watch schemes. 

The co-ordinators will be home-based, 

working 18 hours a week at £12 an hour. 

The Group is interested in hearing from 

those who are actively involved in the 

co-op sector and want to continue making 

a difference in their communities. 

u Visit s.coop/22bej to find out more and 

apply. Applications are open until 4 March. 


ECONOMY 

Mayor Burnham’s commission starts its work to build a co-op Manchester 

The Greater Manchester Co-operative 

Commission, commissioned by regional 

mayor Andy Burnham to help create “the 

most co-operative place in the UK”, held 

its first meeting last week. 

The commission, set up in partnership 

with the Co-operative Party, will work 

with the region’s co-ops and other experts 

to look at ways to improve education, 

reduce inequality, create high-quality jobs 

and provide key services. 

The meeting included representatives 

from across the movement, including 

Simon Parkinson from the Co-operative 

College, Cliff Mills from Anthony 

Collins solicitors, James Wright from 

Co-operatives UK and Jo Platt MP from the 

Co-operative Party. 

p Labour/Co-op Mayor Andy Burnham 

Ms Platt, whose Leigh constituency is 

within the devolved regional authority, 

said Greater Manchester already has a 

thriving co-operative sector. 160,000 

people in Greater Manchester are 

members of a co-operative, collectively 

providing a turnover to the local economy 

of over £73m. 

Writing for local government news 

website the Municipal Journal, Ms Platt 

said the commission would look at issues 

such as the potential of community 

housing to ease the problems of 

homelessness and improve standards in 

the private rental sector. 

And pointing to the region’s growing 

digital sector, she said she wanted the 

commission to explore ways to “spread 

opportunities brought by growth to people 

across the region.” 

Mr Burnham will give an update on the 

commission’s progress at Co-operative 

Congress, held in Manchester in June. 

OBITUARY 

Malcolm Hornsby, teacher to the co-op movement 

Mervyn Wilson, former principal 

of the Co-operative College, writes: 

Malcolm Hornsby (1941–2019) will 

be remembered as a passionate and 

inspirational adult educator who would 

happily spend breaks sharing his many 

other enthusiasms, particularly his 

eclectic musical tastes and his lifelong 

love of books – old books in particular. 

After a 1960s life with motorbike, guitar 

and activism in CND, Malcolm returned to 

education, gaining a degree in economic 

history from Sheffield University. 

Voluntary work in Nigeria followed, and 

then a role at the Workers Education 

Association, interspersed with work at a 

bookshop in Hay-on-Wye. 

He joined the Co-operative College in 

the mid-1970s as a lecturer on the policy 

studies programme for adults without 

formal qualifications. 

He readily identified with the challenges 

his students faced and inspired many to 

go on to higher education. Malcolm was 

chair of the College branch of NATFHE for 

many years. 

In the early 1990s he decided it was time 

to pursue his desire to become a full time 

bookseller, specialising in antiquarian 

books. He supplemented this new venture 

with work as a College associate. 

He was a key member of the small team 

that developed and delivered a committee 

training programme for the CWS in 

Scotland following the re-organisation 

of its democratic structure. The success 

of this programme led to the College 

being asked by the new chief executive 

of the CWS, Graham Melmoth, to develop 

a training programme for its senior 

management on Co-operative Values 

and Principles. Malcolm helped deliver 

the programme, one of the most successful 

ever for the College. 

Stephen Yeo, chair of the Co-operative 

College Board at that time, said: “Malcolm 

was a book-collecting, book-selling, bookloving 

enthusiast, always ready to search 

in his own full mind, and on his own and 

the Co-operative College’s shelves, for 

things other Co-op enthusiasts wanted, or 

which he thought they should have. 

“Even when he complained about 

the way the world or the College was 

going he did so cheerfully, often with a 

knowing smile on his face. A memorable, 

remembering co-operator.” 

He passed away in January following 

illness and was interred in a woodland 

burial site that is also the final resting 

place for former College colleagues Peter 

Yeo and Peter Gormley. He is survived by 

his wife Jill and his four children. 

Speaking at his funeral, Malcolm’s friend 

and colleague, Justin Andersen, paid 

tribute to his love of books and music and 

his keen political principles, which saw 

him take a strong stance on issues such 

as apartheid, nuclear weapons and the 

miner’s strike. 

Mr Anderson told mourners: “I 

couldn’t have wished for a better friend or 

colleague. 

“I must be forgiven for saying he was 

about the most disorganised teacher 

I have ever come across. His desk would 

be stacked high with papers, magazines, 

books ... I doubt very much whether he 

had any idea what a lesson plan was. 

“None of that mattered; he was 

a magically inspirational educator. His 

exam results were always good, and his 

students came first.” 


GLOBAL UPDATES 

GLOBAL 

Co-op movement takes a stand for a decent future of work 

As dramatic changes continue to 

reshape working patterns around the 

world, renewed calls are being made for 

co-operative models to deliver fairer and 

more secure employment. 

The push for greater awareness 

of co-op solutions includes this year’s 

International Day of Co-operatives, on 6 

July. Its theme was announced last month 

as “co-ops for decent work”. 

Celebrated annually on the first 

Saturday of July, the theme for the UNbacked 

day is chosen by the Committee for 

the Promotion and Advancement of 

Co-operatives (Copac) – a group which 

includes the International Co-operative 

Alliance (ICA), the UN Department of 

Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), 

the International Labour Organization 

(ILO), the Food and Agriculture 

Organization (FAO), and the World 

Farmers’ Organization (WFO). 

This year’s choice recognises the 

fact that co-ops employ more than 279 

million people, almost 10% of the global 

workforce. It also feeds into the UN’s 

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), 

particularly goal 8 – Securing decent work 

and economic growth. 

“Co-operatives help to preserve 

employment and promote decent work 

in all sectors of the economy,” said 

ICA president Ariel Guarco. “Through 

participation, members have a motivation 

to change their lives, their communities 

and the world.” 

The ICA wants co-ops to use the day to 

spread the message that they are peoplecentred 

enterprises, run democratically 

by members. It has released a logo (in 

English, French and Spanish) for co-ops 

to promote the day and will be launching 

a Coopsday interactive map and 

a co-operators’ guide to the day itself. 

Meanwhile, a report for the ILO from 

the Global Commission on the Future of 

Work has been highlighting the potential 

of co-ops to provide better standards 

of employment. 

The report, Work for a Brighter Future, 

identifies new forces transforming the 

world of work, such as automation, the 

greening of economies and changes in 

demographics. In response, it proposes 

a human-centred agenda consisting of 

three pillars of increased investment – in 

people’s capabilities, the institutions of 

work, and decent and sustainable work. 

And it suggests the creation of a 

Universal Labour Guarantee including 

fundamental workers’ rights, an 

“adequate living wage”, limits on hours 

of work and safe and healthy workplaces. 

It wants public policies that promote 

collective representation and social 

dialogue, and calls for gender equality. 

“Women must be active participants 

in decision-making,” it says. “We 

recommend that governments, employers, 

workers’ organisations and employers’ 

organisations actively pursue and support 

greater representation by women.” 

The commission says workers in the 

informal economy have often improved 

their situation through organising 

and working together with co-ops and 

community-based organisations. 

“Workers’ organisations must adopt 

inclusive organising strategies, expanding 

membership to informal workers,” it adds. 

“This is both a pathway to formalisation 

and a tool for inclusion.” 

Members of the commission have 

a background in industry and in trade 

unions, including Reema Nanavaty, 

leader of the Self Employed Women’s 

Association (SEWA). 

GLOBAL COMMISSION 

ON THE FUTURE OF WORK 

Work for 

a brighter future 

Launching the report, commission 

co-chair Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, 

president of South Africa, said it was the 

beginning of a process to help working 

people around the world grasp the 

changes to the world of work. 

“People and the work they do must be 

at the centre of economic and social policy 

and business practice,” he said,. 

u More information on the International 

Day at www.coopsday.coop. 


EUROPE 

As the EU 

reports on food safety, 

retail co-ops clean the 

plate of toxic chemicals 

Euro Coop has responded to the European 

Court of Auditors’ report on chemical 

hazards in food. 

The organisation, which represents 

co-operative retailers in Europe, 

welcomed the report but suggested moves 

to address loopholes in food safety. 

Published on 15 January, the report 

concluded that although the EU legal 

framework for protecting consumers from 

chemical hazards in food was “soundly 

based”, there were issues around 

implementation and enforcement. 

It added that the EU’s food safety 

model was overstretched and that some 

member states’ controls covered certain 

chemicals more effectively than others. 

The commission also noted that some 

member states’ legal frameworks were so 

extensive that public authorities found it 

difficult to fulfil all their responsibilities. 

“Food safety is a high priority for 

the EU; it affects all citizens and is 

closely linked to trade,” said Janusz 

Wojciechowski, the member of the 

court responsible for the report. “But 

the current EU system faces a number 

of inconsistencies and challenges.” 

To address these problems, Euro 

Coop is calling for a strategy to improve 

co-ordination and efficiency among the 

different competent bodies, rather than 

compromising on standards. It says there 

are several layers of competences, which 

result into inefficiencies and double 

testing of the same substance. 

“Groups of chemicals such as enzymes, 

food flavourings or additives are instead 

systemically under-checked,” it said. 

“In this respect, we particularly 

appreciate ECA’s recommendation to 

recognise that the private sector could 

play a key role in ensuring a better use of 

resources – by establishing, for example, 

partnerships with public bodies and cooperating 

to put in place reliable food 

safety checks. 

“Other options to be explored to better 

streamline operations could also include 

open access to safety checks data and the 

use of blockchain.” 

Co-operative retailers across the EU 

are already supporting the EU food safety 

system. According to Euro Coop, the 

precautionary principle is at the very core 

of co-operative retail activity, particularly 

with own-brand products. 

“This is fully in line with our consumermembers’ 

needs and expectations, 

who seek in the co-operative products 

a guarantee of the highest standards of 

food safety, which in many cases go well 

beyond legislative requirements,” added 

the organisation. 

In 2017, Coop Denmark implemented 

a strategy to phase out 12 groups of 

chemicals – which it has dubbed “the 

dirty dozen”. Although these are legal, 

Coop Denmark chose to eliminate them 

from its own-brands because they are 

deemed to be detrimental to consumer 

health and the environment. 

The retailer also put pressure on 

suppliers to remove these chemicals and 

worked to stimulate research into the 

substitution of other ingredients. 

Similarly, in Italy, retailer Coop Italia 

has been limiting residues in its ownbrand 

products – looking not only at 

single substances but also at the so-called 

“cumulative effect”. Food can contain 

residues of pesticides and contaminants 

to which animals have been exposed. 

Euro Coop said: “The EU food safety 

system is a value to be preserved. Thanks 

to new technologies, a lot can be achieved 

to streamline operations and attain better 

implementation and enforcement results. 

“No compromise should be accepted on 

the standards, with particular reference 

to the precautionary principle – a real 

stronghold of the EU food safety system 

– to the benefit of consumers in the EU 

and worldwide. 

“Euro Coop is ready to play an active 

role in supporting EU and member states 

on this path by putting at disposal its 

longstanding experience in coupling 

sound science with exceptionally high 

standards of consumer protection.” 


SPAIN 

Brace 

yourselves for no-deal 

Brexit, agri-food co-op 

sector is warned 

Agri-food co-ops in Spain have been 

told to prepare for a no-deal Brexit after 

MPs rejected Theresa May’s deal with 

the EU. 

In a press statement on 17 January, the 

Spanish federation of agri-food co-ops 

(AGACA) said it regretted the outcome 

of the vote on the deal, which had led to 

more uncertainty. 

“From now on, all Spanish economic 

sectors, including the agri-food one, 

need to prepare themselves for the 

worst possible scenario and develop 

contingency plans in the face of a real 

possibility for a no-deal Brexit,” it said. 

Should the UK leave the EU without a 

trade deal, both sides will have to apply 

WTO tariffs from 29 March. 

Under WTO rules, tariffs for agri-food 

products average at 20% – but they could 

go as high as 100% for meat, dairy and 

sugar products, between 40% and 90% 

for grains and 30% or more for fruit 

and vegetables. In addition to tariffs, 

agri-food producers looking to export to 

the UK will face border controls, customs 

declarations and changes in existing 

contracts between operators. 

This means there is the real risk 

of a collapse in Spanish exports to 

the UK, warns AGACA. Around 8% of 

Spain’s agri-food exports go to the UK, 

and AGACA believes that the worstaffected 

co-ops will be those exporting 

fresh fruit and vegetables, wine, olive 

oil and pork, for which the UK is an 

important market. 

If other countries cannot export to the 

UK, their products would remain in the 

European single market, leading to an 

oversupply that would affect the rest of 

the EU, adds AGACA. This could force 

co-ops throughout the EU to cut prices 

and restructure their farms. 

To help producers better plan for Brexit, 

the Spanish government has published a 

series of guidelines which highlight that 

if the UK leaves without a trade deal, EU 

food safety and quality regulations will 

cease to apply to it. 

However, UK products entering Spain 

would still need to follow EU regulation – 

and might also face sanitary, phytosanitary 

or commercial quality controls. 

Spanish companies exporting to 

the UK would also need to comply 

with UK legislation and might require 

certifications of proof. 

u More on Brexit: pages 34-45 

INDIA 

Face the future or miss out on young members, finance co-ops told 

India’s financial co-ops lack a “futuristic” 

mindset and need to go digital to attract 

younger members, a leading figure in the 

sector has said. 

Sridhar Neelkant Rao, founder president 

Gnana Shale Sauharda Co-operative Ltd, 

made his comments after a visit from Brian 

Branch, president of the World Council of 

Credit Unions (Woccu). 

Indian Cooperative, a news website for 

the national co-op sector, reported on Mr 

Branch’s visit. It said he had stressed that 

digital is the way forward for financial 

co-ops wanting to expand their customer 

and fund base. 

Echoing Mr Branch’s words, Mr Rao said: 

“They need to go digital now. Along with 

digitisation, they should have products 

targeting the younger generation. The 

co-operative movement in India is over a 

century old and almost all co-operatives 

have a mindset that is not ‘futuristic’. 

The membership base is that of elderly 

people. The co-operatives have left out a 

whopping 65% of the population that is 

below 35 years of age.” 

Rao also called for societies to work 

together to create economies of scale and 

share the costs of digitisation. 

“There are 800,000 co-operatives in 

the country with a huge membership 

base – spread over many branches – and 

fund base that can certainly take the lead, 

as investments in technologies can be 

substantial,” he added. 

“If co-operative societies go digital, 

that in itself would provide a platform for 

growth. The potential for co-operatives 

to transform lives at village level is 

enormous, as banks have not reached 

out to the rural population as they 

should have. 

“Going digital is necessary, not only for 

the growth of co-operatives, but also to 

reach out to vast sections of society that 

are away from the mainstream.” 


USA 

Co-ops and credit unions respond to 

Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech 

President Donald Trump’s second State 

of the Union Address, delivered on 5 

February, looked at immigration, tax cuts 

and the need for structural investments. 

Reflecting on the address, the National 

Co-operative Business Association (NCBA 

Clusa) called on members to lobby for 

legislation to support co-ops. 

“Congress and the administration have 

the opportunity to help people capture 

economic opportunities through the 

co-operative business model – a model 

where people own, control and benefit 

from the businesses they use,” it said. 

“NCBA Clusa looks forward to 

continuing its work with Congress and the 

administration so more people have access 

to the critical financing and technical 

assistance needed to establish and grow 

these member-owned businesses.” 

It added that transitioning firms to 

employee ownership is an increasingly 

useful way to preserve businesses. 

“Fair tax treatment will keep 

co-operatives from being harmed in tax 

legislation that would directly affect 

working families, small businesses and 

farmers,” it said. “With new authorities in 

the Rural Cooperative Development Grant 

(RCDG) programme to analyse census 

data and the opportunities afforded by 

the Main Street Employee Ownership Act, 

now is the time to increase investment in 

rural economic growth.” 

The statement also stressed the key rols 

of co-ops in international development 

around the world, and urged members to 

speak out in suypport of this. 

Credit unions were also quick to react 

to the speech. The National Association 

of Federally-Insured Credit Unions 

(Nafcu) reiterated its call for housing 

finance reform and a national data 

security standard. 

And it urged the Trump administration 

and Congress to work together on a 

“comprehensive solution” to housing 

finance reform, arguing that “the 

continued conservatorship of the 

government sponsored enterprises (GSEs) 

is unsustainable.” 

GSEs are agencies created by acts 

of Congress, which are privately held 

and provide public financial services. 

They allow credit unions to access the 

liquidity necessary to provide mortgages 

to their member-owners. Nafcu wants GSE 

pricing for loans be based on loan quality, 

not quantity to prevent discrimination 

against a financial institution based on its 

ownership model or asset size. 

“As the credit union industry’s 

Washington watchdog, Nafcu will 

continue to work across the aisle and with 

key decision makers to obtain a regulatory 

environment in which growth is the 

priority,” it added. 

“Other priorities include maintaining 

a strong NCUA, promoting transparency, 

attaining regulatory relief, preserving 

the credit union tax exemption and 

establishing a fair and innovative market.” 

Member-owned model helps credit unions protect elderly against fraud 

The credit union sector is supporting 

efforts to prevent the financial exploitation 

of senior citizens. 

In a letter to the Senate Special 

Committee on Aging, Jim Nussle, 

president and chief executive of the 

Credit Union National Association 

(Cuna), said the sector was fighting 

financial exploitation in line with the 

Senior Safe Act, passed last year, to help 

financial professionals recognise signs 

of financial exploitation of seniors. 

“Many credit unions provide a full range 

of financial services such as financial 

management, retirement planning, and 

credit counselling to their members,” 

wrote Mr Nussle. “The co-operative 

relationship between a credit union 

and its members often puts credit union 

employees in a vital position to detect 

suspicious financial activity related to 

seniors’ accounts because employees tend 

p Senator Susan Collins 

to know their members well and are likely 

to recognise when something is amiss.” 

The letter was sent ahead of the special 

committee’s hearing on fighting elder 

fraud on 16 January. 

“Senior Safe represents an important 

step toward improving the ability of 

credit unions to protect seniors by 

providing limited immunity for properly 

trained financial employees who disclose 

concerns about financial exploitation to 

the appropriate authorities,” Mr Nussle 

added in his letter to senators Susan 

Collins (R-Maine), chair of the committee, 

and Bob Casey (D-Pa.), a ranking member. 

Sen Collins co-wrote Senior Safe, 

working with the Maine Credit Union 

League, which shared its experience and 

helped to design the brochure for the 

programme. Senior Safe provides support 

to regulators, financial institutions, 

and legal organisations as they teach 

staff to identify and prevent financial 

exploitation. 

“Combating fraud has long been 

a focus of my committee,” said Sen Collins. 

“This is the 22nd hearing it has held in the 

past six years to examine scams affecting 

older Americans.” 


GLOBAL 

Leadership and change: Preparations 

under way for Woccu’s world conference 

Executive coach Connie Dieken will be 

one of the keynote speakers at the World 

Credit Union Conference in the Bahamas 

on 28-31 July. 

Ms Dieken, president of strategic 

advisory firm Dieken Group, will focus on 

how senior leaders can influence positive 

change in their organisations. 

She is also the founder of Influence 360, 

a tool that help leaders assess 

their influence pattern. During her 

presentation, she will encourage delegates 

to think about three habits they can use to 

influence even the most difficult people. 

After 20 years as a television journalist, 

Ms Dieken launched her business 

leading a research project on leadership 

influence. The study involved over 

20,000 participants. The findings were 

used to develop Influence 360. 

She now works with some of the world’s 

biggest businesses, including Apple, Coca- 

Cola, HP and, Nestlé, and has been named 

one of the 10 Female Business Owners 

by the National Association of Female 

Business Owners. 

The conference will also see the 

presentation of the Distinguished Service 

Award, which honours individuals 

and organisations that have provided 

outstanding service to credit union 

development outside their home country. 

Conference organiser the World Council 

of Credit Unions (Woccu) has opened 

nominations. 

“The award is how Woccu recognises 

those individuals and organisations who 

have gone above and beyond their own 

credit union missions — to make a global 

contribution to the credit union sector,” 

said president and CEO Brian Branch, 

Members can nominate individuals and 

organisations that have worked to expand 

financial inclusion worldwide through 

the global credit u nion community. 

Credit unions affiliated with Woccu 

member organisations may also 

nominate individuals or organisations 

with the endorsement by a Woccu 

member organisation. 

Winners will receive a complimentary 

conference registration and one 

p Connie Dieken 

companion registration for the 2019 World 

Credit Union Conference. 

At last year’s conference in Singapore, 

the DSA went posthumously to Prof Adam 

Jedliñski. The award was accepted by his 

daughter. The nomination had been made 

by the National Association of Cooperative 

Savings and Credit Unions (NACSCU) 

of Poland. 

u World Council member organisations 

can make nominations by Friday, 15 

March 2019. The 2019 DSA nomination 

criteria and form are available at 

www.woccu.org/dsa 

USA 

Crashing the party: Cuna 

offers free conference places to 

develop young leaders 

Young credit union professionals from across the USA have been 

invited to attend the 2019 Credit Union National Association 

Governmental Affairs Conference as “crashers”. 

Through the “Crash the GAC programme, they will can join 

the industry’s largest advocacy conference with complimentary 

registration, so they can take advantage of networking 

opportunities, leadership development tools, and mentoring 

sessions with industry leaders from organisations such as the 

Filene Research Institute, Credit Union National Association 

(Cuna), and National Credit Union Foundation. 

They will also take part in discussions on the future and 

sustainability of the sector and lobby for credit unions to their 

congressional representatives. 

Led by Filene, the programme has been running for 10 years. 

In 2017 it won the Herb Wegner Award for Outstanding Program. 

To mark the anniversary, the Cooperative Trust and Cuna will 

bring 100 young crashers to the conference, representing every 

state in the nation. 

“As the Cooperative Trust and Crash program grow and evolve, 

we continue to see positive impact on the careers of young 

professionals in the credit union space,” says Lauren Culp, 

manager of the Cooperative Trust. 

“As we know, developing this next generation of credit union 

leaders is critical to our success as an industry. We’re thrilled 

to work with Cuna to offer the opportunity to even more young 

professionals this year than ever before.” 

Cuna CEO and president Jim Nussle said: “The Crashers 

programme is a great opportunity for young credit union 

professionals, the conference, and the entire movement at large.” 

He added: “Crashers at the GAC will have the opportunity to 

network and participate in the premier event of the credit union 

industry. We will all benefit greatly from their enthusiasm and 

fresh perspectives as the movement is invigorated by a new 

generation of advocates.” 


FRANCE 

Sodiaal receives 

€40m loan to boost 

research and innovation 

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has 

granted French co-op Sodiaal a €40m 

(£34.97m) loan to finance its research and 

development programme. 

Sodiaal is France’s largest dairy 

co-operative and the third largest 

in Europe, with 20,000 members. 

It processes 4.7 billion litres of milk per 

year across 70 industrial plants. 

The co-operative will use the money 

to develop new processing technologies, 

food packaging and infant formulas. 

It also plans to strengthen collaboration 

with public and private research institutes. 

In 2013 it joined other dairy companies 

and research institutes to position the 

west of France – known as Milk Valley – 

as a centre of innovation within the sector. 

“This funding illustrates our desire 

to focus on upgrading our product offer, 

in line with our strategic transformation 

plan #Value,” said Sodiaal’s CEO, Jorge 

Boucas. “It will enable us to develop 

our research and development activities 

for our European and global markets and 

will particularly support the development 

of our new research centre based in 

Rennes, Brittany, in the heart of the 

Milk Valley.” 

Adopted in 2017, Sodiaal’s strategic 

transformation plan focuses on seeking 

out the best value increase for each litre 

of milk produced by the co-operative. 

The loan was allocated through the 

European Fund for Strategic Investment, 

which aims to finance projects in key 

areas such as infrastructure, research 

and innovation, education, renewable 

energy and energy efficiency, as well as 

risk finance for small and medium-sized 

enterprises. The fund is managed by EIB. 

“This investment [...] is a reminder that 

Europe has made innovation financing 

one of its priorities,” said EIB vice 

-president Ambroise Fayolle. 

“Europe also wants to be fully 

committed to the development of 

agriculture, to support the sector as 

well as the consumers. After Roullier in 

2018, Sodiaal is the second company in 

France to receive funding from the EIB 

as part of the European agricultural and 

bioeconomy lending programme, which 

amount to €400m (£349.7m).” 

p Ambroise Fayolle, vice president of EIB 

and Jorge Boucas, general manager of Sodiaal 

(Photo: Xavier Granet) 

PUERTO RICO 

Puerto Rican credit unions receive federal government funding 

Four Puerto Rican saving and credit cooperatives 

will receive up to US $125,000 

through the Community Development 

Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund managed 

by the US Treasury. 

Puerto Rico is an unincorporated 

territory of the United States. In February 

2018, the US-based National Federation 

of Community Development Credit 

Unions – now rebranded as Inclusiv – 

facilitated training for co-ops to learn how 

to successfully apply for funding via the 

CDFI programme. 

The scheme enables traditional banks 

to invest in community development 

credit unions as part of their commitment 

under the Community Reinvestment Act. 

The recipients for this year’s grants 

are BoniCoop ($125,000), GuraCoop 

($125,000), JayuCoop ($108,179) and 

Jesus Obrero ($124,000). 

The island’s co-operatives are 

also working on securing the CDFI 

accreditation, which would enable them 

to access substantial funding of up to $1m 

for community impact projects. During 

this process, they will receive support 

from the Association of Co-operative 

Executives (ASEC). 

Cooperativa Sagrada Familia has 

already obtained the accreditation. 

The island is home to 115 credit co-ops 

with $8.1bn in shares and deposits and 

one million members. 

These credit unions have played a key 

role in serving the local community in the 

aftermath of Hurricane Maria, with 90% 

of them being open just 15 days after the 

natural disaster had struck the island. 

“With this grant we will invest in 

technology to make our services more 

accessible to members and clients, as well 

as prepare for the CDFI Fund certification,“ 

said Carlos Ortiz, CEO of Boni Coop and 

the CDFI committee of the ASEC. 

Jayu Coop will be using the funding to 

invest in technology and further develop 

its disaster recovery plan. 

“The awarding of these grants is a 

validation of the community work we have 

been doing. It is empowering to be able to 

reach communities and our aim is to use 

the funding to create a financial planning 

programme and develop financial 

products for disadvantaged areas, 

especially those most affected by the 

disaster,” said Aurelio Arroyo, president of 

the co-operative Jesús Obrero, in Caguas. 

ASEC expects 10 other co-operatives to 

secure funding through the fund and a few 

others to get certified. 


SPAIN 

Care co-op 

adopts framework to 

support employees 

with cancer 

Suara, a care co-op in Catalonia, has 

developed a guide on how to help 

employees with cancer. 

The co-op provides care services 

to over 44,200 people, and its clients 

include public bodies, foundations and 

private businesses. In the guide, it sets 

out a framework to support staff, and 

explores some of the challenges faced by 

employees diagnosed with cancer. 

Employers are advised to show empathy, 

listen to their employees’ concerns and 

be aware of what they are going through 

so they can adapt and make temporary 

changes to their work duties. 

The document, which sets out protocols 

to support employees during their most 

vulnerable times, as well as when they 

return to work, had input from a working 

group of cancer survivors, employees who 

had helped companions and colleagues, 

Suara professionals and other staff. 

The guide suggests acting with clear 

objectives to support people from day one 

until they return to work. Actions proposed 

include raising awareness among other 

staff members about the importance 

of supporting colleagues during this 

process, allocating resources and 

identifying areas that need improvement. 

Saura also provides training and 

mentorship to help other enterprises 

improve in terms of the support they 

offer to people with cancer. The co-op is 

governed through a members’ assembly, 

which elects a governing council that 

oversees the day-to-day work of the 

management team. 

Utility co-op website held to ransom for Bitcoin 

The 16 de Octubre co-op based in the 

Argentine town of Esquel paid a ransom 

worth 114,000 pesos (£2,230) in bitcoin to 

a hacker who encrypted its files, locking 

out its staff. The utility co-op provides 

electricity, drinking water and sewer 

services to more than 40,000 people in 

the towns of Esquel and Trevelin in the 

northwest of Argentina. 

Land O’Lakes members flock to healthcare plan 

A member health plan at US agri co-op 

Land O’Lakes has tripled enrolment in 

its second year. Piloted in Minnesota last 

year, the plan has expanded to Nebraska 

and sees the co-op working with Gravie, 

a health insurance marketplace in 

Minneapolis. The number of farmer 

owned co-ops taking part has grown from 

12 to 45 over the last 12 months. 

Calgary Co-op ventures into cannabis market 

After Canada legalised recreational 

cannabis last October, businesses are 

looking to enter the market – including 

Co-op Calgary, which has already opened 

its first marijuana outlet. The 1,400 sq ft 

store offers cannabis flowers, pre-rolls, 

oils and accessories. The co-op has 

also launched an online portal – Co-op 

Cannabis – where customers can ask 

questions and learn more about cannabis. 

Colombian co-ops fund virtual learning programme 

Colombia’s co-ops are funding one 

of the country’s public universities 

to help it develop a virtual learning 

offering. The funding will also be used to 

better coordinate secondary and higher 

education. They allocated 1.243bn 

(£307,607) to Universidad Surcolombia 

with 31 co-ops contributing. 

Morocco conference explores co-ops’ contribution to the SDGs 

Around 200 co-operators from across 

the Middle East and North Africa met 

in Morocco on 4-6 February to explore 

how to encourage partnerships between 

co-ops and strengthen collective action 

to achieve the Sustainable Development 

Goals (SDGs), and what challenges 

co-operatives face in the region. 


MEET... 

Meet ... Ali Kurji, 

Chief Executive 

of Heart of England 

Co-operative 

Ali Kurji has spent over four decades working in 

the UK co-operative movement – and the last 14 

leading the Heart of England society. What changes 

has he witnessed? And where does he see the 

movement heading next? 

HOW DID YOU FIRST HEAR ABOUT CO-OPS? 

My roots are in Africa – my dad had a very big 

business in Uganda. Way back in 1968, he felt 

that somebody from the family should have some 

education, so he put me through boarding school 

in the UK. Sadly the turning point came in 1972, 

when Asians in Uganda were ordered to leave by 

the then president, Idi Amin. I had to pause my 

education because of financial reasons and instead 

undertook accountancy training. The firm I was 

with was predominantly doing co-operative society 

audits – that’s how the exposure first came about. 

HOW DID YOU JOIN HEART OF ENGLAND? 

In 1981, while I was still with the auditors, 

I was approached by the Coventry and District 

Co-operative Society. I joined them as management 

accountant, and then moved up to accountant. On 7 

September 1991, Coventry entered into discussions 

to merge with what was the East Mercia Co-op, 

based in Nuneaton. After the chief accountant 

retired I was moved to that position. The chief 

executive at the time, Richard Samson, created a 

role for me that was part financial controller and 

part secretary, and later he recommended to the 

board that I become deputy chief. An opportunity 

came for him at Ipswich Co-op and he got the job. 

The Heart of England board – rightly for a senior 

position of this nature – cast the net wider, but in 

October 2004 gave me the reins. That was 14 years 

ago – and now here I am, having served in the 

movement for over 40 years. 

WHAT HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST CHANGE YOU HAVE 

SEEN IN THOSE 40 YEARS? 

There has been a phenomenal change in the 

movement – I can feel the retail world move 

under my feet. The biggest change has been the 

vast number of consolidations within the retail 

societies, by them merging or amalgamating. 

I could see a lot of societies getting into difficulty 

when I was an auditor – many did not keep pace 

with the changing environment or the competition 

from the discounters. Others did not invest in 

infrastructure. Capital investment is important – 

but so too is management, and if you don’t have the 

combination of those two ingredients I think you 

are asking for trouble. There have been problems 

in the past, but the movement is on the road to 

recovery. We are moving in the right direction. 

WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE THERE BEEN? 

A big challenge has been people coming into 

co-ops who did not understand the concept of the 

model. We were acting more like plcs rather than 

the co-operatives we are. People were forgetting 

the basics. For my own society, we are very strong 

financially – we have invested a lot of money and 

we have made considerable progress. There have 

been challenges, but it’s in my ethos, my belief, 

my philosophy to never say no to any challenges. 

I have always been resilient in that sense, I’ve got 

a strong faith-based life. 

HOW IS HEART OF ENGLAND APPROACHING THE 

YEARS AHEAD? 

We are a strong independent co-operative society 

– but the key things we need to do are improve our 

stores and refurbish them to continue to provide a 

good shopping experience for our members. We are 

planning to refurbish more stores, and have just 

launched our new membership card which gives 

2% back on all products (with a few exceptions); 

what is different is that the return will be credited 

to member portals straight away. I know other 


01 

news Issue #7288 OCTOBER 2017 

Co 

Plus ... Sustainability 

reporting ... Co-ops stminster ... and 

ty results updates 

01 

p 

news Issue #7299 SEPTEMBER 2018 

Connecting, championing, cha l 

Issue #7295 

news 

MAY 2018 

GOVERNANCE 

A spotlight on 

how co-ops do 

it differently 

£4.20 

societies leave dividends until the end of the year, 

and I did think very hard about it, but if we’re going 

to give it, let’s give it now! I call it the instant divi. 

Of course one of the biggest changes for us in 

recent years was the closing of our department 

stores. I knew our non-food business would 

struggle because of Amazon, eBay and other online 

retailers. I could not match their prices for white 

goods, or for furniture, it just wasn’t a profitable 

division. I had some sleepless nights because our 

staff in non-food were loyal, and part of our cooperative 

family. It was a bitter pill to swallow – but 

it had to be swallowed otherwise the society could 

have been in difficulty going forward. 

Plus ... The Alliance’s 

2017 Global Conference... 

Co-op development in 

Malawi... Celebrating 

Social Saturday 

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That left me with three profitable parts of the 

business: food, funeral and our property portfolio. 

Food is the pillar of this society. We have 32 food 

stores, and since I became the chief, I have spent in 

excess of £25m in capital programmes and projects, 

all driven from profits. We have refurbished all 

of our 13 funeral homes too. There is a perception 

that our funerals could be expensive, but in 

our region we are absolutely the most affordable. 

news Issue #7291 JANUARY 2018 


OCTOBER 2017 

PLANNING 

Co-op buildings 

past, present and 

futuristic... 

£4.20 

news 

JANUARY 2018 

LEADERSHIP 

Finding the route 

to collective 

decision-making 


Looking ahead to 2018 

... Working for gender 

equality ... Co-housing 

for homeless veterans 

ISSN 0009-9821 

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news 

WHERE DO YOU THINK THE CO-OPERATIVE 

MOVEMENT WILL BE IN THE COMING DECADES? 

9 770009 982010 


I wish I had a crystal ball ... So much of the 

immediate future is tied up with Brexit. The 

problem there is that we simply don’t know 

where we will end up at the end of March. 

That uncertainty will inevitably put pressure on 

pricing because of how much we import from the 

continent, and because of the changing exchange 

rate. So far the majority of retailers have held 

their prices, but it will come to a point when one 

may well begin to see the prices going up. 

The following 10 to 15 years are going to be 

very challenging too, because of the way the 

convenience retail sector and technology are 

changing. Amazon is already in the grocery 

market and Tesco has launched its own discounter, 

Jack’s. I believe the niche for co-op retail is there, 

but there are gaps where we can all work better: 

the main thing is that we are very, very good at 

the convenience market, but we are very poor at 

shouting about it. And that is where the drawback 

is. My aspiration is for Heart of England to have 

a £100m food business – this year we’re at about 

£68m, so there’s a long way to go, but it’s achievable 

– and I’d like to see this during my lifetime. 

We are a customer-driven business, and that 

really matters. 

Plus ... Meet Tamworth 

Co-op’s Julian Coles ... 

Updates from OPEN 2018 

... Social Business Wales 

Conference: a preview 

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9 770009 982010 


SEPTEMBER 2018 

VALUES 

Are co-op values 

losing ground as 

businesses grow? 

£4.20 

£4.20 

news Issue #7290 DECEMBER 2017 


news Issue #7292 FEBRUARY 2018 


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 

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news Issue #7293 MARCH 2018 

Connecting, championing, challenging 

FEBRUARY 2018 

FUTURE 

OF WORK 

The challenges 

facing workers 

and co-ops 


Meet new global co-op 

chief ... Get promoting 

Fairtrade ... History of 

community business 

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£4.20 

£4.20 

news 

MARCH 2018 

CREDIT 

UNIONS 

Are credit unions 

ready to embrace 

new technology? 


Updates from the 6th Ways 

Forward conference ... 

Financial inclusion... The 

Fairtrade Shopper Report ... 

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news Issue #7298 AUGUST 2018 


£4.20 

sed Member Pioneers ... 

International credit union 

updates . 

news Issue #7289 NOVEMBER 2017 


What politicians 

are offering and 

what co-ops want 

Plus... ... A governance guide 

... Mixing co-operation 

and tech for strength 

AUGUST 2018 

GOING FOR 

GROWTH 

How to help the 

movement thrive 

Plus ... 150 years of 

Radstock ... Using spoken 

word to tell the co-op 

story ... Lessons from US 

worker co-ops 

ISSN 0009-9821 

01 

9 770009 982010 


£4.20 

Issue #7295 

Plus ... Sustainability 

reporting ... Co-ops in 

Westminster ... and 

society results updates 

ISSN 0009-9821 

news 

MAY 2018 

GOVERNANCE 

A spotlight on 

how co-ops do 

it differently 

NOVEMBER 2017 

IMPACT 

How much do 

co-ops give back 

to communities? 


tea farmers to unite 

... Jeremy Corbyn on 

co-ops ... Get set 

for Christmas 

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01 

9 770009 982010 


Issue #7294 APRIL 2018 Connecting, championing, cha lenging 

JUNE 2018 Connecting, championing, cha lenging 

£4.20 

news 

JANUARY 2019 | 23 

Plus ... 150 years 

of East of England ... 

and updates from the 

Co-op Retail and Abcul 

conferences 

ISSN 0009-9821 

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9 770009 982010 


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Co-o 

Princip 

in action 

£4.20 

Tu 

ahea 

Co-oper 

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www.thenews 

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YOUR VIEWS 

RETAIL AND FAIRTRADE 

It seems Coop Italia was the first retailer 

in Italy to sell Fairtrade products. I tried to 

Google but couldn’t find if consumer co-ops 

were the first retailers in other countries 

as well to sell FairTrade products. Would 

love to know! Perhaps an idea for a future 

Coop News article? In what countries were 

consumer co-ops first, and are they still 

the leading retailers of Fairtrade products? 

Leo Sammallahti 

via email 

We need an incentive to get customers into 

Co-op shops. 

The Co-op Group has many convenience 

stores in the country – one idea is to have 

a prize draw every week or month in stores 

for customers who shop in the stores, with 

a prize of a box of chocolates, a bottle 

of wine or something similar, which could 

be Fairtrade. 

It is as simple as that and many draw 

many new customers, while showing the 

Co-op’s commitment to Fairtrade. 

David Treacher 

Hull 

Have your say 

Add your comments to our stories 

online at www.thenews.coop, get 

in touch via social media, or send 

us a letter. If sending a letter, please 

include your address and contact 

number. Letters may be edited 

and no longer than 350 words. 

Co-operative News, Holyoake 

House, Hanover Street, 

Manchester M60 0AS 

letters@thenews.coop 

@coopnews 

Co-operative News 

CO-OP GROUP STAFF SECURITY 

The security in Co-op stores is a joke. 

As a retail trained security officer myself, 

and a regular Co-op customer, most stores 

are easy targets. 

My partner works for the Co-op and 

transferred stores after being assaulted 

while on a one-on-one shift with a guard. 

The guard was not doing his security 

duties but was acting as Co-op staff, 

replenishing wine and beer stock. Every 

shoplifter knows that the Co-op is an easy 

target; they can walk in and take what they 

want knowing that nothing will happen 

to them. 

I keep hearing from other staff that the 

Co-op has a budget big enough to cover 

all shoplifting instances. I have witnessed 

people walking out with enough meat and 

beer to last a week. Staff safety should be 

paramount. Yes, you may have CCTV and 

(not very efficient) headsets but what use 

are they without anyone on site to back 

up or protect the staff? 

Tony Thompson 

via email 


Co-operative College centenary year: 

Life as a Co-operative Learner 

As part of regular feature throughout the Co-operative College’s centenary year, archivist Sophie 

McCulloch explores interesting items from the organisation’s past. This month she looks at how the 

learning experience has changed for those attending courses at the Co-operative College. 

Founded out of a demand for specialist learning to 

employees of co-operative societies, the College’s 

first home, Holyoake House, Manchester was 

equipped with classrooms and large lecture 

halls. Hostels were also provided for residential 

students too. Writing in 1928, College principal 

Fred Hall talked about the work of the College, with 

students able to study a range of subjects such as 

co-operative finance and co-operative statistics as 

well as classes in citizenship and ethics. 

A key focus of learning at the time was for 

consumer co-op societies to give customers a better 

experience. After all, as members the customers 

owned part of the society. This was reflected in the 

types of classes taught by the College – students 

could learn about the origins of goods sold as well 

as how to create in-store displays and window 

dressing. Exams were taken in these subjects as 

well as bookkeeping and arithmetic – with some 

up to four hours long! 

Courses at catered for all levels, with a 

particular focus on ensuring that those who 

left school at a younger age and worked in 

co-operative stores as apprentices were able to 

work their way up to management positions. 

Indeed, it was commonplace at the time for some to 

be employed by the same society all their working 

life. As well as this, students could learn about 

the history and origins of the movement, studying 

the lives of key figures such as Robert Owen and 

the Rochdale Pioneers. 

The College’s move to Stanford Hall in the 1940s 

meant better facilities for residential learning. 

Students could stay there for up to a year, with 

a greater capacity to host international students. 

By the 1960s, shorter courses were also offered, 

in subjects such as the management of self-service 

stores, with additional programmes for branch 

managers and directors of societies. Stanford 

Hall was even equipped with a full-size mock-up 

supermarket to enhance the learning experience 

of students. 

Over the years, learning needs began to change 

and residential courses became less popular. This 

led to another change in the way College students 

could learn, as tutors would often go to them, whilst 

the popularity of online learning also soared. 

What hasn’t changed though is the College’s 

commitment to providing the best possible 

learning experience that it can, with a focus on 

strengthening the co-operative movement not only 

here in the UK, but internationally too. 

Sophie McCulloch 

Archivist at the 

National Co-operative 

Archive 

More information 

about the College and 

how you can get involved 

in its centenary year is 

available at: 

co-op.ac.uk/centenary 

Below: The Stanford Hall 

library; and the training 

supermarket in 1963 


HOW TO ... save co-op heritage while saving the earth. 

How can we make old buildings eco-friendly? 

By Phil Beardmore 

Sustainability West 

Midlands Associate 

Phil Beardmore 

leading a tour of 

Moseley Road Baths 

(Photo: John Newson 

/ Balsall Heath Is 

Our Planet) 

As concern for the environment mounts, more 

and more organisations are having to adapt their 

operations to become more sustainable. This can 

affect different organisations in different ways – 

and poses particular challenges for those which 

are using heritage buildings, many of which are 

passing into community ownership. 

In such cases, we need to start with actions that 

reduce demand – to avoid using gas, electricity and 

water if they aren’t needed by turning things off 

when they aren’t in use, or turning them down. This 

simple starting point is often overlooked in favour 

of more glamorous measures such as solar panels 

and heat pumps. But demand reduction is usually 

more cost-effective, and can give substantial 

energy and water savings for little or no cost. 

The most sustainable energy of all is the energy that 

we don’t use. 

The next step in the “energy hierarchy” is to 

control the rate at which energy is used. This 

involves preventing heat loss, more efficient 

appliances, and more effective appliance controls. 

In a heritage building, preventing heat loss can 

be difficult, because their listed status may mean 

you can’t easily insulate or improve glazing using 

conventional methods. There is guidance from 

Historic England on heat loss prevention measures 

such as secondary glazing and insulation. 

Also, heritage buildings often have very old 

heating appliances and – in the case of swimming 

pools – filtration pumps and air conditioning 

systems. Often these use the lion’s share of the 

heat and electricity, so replacing them is a major 

opportunity. It can be expensive but cost-effective 

in terms of fuel savings and reduced emissions. 

And there are often old systems of hot water or 

steam pipework which may leak, wasting valuable 

heat. Any leaks should be repaired straight away, 

and pipework lagged if it isn’t already. 

In heritage swimming pools, it is often incorrect 

setting of the temperature differential between the 

water in the pool and the air above it that leads 

to excessive use of gas for heating and also to 

evaporation of water. Setting the temperatures at 

the right level, as recommended by Sport England, 

and having the right differential, will reduce both. 

A pool cover is another very effective energy and 

water saving measure. 

Heritage buildings often have old and inefficient 

light fittings. LED light fittings are easily available 

now for any situation, and usually have a short 

return on investment, especially in areas where 

there is little daylight or where lights are in use for 

long periods. Where lighting may only be needed 

intermittently, such as bathrooms, motion sensors 

are a cost-effective measure. 

Water waste is an often hidden and overlooked 

problem, leading heritage buildings to run up 

high utility costs, as well as fuel costs for heating 

and pumping water. Many heritage buildings have 

old water appliances in kitchens and bathrooms. 

Simple water-saving measures to control flow from 

taps, showers, toilets and urinals can have a very 

short return on investment. 

And some heritage buildings will have a history 

of abstracting groundwater through boreholes. In 

some cases bringing these boreholes back into a use 

can be an option, depending on water quality and 

public health issues. 

With government-backed subsidies for renewable 

energy in decline, renewable energy installations 

only really make sense where there is very high 

demand for electricity. Solar electricity is rarely 

viable in the current financial environment, 

although within the next few years as the price of 

electricity rises and the cost of battery storage falls, 

it will become viable again. At the moment, unless 

your building is using 40,000 kWh of electricity 

a year, solar is unlikely to be cost-effective. 

But if your heritage building has high demand 

for heat, then renewable forms of heat, such as air 

source heat pumps and occasionally biomass, are 

worth considering, especially if mains gas is not 

available to your building. Biomass projects need a 

lot of work due to the planning issues involved. 

Investment in energy and water efficiency can 

help co-operatives and social enterprises who 

own and manage heritage buildings to manage 

running costs and ensure budgetary certainty into 

the future, in a sustainable way. Such investment 

can represent a strong business case to funders and 

shareholders who are taking a long-term view of the 

financial health of a heritage building. 


A WORLD REVOLVING 

AROUND CO-OPS 

By Anca Voinea 

An Italian couple have set out on a year-long 

journey to discover inspiring co-op stories. 

Researcher Sara Vicary and her husband, video 

editor Andrea Mancori, are documenting co-ops, 

collective action and sustainable development 

in more than 10 countries on their website 

Aroundtheworld.coop. 

“We wanted to challenge ourselves and merge 

our interests and skills,” says Sara, who has 

been working with co-operative organisations, 

international institutions and academics on field 

research in several countries. This includes a year 

working with the Co-operative College. 

Her passion for travel goes hand in hand with 

Andrea’s love for video making. During his 15-year 

career, he has collaborated with TV networks such 

as Fox International Channel, National Geographic, 

SKY, RAI and La7. One of his most rewarding jobs 

was editing the National Geographic documentary 

The Summer of Sammy. 

“Co-ops do a lot but it’s a challenge to 

communicate this in the right way,” says 

Sara. “Positive messages of solidarity are not 

fashionable any more. 

“We wanted to stress and convey positive 

messages. When people come together through 

collective action, they can transform their lives 

and their communities. The stories we are telling 

show that solidarity, reciprocity and a mutual 

approach are not old fashioned at all.” 

The project is backed by the International 

Co-op Alliance and its regional organisations. 

Aroundtheworld.coop wants co ops to make a 

donation and record a one-minute video presenting 

their organisation, which will be published on 

the website and promoted on social media. 

The tour started in August with a visit to social 

co-op Altri Orizzonti in Castel Volturno, southern 

”The stories we are telling 

show that solidarity, reciprocity 

and a mutual approach are not 

old fashioned at all” 

Italy. The region was notorious for Mafia activity 

and the co-op was established in 2011, in a 

building confiscated from a crime boss. Since then 

it has worked on cultural integration and social 

and health assistance, particularly for migrants. 

Andrea says: “This shows it’s possible to 

promote intercultural exchange and also fight 

criminal organisations in a way that transforms not 

only the economy, but also society and culture.” 

Their next stop was the Imsouane region 

of Morocco, where women’s co-op Toudarte 

– which translates as “life” – was founded in 

2004. It now has 100 members and a turnover 

of nearly £440,000, selling organic-certified 

products including culinary and cosmetic argan oil 

products. Clients include cosmetics brand L’Oreal. 

“When you talk about co-ops, meeting 

members’ needs and aspirations is crucial,” say 

the couple. “That is something seen clearly there. 

For example, leaders asked members what they 

wanted to achieve in life and one of their main 

objectives was to visit Mecca. Thanks to the coop, 

they are now able to go there. Every year they 

organise this trip for them – it was a life-changing 

event for these women.” 

Sara and Andrea will spend around a month in 

each country, posting updates on their blog and 

social media. Their next stop is Rwanda and the 

itinerary could also include Manchester, with a 

visit to Rochdale and the birthplace of the modernday 

co-operative movement. 

Aroundtheworld.coop has its own mascot – a 

bumblebee called Sco-opy. “Some economic 

theories say co-ops cannot be successful and 

achieve social and economic goals and this is not 

true. Our project aims to tell stories of success in 

this regard,” said Sara. 

A worker from the 

women's co-operative 

Toudarte, Morocco 

COLLECT STORIES 

TEN COUNTRIES 

SHARE SUCCESS 

INSPIRE 


Down on the farm, 

collaboration and 

innovation are key 

Miles Hadfield reports from the SAOS Conference 

With consumer tastes undergoing rapid 

changes, a growing population to feed and 

climate change forcing the need to adapt, the 

farming industry is under huge pressure – and 

this year’s conference of the Scottish Agricultural 

Organisation Society (SAOS) stressed the need 

for innovative responses. 

The conference, held in Dunblane on 31 

January, brought delegates from Scottish agrifood 

co-ops together with academics, experts 

and co-operators from the wider movement to 

discuss the state of the sector. 

Partnerships 

Suzanne George 

One way forward was suggested by Professor 

Wayne Powell from Scotland’s Rural College 

(SRUC), who wants to work more closely with 

farm co-ops on scientific research – including the 

use of genome editing in livestock breeding and 

disease research. Improved animal feeds could 

increase outputs and reduce methane emissions 

from cows, reducing the climate impact of the 

meat industry, he said. And in terms of IT, the 

LoRaWAN network, a non-profit association 

of more than 500 member companies, could 

offer agri-co-ops useful data on pollution 

incidents, tracking livestock, soil conditions, tree 

health, and storage tank levels. 

Prof Powell believes collaboration and 

innovation are essential if the sector is to take 

advantage of funding opportunities – with UK 

Research and Innovation set to disperse billions 

of pounds to projects. 

“The funding landscape has changed, as has 

the expectation of funders and society,” he said. 

“We now have investors, not funders. We need 

to be strategic and collaborative to provide 

added value for investors.” 

As an example of collaboration, he said SRUC 

was working with agribusiness Beta Bugs to 

develop an insect breeding programme. This 

would drive efficiency and sustainability by 

producing insects to eat waste products on 

farms; the insects could then be fed to livestock. 

Product innovation 

The conference also looked at ways to meet new 

consumer tastes for healthier, more sustainable 

and more traceable products. 

Trevor Lockhart, from Fane Valley Co-op – an 

agri-business based in Moira, Northern Ireland 

– said trial and error was important in product 

innovation. He gave the example of a porridge 

product containing whisky, which had not been 

successful, and a burger range containing 

Guinness, which had been a hit. 

Fane Valley – which has a £55m turnover and 

31 operating sites, with interests ranging from 

feed, beef and cereals production to retail – has 

led technical innovations in animal by-products, 

making improved pet food, and rendering 

material formerly sent for waste or used in 

animal food safe for use in gravies and gelatin 

pharmaceutical casings. 


“We challenge ourselves on every process, 

from production to innovation,” said Mr 

Lockhart. “We map out each process and task 

ourselves to remove steps, or automate steps.” 

Meanwhile, new venture Growers Garden 

is targeting the millennial market with a 

sustainable, low-fat, vegan, gluten-free product: 

broccoli crisps. 

Co-founder Suzanne George said the team had 

identified a gap in the snacks market for young, 

ethically conscious consumers. They worked out 

how Scottish broccoli farmers could fill that gap 

with a product that uses the entire vegetable, 

including the stem, eliminating waste. 

But she warned that innovative product 

development needs time, effort, full member 

involvement and a skilled board. 

“Innovation requires rigorous process and 

collaboration, and investment,” she said. “Every 

one of our farmer members is a shareholder ... 

It started with the farmers, and it continues with 

the farmers.” 

Efficiency and skills 

Mr Lockhart said innovation was a process of 

implementing a creative idea to generate value, 

through increased revenues or reduced cost. 

This could mean meeting demand from 

consumers and retailers for innovative new 

products; and coping with increased costs from 

public policy, such as a rising minimum wage or 

environmental regulation. 

He warned: “The cost of farming and 

processing is going up, but the consumer is 

not prepared to pay for it. If ceilings are coming 

down and the floor is rising, what do you do?” 

He said the UK agri sector needs to improve 

productivity; this is currently 30% lower than that 

of Germany, he added, holding organisations 

Prof Wayne Powell 

back when it comes to paying competitive 

wages, attracting talent, growing businesses 

and making investment. 

He called on government to improve 

vocational education and training for young 

people, arguing that the current system is not 

doing enough for non-academic pupils, leading 

to a skills gap. 

He added: “In agriculture, we have achieved a 

lot: innovation ensures the world has enough to 

eat. In the last 50 years agricultural production 

has tripled. 

“But how we grow and eat food is being 

challenged. New start-ups are looking to disrupt 

traditional models of agriculture. We need to be 

alert to that.” 

Governance is also key. Ian Cruickshank, chair 

of Aberdeen Grain Co-op, said his organisation 

had made sure its board had the full spread of 

skills needed for success – including a farmer, 

engineer, property developer, marketer, finance 

expert and accountant. 

This has proved valuable in developing 

efficiencies, he said – such as cutting the time 

delivery lorries spent on site, creating data 

flows on crop status for accurate harvesting, 

and driving the five-year development of a new 

grain-drying process using biomass burners. 

Next generation 

Alan Stevenson, supply chain director at 

SAOS, said innovation is “a big part” of the 

organisation’s ambition for 2030. 

He said the fourth industrial revolution would 

be a “game changer for supply chains”, making 

it vital to develop smart systems to manage data. 

Good leadership was vital too, he added – 

both to “fan the flames of creativity” and to 

dampen those flames if a bad idea threatens to 

waste time and money. 

But he also warned that long-serving senior 

figures could be risk-averse when it comes 

to disruptive ideas. He pointed to lessons in 

the retail sector, where businesses had failed 

because “they didn’t take time to see their 

industry change and innovate themselves”. 

Social media is a vital channel to communicate 

with younger members, he added – while 

Mr Cruickshank urged co-ops to improve 

communication to attract young people with new 

ideas, who ask hard questions, to their boards. 

Communication is also important in convincing 

members undecided about new developments, 

added Mr Cruickshank. “There will always 

be dissenters,” he said. “You have to 

communicate with your members, you have to 

talk to your dissenters.” 


Miles Hadfield and Barbara 

Rainford report from Future 

Co-ops 2019 in Birmingham 

With the co-op movement looking for 

ways to double the size of the sector, 

Future Co-ops 2019 put an interactive, 

creative twist on the conference format, 

grouping delegates into workshops to 

devise strategies to help new and young 

co-ops thrive. 

The annual conference of business 

development consultancy Co-operative 

Futures, held in Birmingham from 1-2 

February, focused on “co-operative 

deserts”. It identified a number 

of priorities, including a social media 

strategy to attract ethically minded young 

people to the co-op movement, improved 

business planning, and more secondary 

co-ops and support networks. 

Opening the event, executive director Jo 

White said a lot of research has been done 

on what helps co-ops grow, identifying the 

need for finance, local support and a level 

legislative playing field. 

“We’re often old fashioned in our 

approach,” she said. “It’s based on jam 

tomorrow – when Labour comes in, when 

we get a load of funding.” 

The Future Co-ops event was designed 

to move away from this notion of waiting 

for help from outside, she added. Instead 

it focused on the movement’s values of 

self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, 

equality, equity and solidarity. 

Emily Pittaway 

To encourage free thinking and the flow 

of ideas, Co-operative Futures enlisted the 

help of Think:Digital, a creative agency set 

up by Central England Co-op, to devise 

the workshops. Delegates were split 

into groups which were each allocated 

a question to consider, using brainstorming 

sessions and storyboards. Three outcomes 

from these sessions were chosen for 

presentation to the conference. 

The first, looking at how to help 

entrepreneurs understand and choose a 

co-op model, focused on the use of social 

media to attract a younger and more 

diverse demographic to the movement. 

Leading group discussion of the 

question, Emily Pittaway – a student on 

work placement at Co-operative Futures 

and a newcomer to co-ops – said the 

movement should make more creative 

use of YouTube, perhaps by gaining 

endorsement for its values and ideas from 

online influencers. 

And to target people unfamiliar with the 

movement, co-ops were advised to switch 

away from explicit “co-op” messaging. 

Instead, they should identify keywords, 

hashtags and eye-catching messages that 

are connected with the concerns people 

have, which the movement can solve. 

For instance, the online message: “Do 

you hate your job?” could link through to 

information on worker co-ops and their 

advantages over conventional employers. 

Siôn Whellens, from Principle Six, 

suggested taking a motion to Co-operative 

Congress to resource and frame 

a “hothouse of social media-savvy young 

people who will be funded to spread the 

message to the next generation”,with 

a defined brief and ethical parameters. 

The second presentation, on how to 

help existing co-ops grow, focused on 

co-ops working together – by joint buying, 

sharing services or setting up secondary 

co-ops that would have the backing 

of larger organisations in the sector. 

Cath Muller, from Radical Routes, set out 

ideas for creating local co-op economies, 

with mutual help networks and local 

directories to drive people to co-ops. 

Making a call for more secondary 

co-ops to support the sector, Vivian 

Woodell, from Midcounties Co-op, said: 

“We would need a serious and sizeable 

project to analyse and select a number of 

sectors where this could work. If we can 

make this model work in one sector – we 

could make it work in others.” 

For the final presentation, on how to 

grow co-ops in co-op deserts, Richard 

Bickle from Central England proposed a 

survey to find inspirers, local community 

leaders, co-op development experts – 

and then to engage with local people on 

a strategy to create co-ops. 

One example is Birmingham, which 

has a large number of creative industry 

co-ops; he suggested they meet to 

discuss collaboration. 

The conference concluded with all 

participants writing down pledges on 


postcards to take away and act on within 

the next six months. 

The event was praised by those 

attending. Amanda Gallie, from Central 

England Co-op, said: “It’s a completely 

new experience. I didn’t realise how many 

other co-ops there are.” 

Nathan Brown, from Cooperantics, 

added: “What I love about this is that it 

brings together people from across the 

whole family of the co-op movement 

and uses our collective experience to 

strengthen the movement. It is always fun 

and interactive rather than being spoken 

at, and a great show of solidarity.” 

Cath Muller said: “It was really great 

to spend so much time thinking about 

how people access the co-op movement 

together with folk who had really varying 

levels of movement experience – some 

lightbulb moments for me, some satisfying 

wisdom-sharing, lots of optimism around 

the pledges at the end.” 

John Merritt, from Co-op Assistance 

Network, said: “Future Coops 2019 was a 

really useful weekend for co-operators. 

There were some interesting new ideas 

which emerged through interactive 

sessions and pledges.” 

And Claire McCarthy, from the Co-op 

Party, said: “It was great to see the sense 

of ambition around co-operative growth 

at the event. The Party is passionate about 

building a much larger co-operative sector 

in Britain; and it’s really inspiring to 

connect with more and more people who 

share that ambition and are willing to roll 

their sleeves up to help make it happen. 

Congratulations to Jo White and the team.” 

It also featured input from young 

people, new to the movement, who are 

on work placement at Co-op Futures. 

Emily Pittaway said: “I found the event 

intriguing. It was different from any other 

conference I have been to where you just 

sit and hear people talk. 

“I think co ops offer young people the 

opportunity to create their own businesses 

with the help of other people, and for 

the benefit of their community – giving 

them the power to change things and 

empowering people. 

“But I don’t think co-ops are currently 

doing enough to involve young people. 

I struggled to find information about 

co-ops when actively looking for it – so 

young people who are not actively looking 

for it would have a really low chance 

of having any knowledge about co-ops.” 

Tom Davis from Think:Digital said the 

sessions “exceeded our expectations and 

we had fantastic feedback. The challenges 

we built on throughout the weekend led to 

ambitious but practical outputs which the 

participants were keen to own. 

“We have set up an online forum for 

delegates to share their pledges as well as 

to work on their challenge areas.” 

A fun but focused search for ways to spread the co-op message 

Co-operative Press director 

Barbara Rainford shares her 

impressions of the conference 

The Future Co-ops Conference is always 

inspirational. It’s an informal but 

informative conference - fun but focused, 

entertaining but constructive – and people 

leave inspired to take action to help spread 

the co-operative word. 

The 2019 conference was entitled “How 

to make co-ops bloom in a co-operative 

desert” and the first workshops started 

with case studies, outlining scenarios 

of co-op failures. Groups were asked to 

assess what went wrong, and the point 

where interventions could have changed 

the outcome. 

To give one example, Winnie set up |a 

social enterprise which was successful, 

but her board members were not active 

participants and she soon realised that a 

co-operative structure might have been 

better. Although she considered a coop 

in the first instance, she was only 

offered a course on setting up a social 

enterprise – so she went down that route. 

Did this scenario fail when she didn’t get 

advice on a co-op – or was it when she 

chose her board members? Could better 

education and information on co-ops have 

changed the outcome? 

The Future Co-ops Friday Night Quiz 

has become something of a tradition. This 

year, Richard Bickle from Central England 

Co-op set the questions and, instead of 

faces to name, the picture round consisted 

of photos of ancient hardware items, 

inspiring memories of coal scuttles, tin 

baths, hand tools and hurricane lamps. 

The second day posed groups with 

a series of questions on how to grow 

and support the co-op movement, 

prompting lively discussion of how to help 

entrepreneurs understand and choose a 

co-op model, how to improve business 

planning, support growth in new and 

existing co-ops, and encourage co-ops in 

places and sectors where they are thin on 

the ground. 

The conference concluded with all 

participants writing down actions on 

postcards; they handed these in to 

Co-op Futures’ executive director Jo 

White – who, to keep us on our toes, 

will be posting them back to us in six 

months’ time. 

The Future Co-ops conference is always 

different – and there is never much chance 

to dose off after lunch! 

It’s full of case studies, real co-operative 

stories about worker co-ops, collaborative 

ventures, co-operative activists and 

community cafes; people from all parts 

of the co-op movements attend. 

Jo White 


Prime time for ethical lender 

– documentary follows a credit union team 

By Jen Banks 

Documentary film makers are shining a spotlight on 

the daily workings of a credit union in a new twopart 

show for Channel 5. 

They Lend it You Spend it: The Loan Shop focused 

on South Yorkshire credit union Community First, 

looking at the work of its team. Made by Century 

Films, it follows a number of members as they 

seek potentially life-changing loans from the credit 

union, which last year approved more than £5m 

worth of loans. 

Gary Simpson, CEO of Community First, 

hopes the programme will dispel some common 

misconceptions about credit unions – and raise 

awareness of the movement. 

“People often refer to a credit union as a bank 

for poor people,” he says, “but it’s for anyone. And 

when I watched the first part of the documentary, 

it hit me that it’s a really positive portrayal of what 

most of our members are like – honest, good people, 

trying to get through life. 

“They’re often portrayed as not being that way 

at all. The most fascinating thing was the fact that 

these people requesting money – they did it not for 

themselves but for their mother or their children; 

other people in their lives.” 

He adds: “Since the first episode went out, people 

have said, ‘this is life changing but we didn’t realise 

it existed’. It’s given people an idea of what a credit 

union is. 

“The relationship between the credit union and 

its members is what makes us different and trusted. 

We talk to people, we listen, we work with them. It’s 

like banks used to be in the 1950s. And we employ 

local people so they understand problems in that 

area. Often, staff themselves have been in similar 

situations so there’s empathy.” 

Among those featured is recruitment consultant 

and bride-to-be Kerry from Doncaster. She needs 

£2,000 to move her wedding forward so that her 

terminally ill mother can attend. Meanwhile, in 

Barnsley, single mum Adele is trapped in a cycle of 

debt after taking high interest loans. 

Mr Simpson says the programme has been 

a morale boost for staff who don’t usually get to 

see the result of their work. “It follows the whole 

process and has allowed our loan officers to see 

what happens after they’ve helped someone. 

Usually, they don’t see that. And it’s made them 

feel good about themselves, because it’s not just 

a numbers game – they can see the tangible results 

of how they’ve helped.” 

He says he asked the film crew to also show 

customers who were turned down for loans. “The 

whole idea is that we educate and help people in 

financial matters,” he adds. “The best way to teach 

people when working with them is to understand 

repercussions of their actions. 

“A credit union is different; we give a reactive and 

proactive solution to their problems. We do a lot of 

things around where people have gone to money 

lenders. It’s desperate when people get into that 

spiral, we don’t judge or preach to them, we just say 

‘we’re there for you, how can we help?'. If you are 

willing to work with the credit union, we’ll help you 

get out of this hole.” 

The credit union is also going out to communities 

to engage with local people, says Mr Simpson – and 

has had to train staff to do this 

“It’s another skill,” he says. “We cover all of north 

Yorkshire and we can’t have branches everywhere. 

But us visiting that village five hours every Tuesday 

works. We work with housing associations, 

community groups and councils. We’ll go to 

churches and community centres. 

“We’ve introduced accounts that help people 

budget better and make payments out to utilities 

and private or social landlords. It helps people – 

guaranteeing landlords get paid, so they’re happy, 

and we’ve got good members who understand 

why money is important. We do breaks in money 

payments for seasonal workers in places like 

Scarborough who we know don’t work during 

certain months. Other lenders wouldn’t allow that.” 

They Lend It, You Spend It is available on catch-up 

at s.coop/22bew 

The documentary 

follows the Community 

First credit union 


The Co-op Credit Union 

– an alternative to high cost lenders By Anca Voinea 

Last year marked the 20th anniversary for the 

Co-op Credit Union (CCU). Based at One Angel 

Square – the Co-op Group’s headquarters in 

Manchester – it operates across the country, 

boasting 8,500 members and managing over £5m of 

members’ savings, and loans of £2.5m. 

Established in 1998, CCU is one of the two credit 

unions available to employees of the Co-op Group, 

who can also get access to savings and loans 

through the Value Credit Union. 

But it’s open to employees and members 

of several other co-ops too, after it successfully 

applied in 2007 to the FCA for an extension of its 

common bond to include all co-op employees in 

the UK. 

Initially, the common bond applied to employees 

working for the Co-operative Bank, the co-operative 

Wholesale Society, Co-operative Insurance, the 

Co-operative Union and Abcul. 

And it’s racked up some impressive numbers; 

following the introduction of the national common 

bond, CCU saw assets grow from £1.5m in 2011 to 

£5m in 2016 – while membership rose 66% and 

assets went up by 94%. 

Reserves increased by 127%, from £217,000 to 

£493,000, while loans increased by 9.5% over the 

same period, from £2.1m to £2.3m. 

Now it is trying to build on this – and at the same 

time make members and non-members aware that 

it offers alternatives to high cost lenders. A recent 

study showed around 60% of members have some 

sort of payday lender or high cost lender showing 

up on their bank statements or payslips. 

CCU’s approach also allows members to save 

as they borrow. To secure a loan, they have to 

save a minimum of £10 per month and see their 

deductions on the payslip. Any surplus made by the 

credit union is returned to members as an annual 

dividend paid on savings. 

Members can get loans between £50 and 

£15,000. Processing loans can take from 45 minutes 

for members to three days for non-members. 

However, urgent requests can be dealt with sooner 

provided they are a viable lending option. 

Accounts vary from the regular share account 

to a Christmas saver, university fund, baby fund, 

wedding fund and home deposit fund. 

Most credit unions across the UK are cash rich, 

says Andrew Davey, CCU operations manager. He 

believes this is one of the biggest challenges for the 

sector; it is becoming “increasingly difficult” for 

credit unions to lend to members. For instance, only 

a quarter of CCU members are borrowers. 

“There appear to be increasing numbers where 

members and potential members are struggling 

with their finances,” he adds. “Quite often, a credit 

search can reveal missed payments or defaults on 

existing lending facilities. It would seem the nation 

as a whole is feeling the strain of financial pressure 

and something needs to be done.” 

This is the biggest challenge facing CCU, he 

warns. “A lot of people, not just our members, are 

over-committing with finance. The last thing we’ll 

do is issue a loan to someone who cannot afford it. 

Ultimately, we have to ensure it is affordable.” 

To help people better manage their finances 

the credit union has an online budget calculator 

available for free to members and non-members. 

CCU uses social media to engage with members 

and the wider public. Its blog is also constantly 

updated with tips and news. 

The Member Access section of its website, where 

members can check balances, download statements 

and send secure messages, had 4,900 hits in 

December, nearly all through a mobile. . 

CCU recently adopted a cloud-based system, 

which enables it to send text messages to members, 

including links to its newsletter. The move proved to 

be cost effective, says Mr Davey, since it eliminated 

postage costs. “Text messaging is working and we 

will continue to do that.” 

Some credit unions are changing their name and 

rebranding to reach out to people from outside the 

co-operative movement. But the Co-op Credit Union 

thinks its name is a crucial demonstration of its 

co-operative ethos. 

“We have no desire to remove credit union from 

our name,” says Mr Davey. 

Andrew Davey, CCU 

operations manager 


Written by 

Anca Voinea 

As the United Kingdom 

prepares to exit the 

European Union, it is 

worth re-examining 

why the co-operative 

movement had mixed 

views about joining the 

common market. 

In spite of joining under 

Ted Heath’s pro-European 

Tory government in 

1973, the UK maintained 

a sceptical approach 

to the European project. 

Back then the European 

Economic Community 

(EEC) comprised only six 

states: Belgium, France, 

Italy, Luxembourg, 

the Netherlands and 

West Germany. 


The current union of 28 states 

dates back to the creation of 

the European Coal and Steel Committee 

in 1951, which created a common 

market for coal and steel to neutralise 

competition for natural resources. The 

idea came from French foreign minister 

Robert Schuman, who wanted to make 

war in Europe “not only unthinkable 

but materially impossible”. 

The EEC was established in 1957 with 

the signing of the Treaty of Rome, 

which proposed a single market for 

goods, labour, services, and capital 

across the EEC's member states. It also 

suggested the creation of a Common 

Agriculture Policy, a Common 

Transport Policy and a European 

Social Fund, and established the 

European Commission. 

Britain had been invited to 

participate in the talks but it preferred 

to focus on maintaining its trade 

relationships with Commonwealth 

nations. It also wanted a global order 

in which the sterling was a central 

currency. The consequence of not 

helping set the agenda was that by the 

time it did decide to join, the rules had 

already been made. 

A divided co-op movement 

On 4 September 1971 a special 

congress of the Co-operative 

Union was called to determine the 

co-op movement’s attitude to Britain’s 

entry into the EEC. 

The movement was worried the 

UK’s admission to the Common Market 

would increase food prices and the cost 

of living. The congress was also 

concerned that British people should 

be fully aware of all the facts before 

making up their mind. 

While the Union’s central executive 

put forward a proposal that aimed to 

establish the support of the movement 

for entry to the EEC, an amendment 

designed to achieve the opposite 

outcome was also debated. The central 

executive’s proposal was backed by 

the Co-operative Party and the 

Co-operative Wholesale Society (CWS). 

Central executive chair BT Parry, 

who moved the proposal, said: 

“We are a highly industrialised 

country, depending upon our 

exports of manufactured goods for 

our continued economic existence – 

industry, therefore, will have the 

opportunity as never before of 

exploiting a vastly increased home 

market. Let me say that if British 

industry cannot compete inside the 

market, it will not for long be in a 

position to compete outside the market 

either. Let there be no dubiety. 

“Unless Britain’s industry 

is successful, retailing, in which we, 

as co-operators, are principally 

involved, can never flourish. Of our 

13 million members a great majority 

earn their living in the manufacturing 

process. We have, therefore, a strong 

vested interest in the success 

of industry.” 

He also added that countries in 

the EEC had a lower unemployment 

rate than the UK, which had 900,000 

out of work. He said the EEC fared 

better because its countries had 

invested 24% of their GDP between 

1959 and1969 – while Britain had 

invested only 17%. 

Workers in Common Market 

countries earned more than those in 

the UK, added Mr Parry. Between 1958 

and 1969 the real earnings of workers 

in the UK had risen by less than 40% 

while in the EEC they had grown by 

over 75%. While entry into the market 

was not free, he believed the UK’s GDP 

would have also go up, striking 

“a fair bargain”. 

Mr H Kempf, chair of the Cooperative 

Party, said: “Economic 

events will not wait for more 

committees and inquiries. We have 

been already talking about this subject 

for 10 years in the British co-operative 

movement and, in my view, now is the 

time for decision. 

“Nor can we wait for a socialist 

Europe. Our people will be better 

served in the long run if we join now 

and help to build on the foundations 

already laid. The weaker socialist and 

trades union movements can be 

encouraged and strengthened by our 

participation. We all wish to know the 

facts. But the facts of economic success, 

higher wage rates and standard 

of living are known.” 

Another delegate, Mr G Edyvane, 

noted that Rolls Royce had gone 

bankrupt by entering into a “suicidal 

contract” to break into a foreign 

market. “Had Great Britain been able to 

become a member of EEC 10 years ago, 

the wider market would have been 

available and there is little doubt that 

Rolls-Royce would today still be one 

of our national symbols of excellence.” 

The anti-market amendment was 

defeated but another amendment was 

carried – providing an escape route 

for those who did not support the 

proposal of the central executive. The 

amendment warned that there were 

too many implications of such a 

decision, which were not sufficiently 

explained in the government’s White 

Paper. It called on the government to 

appoint a select committee to examine 

and evaluate the implications of the 

United Kingdom joining, or not joining. 

During the debate on the course 

of action Mr D. Ainley, who introduced 

the anti-market amendment, said that 

Britain should not enter the EEC under 

the terms in the then Tory government’s 

white paper. 

Mr A Walker from Central and East 

Fife seconded the amendment. He 

argued the movement had for a number 

of years been concerned about the 

Commonwealth, particularly New 

Zealand and the sugar producing 

countries, and also its partners in the 

European Free Trade Association. 

There were also issues around 

sovereignty, the freedom of governments 

to control the economy and extend social 

ownership; VAT; the agricultural support 

policy and cheap food. 

Mr CN Greenfield added: “The 

Common Market ... is a close economic, 

capitalist, political and military 

grouping. It is anti-democratic, antiworking 

class, anti-socialist and anti 

-co-operative. It exists with the object 

of creating a giant aggressive power 

grouping to promote the interests of 

big businesses in their search for 

super-profits.” 

Taxing times 

Delegates also criticised the 

Common Market’s Value Added 

Tax (VAT) system, which, they feared, 

would be introduced in the UK after it 

joined. This did indeed take place, on 1 



April 1973. The movement opposed 

indirect taxation as it believed it would 

have a greater impact on the less well-off. 

Writing for the Co-operative Review, 

J M Wood, parliamentary secretary of the 

Co-op Union, said VAT had 

become the most common form of 

indirect taxation in Europe and had been 

adopted by countries in the EEC, as 

well as other states outside the 

Common Market. 

It was Mr Wood who received prime 

minister Edward Heath’s response to the 

request of the Co-operative Union Special 

Congress to set up a select committee to 

look at the implications of joining the 

Common Market. The letter said the 

prime minister was “sorry” to learn that 

the motion in favour of British entry into 

the EEC had not been carried. 

But it added that ministers were 

justifying their policies in the House of 

Commons, so a select committee was 

not necessary. 

Another concern for co-ops was the 

price of food. A 23 October 1971 article by 

Mr Wood said that while the nation had 

been self-sufficient in food production 

until the mid 19th century, it had later 

decided to specialise in provision of 

industrial products and services and buy 

food from America or Australia. 

“It is usually assumed that if we do not 

join the EEC we shall continue to enjoy 

cheap food from our traditional suppliers. 

“We are in the situation 

of not having a firm decision 

pro-market. We are in limbo” 

— Sir Robert Southern, former general 

secretary of the Co-operative Union 

This assumption takes no account of the 

vulnerability of the British consumer 

to world conditions,” he wrote. 

Differences of opinion meant the 

movement lacked a clear common policy 

on the EEC. “We are in the situation of not 

having a firm decision pro-market. We 

are in limbo,” wrote Sir Robert Southern, 

the general secretary of the Co-operative 

Union, in Co-op News in November 1971. 

The paper played a key role in covering 

the debate. The 13 November 1971 edition 

reported how the 15 MPs of the 

Parliamentary Co-operative Group voted: 

eight were against entry to the common 

market while six were for and one 

abstained. In the Lords, four members 

voted for entry with one voting against. 

In the run-up to the UK joining the 

common market, Co-operative News 

articles also looked at issues such as 

fighting inflation, opposing VAT and 

freezing prices. 

Spotlight on Europe 

The paper also offered information 

about what was happening with 

co-op movements in European countries. 

An article on 15 September 1972 looked 

at Norway’s referendum on whether to 

join the Common Market or not. 

Becoming a member of the Common 

Market was in itself a lengthy process for 

the UK, delayed by opposition from 

France’s president, General Charles De 

Gaulle. He vetoed Britain’s membership 

application in 1963 and 1967, arguing that 

the British people were hostile to the 

European project and had to change their 

mindset if they wanted to join. He also 

thought the country was too close to 

the US. 

Following his fall from power in 1969, 

Britain re-applied to join and was 

eventually accepted, becoming a member 

on 1 January 1973, by which time De 

Gaulle had died. 

In 1972, Co-op News ran a series of 

articles under the tagline Inside Europe. 

These looked at the co-operative 

movement in different European states 

such as Italy, Luxembourg and Holland. 

“Meet your EEC colleagues”, read one 

headline. 

Similarly, an article from 22 September 

1972 reports how the British co-operative 

movement was to join Euro-Coop when 

Britain entered the Common Market in 

January 1973. The decision had been 

taken at the Co-operative Union Central 

Executive meeting. 

An analysis by Paul Kemezis in the 

Co-operative Review from September 

1972 explored the changes in Europe’s 

high streets. He described Europe as a 

high-consumption society on the 

American pattern. And he argued that the 

need for Europe to consolidate and 

harmonise national tax systems, health 

and safety standards, anti-pollution laws 

and other business standards to create a 

real common market offered a broad field 

for regulating arbitrary corporate power. 

Societies started engaging with other 

co-operatives in EEC states. On 8 

September 1972 an article in Co-op 

News described how Brighton Society 

was arranging a visit for 20 French 

co-operative directors to explore retailing 

in common market countries. Member 

relations officer Don Ranger said: 

“Equally important is the fact that we 

have arranged a return trip to Rouen to 

study at first hand the methods 

of retailing in the Common Market 

countries. In many respects they are 

more advanced than in this country and 

so we hope for great benefit from 

this exchange.” 

Going with the flow 

On 19 January 1973, Co-op News 

featured an interview with the then 

general secretary of the Co-operative 

Union, Clarence Hilditch. 

He said that although the movement 

had been split down the middle in terms 

of whether to join the EEC or not, this had 

become a fait accompli. Therefore the 

CWS, SCWS and the central executive 

decided it would be in the interest 

of the movement to join Euro Coop. He 

explained that Euro Coop had direct 

contacts with the EEC to ensure the 

British movement’s policy and opinion 

was reflected in Euro Coop’s overtures to 

the EEC Commission. 

As shown by Mr Hilditch’s comment, 

the country’s co-operative movement 

was not fully committed to the European 

project but eventually came to terms with 

joining for fear of being left behind. It is 

no surprise that the Brexit debate 

continues to generate mixed views. 


Written by Ed Mayo, 

secretary general, Co-operatives UK 

Close to one in three British 

businesses plan to relocate some 

or all of their operations abroad, 

according to the Institute of Directors. 

The Dutch government reports that it is 

in talks with over 250 companies about 

moving their operations to the 

Netherlands over the coming months. 

The front-page headline of one 

newspaper, pro-European, asks “Will 

the last business to leave the UK please 

turn out the lights?” 

Owned by and run for millions 

of people in the UK, co-operatives are 

the most rooted of business and least 

likely to cut and run. Co-ops have 

made a virtue of their ties, promoting 

fair tax compared to companies who 

move offshore to avoid tax and building 

more local supply chains. The 

decision of the Co-op Group in 2017 

to source 100% British fresh meat 

put it at a commercial advantage to its 

competitors scrambling now to secure 

their own domestic supply chains. 

In our contact with members, we 

recognise that there are important 

international trade links for 

co-operatives, within the EU and 

beyond. The commercial challenges 

of Brexit are no less for co-operatives 

than for any other form of business. 

Even so, co-ops are here to stay. 

Co-operatives are sometimes 

classed in economic language as 

a ‘commitment device’ – a way to 

benefit over time through a shared 

pledge. Dairy farmers might get a better 

deal for their milk at auction on a 

Monday. Consumers might get a better 

price for their energy on a switching 

site on a Tuesday. But by being 

committed to the co-operative as 

a member and as the business is 

committed to operate for the benefit 

of its members, both gain over time 

through better deals and better service. 

So, if co-ops are committed to the 

UK because they are committed to its 

members, what should be done in the 

context of Brexit? 

The first is to identify the risks 

ahead. Brexit is a time of extraordinary 

uncertainty and that means that 

boards have a unique role. Get out of 

the everyday and into strategic risk. 

Boards typically know how to map 

risks and put controls in place to monitor 

and mitigate them. Strategic risk 

focuses instead on the critical matters 

for the period ahead. Trevor Llanwarne, 

former government actuary, has helped 

to overhaul risk governance in the 

public sector, criticising as distracting 

the 30 or 50 page risk registers used 

before. He points to the end of the 

fi l m The Italian Job, where the bus 

is perched perilously on the top of 

the cliff and asks: why would you be 

worried about whether the headlights 

work when you’re in this position?’ Put 

another way, he asks, why is so much 

time spent on hundreds of little risks 

that probably don’t matter? 

The second is to secure the business 

on behalf of members. A struggling or 

insolvent co-op can serve no-one. 

Looking through each part of the 

business, there may be impacts. 

Brexit planning implies looking at 

sales, marketing, logistics, legal, tax, 

HR and more. If you are engaged in 

cross-border payments, there will be 

implications. If you recruit or employ 

EU nationals, there are implications. 

If you are engaged in cross-border 

trade with EU countries, in your supply 

chain or in sales, you are of course high 

up the list of those affected. 

The headline is to prepare for 

a short- or medium-term disruption 

both to supply chains AND to revenues. 

The challenges will be greater, possibly 

terminal, for businesses with a weak 

cash position. No one knows how banks 

will respond, so for now, cash is king. 

So what preparation can be made for 

access to credit or to free up cash flow? 

The third is to act in ways that draw 

on co-operative values. 

When it comes to economic 

shocks, the only way out is through 

collaboration. This may mean being 

ready in terms of marketing to 

communicate why products or prices 

may be changing, or prepared to help 

with payment terms or special offers 

to vulnerable customers who face their 

own lean period. The more that co-ops 

increase their diversity, the more likely 

they are to spot innovations and new 

ways to serve their communities. 

If there is an economic shock, 

businesses will need to work together 

in towns and regions. Italian co-ops 

have shown how businesses can come 

together to improve creditworthiness 

and gain access to capital. Through 

our own work with partners, such as 

Locality, Plunkett Foundation and 

Power to Change, we have shown 

how co-ops can be at the heart 

of community economic development, 

turning round neighbourhoods written 

off by others through self-help and 

mutual aid. 

At a time in which the bandwidth 

of co-operatives are stretched, with a 

need to focus on business essentials, 

there is also an opportunity for cooperative 

leadership that could be the 

making of the UK movement. We are 

different. And we are at our best when 

we act for the common good. 


Written by 

Anca Voinea 

We speak to Umberto Di Pasquo, 

senior policy advisor at Copa- 

Cogeca, the apex organisation of 

European agri co-ops and farmers. 

Which sectors are likely to be most 

affected by a no-deal Brexit? 

Most agriculture commodities 

sectors will be affected as the 

trading relationship between EU27 and 

UK is very significant. By some of the 

latest data provided in the European 

Parliament report, agri-food exports 

and imports between the EU27 to the 

UK will fall 62%. 

The most affected sectors would be 

processed food, white meat and dairy 

but the beef sector, fruit and vegetables 

and other perishable products will be 

significantly affected, especially in the 

no deal scenario. 

How can UK and European agri 

food co-ops prepare for Brexit? 

Many contingency plans have been 

put in place by the agri-food 

co-ops that have established either 

supplier relations, or even co-operative 

member relations with British farmers 

in UK. Agri co-operatives have been 

preparing for two and a half years now, 

but still the uncertainty remains on 

what kind of scenario it will be. 

However, to mention some examples, 

in the Netherlands, horticulture co-ops 

are working with fruit and vegetables 

co-ops on a green lane – a sort 

of paperless pre-clearance with 

customs, so when trucks reach the 

harbour, they have a private lane to get 

on the boat. 

Another excellent case is a merger 

between two Irish dairy co-operatives 

in the northern half of the country. This 

example is critical to also underline 

the democratic involvement of farmerowners 

of both co-operatives. The 

merger is an important strategic 

decision made by the shareholders of 

the co-operatives to safeguard against 

the risks of Brexit and it offers them a 

new opportunity for Brexit contingency 

planning. It will now provide an 

increased safety net in relation to 

whatever comes out of Brexit as the 

co-operative will now have added 

facilities in both jurisdictions north 

and south. 

How is Copa-Cogeca helping 

members with contingency plans? 

Together with our member 

organisations, we are following 

developments, sharing practices and 

debating options. It is very difficult 

to come up with good and efficient 

contingency measures for the case of no 

deal Brexit as the time is rather limited 

and hope for an orderly Brexit high. 

However, since the triggering of the 

Article 50, Copa-Cogeca formed a Brexit 

taskforce, creating a coordination 

body and a space for our members to 

exchange on this important issue. We 

have also enhanced our collaboration 

with other stakeholders in the agrifood 

chain to communicate jointly to 

the EC the position of the sector and 

the damaging effects Brexit will have, 

especially in a no-deal scenario. 

During the last two years we have 

met with Mr Barnier and his team 

on multiple occasions, as well with 

representatives of the competent 

Commission Directorates General, to 

exchange our views on the way forward 

and to present to them the extreme 

difficulties our sector would face. 

Should European agri food co-ops 

trading with UK companies look for 

alternative markets? 

Of course, the European agri food 

co-ops will have to look for alternative 

markets because the effects of Brexit 

on their sector/productions will be 

very significant. The market disruption 

created by a disorderly Brexit would be 

much more significant than the market 

damages created by the Russian ban on 

EU agricultural products. Our sector 

took years to recover and mainly did so 

by finding alternative markets. 

If tariffs are re-introduced, how 

affected will the whole European 

food sector be? 

Any re-introduction of tariffs will 

have negative consequences on 

the agri-food sector in EU, especially 

for the sectors such as dairy and beef 

(Irish in particular). 

If the WTO tariffs would apply on 

EU27 exports to the UK, this would 

lead to an increase of the EU food and 

drink prices and a decrease of the 

volumes exported. This decrease would 

probably also be reflected in a decrease 

of production and, therefore, would also 

put jobs at risk. We believe that the EU 

should make structural and adjustment 

funding available to operators and 

develop supporting policies if there 

are negative impacts arising from the 

changes in the relationship negotiated 

between the EU and UK. An emergency 

Brexit funds should be set up with 

sufficient budget to deal quickly with 

any unforeseen event. 


Written by 

Anca Voinea 

As Brexit draws nearer, agri food 

co-ops in Europe are getting 

increasingly worried about potential 

trade disruption. The sector has made 

recommendations to the EU’s chief 

negotiator, Michel Barnier, highlighting 

the lack of certainty. 

Copa-Cogeca, which represents 

Europe’s agri co-ops, joined CELCAA 

and FoodDrinkEurope at a meeting 

with Mr Barnier earlier this month to 

express their concerns over the potential 

impact of a no-deal Brexit. They believe 

an orderly Brexit, including a transition 

period, is the “only way” to prevent the 

UK’s exit from having a huge impact on 

the agri-food chain. 

But the sector also insists the 

EU should get ready for a no-deal 

scenario. Enterprises from both 

sides, including agri co-operatives, 

are already engaging in contingency 

and preparedness measures. In a 

joint letter to Mr Barnier, the sector 

points out that “these measures will 

not prevent significant disruption 

of supply chains in the case of a nodeal”. 

According to the three trade 

bodies, smaller operators are facing 

export procedure for the first time and 

lack the required resources to prepare. 

To address these concerns, they 

call on the EU to consider unilateral 

contingency measures specific to the 

agri-food sector. Areas covered include 

customs, labelling, food safety and 

phytosanitary requirements, transport 

and market disruption. 

The UK is an important market for EU 

agri food producers, including co-ops, 

with total EU-27 agri food exports to 

the UK amounting to €41bn (£35.69bn) 

in 2017. The UK’s exports to the EU also 

reached €17bn (£14.80bn). 

In terms of customs, Copa-Cogeca 

and the other signatories suggest 

temporary facilitated procedures for 

EU agri-food products that would allow 

the goods to be cleared at the premises 

of the operator. They also encourage 

temporary measures allowing goods 

placed on the EU market before 30 

March 2019 to continue being sold 

until goods are exhausted. The three 

organisations also request EU member 

states to coordinate efforts in capacitybuilding 

for customs authorities and 

in training for businesses, particularly 

SMEs that will have to operate at 

international level. 

In relation to labelling, the letter 

calls for a smooth transition to label 

changes by adopting temporary 

measures allowing for a grace period 

of at least 18 months, so that operators 

can build this into their current label 

update cycle and incorporate all 

changes at a single time. 

UK operators exporting to the EU 

could have to replace the UK address 

with an EU one. Similarly, EU operators 

exporting to the UK may need a 

UK address. The letter encourages 

clarifying the legal obligation for 

“establishing a business address” 

in the EU. 

Regarding food safety, the three 

organisations suggest maintaining the 

full access for the UK to the RASFF, 

EUROPHYT and the Administrative 

Assistance and Cooperation (AAC) food 

fraud system, which, they say, will 

be mutually beneficial for the UK and 

the EU. Agri-food businesses would 

also like to see mutual recognition 

of SPS certification (food safety and 

phytosanitary) by the EU and the 

UK. They believe an acceleration the 

process for recognising UK certification 

bodies as a third country certification 

body to certify organic products for 

export to the EU is also needed ahead of 

29 March for continued market access. 

Regarding transport, the letter asks 

for ensuring continuity of licenses to 

operate for EU haulers in UK and UK 

haulers in the EU for at least 18 months 

and maintaining harmonisation of all 

regulations and licenses for drivers 

and trucks. 

To prevent market disruption, agri 

food businesses suggest structural 

and adjustment funding available 

to operators and develop supporting 

policies to address the negative impacts. 

They also propose setting Emergency 

Brexit Funds and foreseeing plans for 

the use of market management tools, 

in particular private storage aids for 

some products. 

Geographical indications (GI) and 

denominations of origins are another 

issue that needs to be taken into 

account. In case of no-deal, and until 

the UK establishes its own GI scheme, 

EU GIs will not be protected in the UK 

market. The letter argues that support 

from the European Commission will 

be needed to help GI rights holders 

to protect their GIs under the general 

trademark legislation and/or to submit 

their application for GI status under the 

future UK GI scheme. 

“The exit of the UK from the EU 

without a deal will constitute a loselose 

situation for the entire agri-food 

chain. There is therefore an urgent 

need for time-limited EU contingency 

measures to decrease business risks 

associated with a no-deal Brexit and 

the UK must be encouraged to ensure 

reciprocity,” said the letter. 


Written by 

Anca Voinea 

While the UK is leaving the EU, 

consumer co-operatives in 

Britain will remain members of Euro 

Coop, the European community 

of consumer co-operatives. 

In an interview with Co-op News, 

Todor Ivanov, secretary general of 

Euro Coop, talked about what Brexit 

might mean for consumer co-ops 

in Europe. 

Mr Ivanov has been with Euro 

Coop since 2014. He says the close 

relationship between the UK movement 

and Euro Coop will continue post 

Brexit, as was immediately confirmed 

after the 2016 referendum when leaders 

of UK retail societies sent an open letter 

to Euro Coop and Cooperatives Europe. 

“The letter said that despite the 

referendum results, the UK cooperative 

movement is a natural ally 

and sees great value in continuing 

its relations with the wider European 

co-op movement, thus adhering to 

Principle 6 – co-operation among cooperatives,” 

said Mr Ivanov. 

“This has always been the case, and 

should remain so for the future.” 

In the same year as the referendum, 

UK membership of Euro Coop was 

transferred to the wider UK consumer 

co-op movement, represented within 

the Federal Retail and Trading Services 

(FRTS), the central buying group for 

co-operative societies in the UK. 

“This move was a result precisely 

due to the growing wish of UK coops 

to participate in the European 

movement,” added Mr Ivanov. “From a 

technical point of view, it is important 

to emphasise that Euro Coop is not 

a EU organisation, but a European 

organisation. Fifteen of our 20 members 

are within the EU, with five from non- 

EU states.” 

Asked whether the rest of the 

continent could be faced with 

oversupply in a no-deal Brexit scenario, 

Mr Ivanov said he did not believe 

it would come to that. “It is not realistic 

to think that a no-deal scenario means 

closing off the border and very little, if 

anything, can enter,” he said. 

“We are talking about food and 66 

million UK citizens will have to meet 

their daily needs. Business between the 

two sides was done before the existence 

of the EU, so it shall continue post- 

Brexit, regardless of the form and shape 

of the UK’s departure. 

“Of course, perhaps there will be, 

especially immediately post no-deal 

Brexit, a decrease in European products 

supplied to the UK, but we don’t foresee 

it to be an amount that could drastically 

increase the supply on the mainland. 

Thus, oversupply is highly unlikely. 

Oversupply could mean waste (unsold 

goods), and manufacturers are very 

precise on minimising losses.” 

In terms of coping with some of the 

challenges posed by Brexit, Euro Coop 

is advising members to work together 

to overcome common barriers. 

Mr Ivanov said: “The modern 

form of co-operation, as we know 

it and practice it, exists since 1844; 

more than a century prior to the EU. 

Co-operatives have and will continue 

to find ways to co-operate amongst 

each other – it is what we do best. Euro 

Coop is an ideal platform for this, as it 

brings together consumer co-operatives 

of different shapes, sizes, and forms, 

with different national historic, 

political, socio-economic and even 

legal differences. Yet they are all united 

by the shared co-operative heritage – 

our co-operative principles, values and 

ethics; and specifically Principle 6. 

“International organisations provide 

a forum for the national members, 

who are so rich and diverse from one 

another, to meet directly, discuss, 

share experiences, challenges and 

identify opportunities for mutual 

co-operation,” he added. “Brexit was 

brought about by governments, while 

co-operatives are in the business 

of bettering the everyday lives of 

their members, regardless of the 

circumstances. 

“Of course, Brexit is not ideal, but 

having co-operatives around makes me 

worry less.” 

“ IT IS NOT REALISTIC 

TO THINK THAT A 

NO-DEAL SCENARIO 

MEANS CLOSING 

OFF THE BORDER ... 

BUSINESS BETWEEN 

THE TWO SIDES 

WAS DONE BEFORE 

THE EXISTENCE 

OF THE EU, SO IT 

SHALL CONTINUE 

POST-BREXIT” 


Written by Miles Hadfield 

Alison Graham is European affairs 

executive at the Irish Co-operative 

Organisation Society (ICOS). 

How concerned is ICOS over the 

prospect of no deal and moves to 

amend the backstop? 

The withdrawal agreement 

represents a fair and workable 

solution to the UK’s decision to leave 

the EU. The backstop is a necessary 

pillar of the withdrawal agreement, 

aiming to fulfil the commitments and 

desires of both the EU and the UK to 

ensure that a hard border will not be 

reintroduced. This is not only a matter 

of trade, but one of peace and joint 

heritage and citizenship. 

Time is now fast running out and 

it is vital the agreement is ratified 

and certainty is provided. A no-deal 

outcome would be disastrous to all, 

particularly for agri-food co-ops, due 

to their complex highly integrated 

supply chains, their just-in-time 

processing and their dependence on 

perishable products. 12,000 jobs and 

€4.5bn in value for the Irish economy 

are dependent on Irish trade with the 

UK in the agri-food sector alone. It is 

not possible to sufficiently mitigate the 

resulting economic damage of a no deal 

through contingency planning. 

ICOS’s Alo Duffy, chair of the Copa- 

Cogeca Brexit task force, has met with 

EU negotiators to relay this message. 

We are also calling for direct help from 

the Commission to address potential 

market disruption. 

Which co-op sectors are most 

likely to be affected? 

The Irish agri-co-operative sector is 

particularly exposed, due to our 

strong trade links with the UK and 

business structures which span the 

north and south of Ireland. 

Our cross-border dairy co-ops, which 

have members and process milk on 

both sides of the Irish border, will be 

directly hit from day one in the event 

of a no-deal Brexit. Up to 745 million 

litres of Northern Irish milk (36% of 

their total supply and up to 11% of the 

ROI production pool) was processed 

in the south in 2017. However, under 

current EU regulation it would not be 

possible to continue to import raw milk 

for processing in facilities south of the 

border. A border on the island of Ireland 

would disrupt these north-south 

supply chains, which have developed 

organically over the last 20 years in 

Ireland and would do inestimable 

damage to fragile rural economies. 

For livestock trading, Brexit poses 

similar challenges. Approximately 

1,000 bovines and 10,000 pigs are 

exported from south to north in Ireland 

each week. In the event of a no-deal 

Brexit, veterinary checks on live animal 

exports will be drastically increased 

and the UK will be excluded from the 

EU’s TRACES system, which allows 

for the exchange of data on veterinary 

records and therefore there would be 

a significant additional burden on 

exporters, hindering the sale of live 

animals to the UK. 

Lastly, looking at horticulture cooperatives, 

the mushroom sector, 

which sends 95% of all exports to the 

UK, is already feeling the impact of 

Brexit. The UK is such a big market 

for Irish mushroom co-ops due to its 

proximity, which is essential for fresh 

products such as mushrooms. However 

a no-deal Brexit will entail customs and 

regulatory checks which will result in 

a serious delay for shipments, adding 

greatly to the cost of exporting. 

What can co-ops in Ireland do to 

mitigate the impact of Brexit? 

Irish co-operatives have been taking 

measures to mitigate the potential 

damaging impact of Brexit. 

Market diversification: Irish 

agricultural co-ops, particularly in the 

dairy sector, have been diversifying 

their export markets for many years. 

Product diversification: A lot of 

investment is being made by cooperatives 

in new facilities to enable 

them to also diversify their product 

portfolios. 

Strengthening foothold in Northern 

Ireland and Great Britain: The UK will 

remain a key market for Irish agri-food 

products, despite potential future trade 

difficulties and higher costs. Therefore, 

since 2016, many co-ops have made 

moves to increase their foothold in 

the UK and in particular in Northern 

Ireland, in order to strengthen their 

position in the market and secure it 

post-Brexit. These moves have included 

not only investment in expanding 

storage and distribution facilities in 

Great Britain, but also the merger of two 

co-ops in the northern part of Ireland. 

However, these measures are not 

a solution to the potential economic 

damage that would result in the event 


Written by 

Tiziana O’Hara, 

founder member, 

Co-operative 

Alternatives 

The co-op sector in Northern 

Ireland includes new and wellestablished 

co-ops ranging from multimillion 

pound agri-co-ops to credit 

unions and emerging worker co-ops. In 

the past few years, Co-operative 

Alternatives has been helping them to 

discuss their needs and recognise their 

common values and principles. 

At the same time, we looked for fertile 

grounds where the seed of co-operation 

could grow into new enterprises and 

directly worked with 18 new co-ops and 

supported 10 share offers in the region. 

In the event of a no-deal, the main 

concern is the long-term effect this may 

have on our local legislative assembly 

and indefinitely prolong what we have 

experienced so far: lack of 

accountability in decision making and 

no government programme for growing 

sustainable communities and the 

economy within Northern Ireland. 

We also talked with local co-ops – 

here are some interesting insights on 

how a no deal would affect them. 

General manager Paul Coyle from 

Northern Counties Co-op said the real 

issue for many of their members is 

the lack of clarity and the uncertainty 

around the border. Paul said: “About 

60-65% of the lambs produced by our 

members are for the Irish and European 

markets and those producers could 

potentially be the hardest hit. Currently 

the majority of lambs is also brought 

over the border to slaughterhouses in 

Ireland before returning to Northern 

Ireland ready to be exported to the 

EU. A hard border with tariffs may 

well affect already low profit margins 

and make the transport across 

more unpredictable.” 

Pat Close, general manager of Lough 

Neagh Fishermen’s Co-op, said: “Brexit 

and all its uncertainties are making 

life extremely stressful at present 

given that 80% of our eels go to the 

continental mainland each year. We 

do, of course, face the prospect of 

tariffs and a significant increase in the 

administrative burden.” 

He added: “More significantly 

however our eels have been listed by 

CITES (the Convention in International 

Trade of Endangered Species) for some 

years now and effectively we have been 

trading under licence from the EU 

through our Eel Management Plan (a 

stocking and escapement of mature fish 

programme). Now that facility will no 

longer be open to us unless a NDF (nondetriment 

finding) can be established. 

In any event it will be some months 

before we know and our season is due 

to open in a few weeks.” 

Mr Close is concerned that if the UK 

crashes out without a deal, the co-op 

will immediately lose access to markets 

it has supplied for more than 50 years. 

“We will have to rely on the domestic 

market which has traditionally 

accounted for only a fraction of our 

output. Clearly, the future prospects of 

our fishermen is under very real threat.” 

William Millar, treasurer of Slemish 

ntha Braid Credit Union, said: “Our 

software provider is based in the 

Republic and despite the fact that they 

use a UK address they are very much 

Dublin-based, so the need to ensure a 

seamless transition around software 

support is essential. 

“Credit unions are traditionally cash 

rich so they need various investment 

vehicles for their spare cash. Currently 

we can invest in government bonds 

of any EU state; I suspect that this 

may change. 

“There is also the desire from some 

people for a ‘border poll’. Any move 

to unification would bring us under 

Central Bank legislation which is very 

different from the PRA/FCA. Turning 

to the RCDRS, European Funding like 

Peace IV [European funding] does play 

a part in what we do, so this situation 

would need to be carefully managed.” 

Finally, we heard from Elena Martin, 

founder member of Belfast-based 

Lúnasa Workers Co-operative. 

She said: “We aren’t preparing well at 

all because we haven’t got a clue of the 

final scenario. No information has been 

made accessible, no one has a definite 

idea of what a no deal Brexit will entail. 

And that’s the main problem for us, 

especially for our co-op with a majority 

of Europeans in it.” 


Written by 

Anca Voinea 

he UK is one of the most developed 

T consumer markets for Fairtrade 

products. In 2016, the retail value of 

Fairtrade products in the UK was £1.6bn, 

with a 7% increase in 2017 due to new 

commitments in categories like flowers 

and wine. 

Yet Brexit could see trade rules 

rewritten and new trade deals 

negotiated, a process which threatens 

huge impact on Fairtrade producers. And 

last September the Fairtrade Foundation 

warned a no-deal Brexit could impact 

negatively on developing country 

exporters who depend on trade with 

the UK. 

It said the imposition of tariffs and 

other barriers after Brexit would increase 

the cost of trade with developing 

countries – something which is already 

a concern because of the devaluation 

of the pound. The foundation said this 

could force companies to switch their 

sourcing arrangements, ending longterm 

relationships with suppliers. 

Furthermore, the burden of increased 

tariffs and other costs could be pushed 

down onto producers and workers, while 

the currency devaluation could also affect 

Fairtrade companies importing from 

developing countries. 

Finally, Brexit could see companies 

stepping back from existing Fairtrade 

commitments, leading to smaller 

volumes being bought on Fairtrade 

terms and the movement having less 

leverage on issues such as living wages. 

There would also be fewer investments 

in programmes. 

The report argues that a successful 

Brexit outcome for developing countries 

depends on securing a ‘transition period’. 

The Fairtrade Foundation suggests the 

UK could replicate the EU Everything 

But Arms (EBA) initiative, which grants 

duty-free quota-free (DFQF) access to 

the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). 

In the case of developing countries that 

do not qualify for EBA, the UK could 

negotiate a rollover of existing EU trade 

agreements with developing countries as 

announced. 

In a no-deal Brexit scenario, the UK 

would leave the EU without an associated 

transition period, meaning that existing 

EU trade deals will not apply beyond 29 

March 2019. 

The UK has stated its intention to 

roll over existing deals including the 

Economic Partnership Agreements 

(EPAs) and other Free Trade Agreements 

(FTAs). However, the Foundation 

fears changes to these deals are likely, 

and there is no guarantee that this 

will be possible in such a short time 

frame, especially in the case of the 

‘interim EPAs’. 

The EU’s preferential trade agreements 

cover 71 countries. The UK has so far 

agreed deals with only seven countries 

covering only £16bn of the £117bn 

of British trade with these countries. 

The UK has rolled-over the FTAs that 

the EU had concluded with Switzerland, 

Chile, the Faroe Islands, Madagascar, 

Mauritius, Seychelles and Zimbabwe. 

It also signed a continuity agreement 

with Israel. 

Fairtrade warns that Brexit 

renegotiations could also see some tariffs 

lowered – for example, for wealthier 

banana exporters, which would make it 

harder for poorer and smaller countries 

to compete. 

It has made a series of 

recommendations to the UK government, 

such as ensuring that developing 

countries do not lose their market access 

after Brexit, and building a future UK- 

EU agreement that supports trade with 

developing countries. 

It also wants to protect developing 

country producers from any negative 

impacts of Brexit, and maximise any 

opportunities to increase existing 

protections for them. 

Legislation should be amended, 

it adds, to ensure development impact 

and the UN Sustainable Development 


Goals are is considered when setting 

tariffs and wider trade policy. And it 

wants to see an ‘Aid for Fair Trade’ 

Fund, to drive development impact 

through trade. 

On a more positive notes, the report 

says Brexit offers some opportunities. 

For instance, the UK could improve the 

rules of origin that apply to developing 

countries to allow for full regional 

cumulation in support of existing and 

emerging customs unions. 

Furthermore, the UK could introduce 

a “generous preference scheme”, 

which applies to a greaternumber 

of countries and extends to a 

greater range of products than the 

current EU Generalised Scheme of 

Preferences. This would allow vulnerable 

developing countries to pay fewer or no 

duties on exports to the EU. Leaving the 

EU could also open up an opportunity 

to develop a new UK policy on sugar, 

which supports developing country 

market access. 

But the Foundation believes these 

opportunities only apply if there is a 

transition period, and Brexit per se 

will not deliver improvements. It will 

be up to the UK government to pursue 

these improvements via specific policy 

options, adds the report. 

“Our position remains that we want 

the government to avoid no deal – 

anything that causes economic shocks 

would hit poor producers the hardest,” 

says Susannah Hefty, senior media 

and communications manager at the 

Fairtrade Foundation. “It is really 

important that trade with developing 

countries doesn’t suffer, we are therefore 

urging the government to think about 

Fairtrade and living incomes as they 

make their final Brexit decision.” 

Images, left to right: CAYAT co-op 

farmer Mrs Kouma; inside a Cocoa 

pod, collecting cocoa pods at harvest; 

N’guessan Cha Blandine of CAYAT 

harvests a cassava root from their 

Fairtrade Premium-funded income 

diversification project. 

All images taken in Ivory Coast, 

2018. Credit: Peter Caton 


WHAT HAPPENED 

Written by Tony Patterson, Co-op Canada Accelerator 

The year 2012 was a very good one for co-ops; 

it is still known among co-operators as IYC. 

In New York the United Nations declared the 

International Year of Co-operatives; in Belgium 

the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) 

published a Blueprint for a Co-operative Decade. 

In Italy the inaugural edition of the World 

Co-operative Monitor was published by the 

European Research Institute on Cooperative and 

Social Enterprises (Euricse). 

And in Canada, financial giant Desjardins 

co-hosted the biggest blowout the co-op sector 

had ever seen, the four-day International 

Summit of Cooperatives in Quebec City. 

The ICA, formed in 1895, is at the apex of the 

worldwide co-operative movement. At its head 

in 2012 was Dame Pauline Green. 

The Blueprint was meant to stir the troops 

to take the co-operative message to the wider 

community. To provide evidence for co-op 

evangelists, the ICA helped launch the annual 

World Co-operative Monitor. Its seventh edition 

in 2018 surveyed more than 2,500 organisations 

worldwide. More than 1,100 of them had turnover 

above US$100m in 2016. 

The Blueprint and the Monitor cost a pretty 

penny between them. Money is scarce at the 

apex of co-operatives, where there is a strong 

tendency always to look for ways to spend less. 

But whatever the costs of the Blueprint and 

the Monitor, they paled in comparison with 

the Quebec Summit. If IYC was the crowning 

of the global co-op movement, the Summit – a 

showcase for its achievements and potential 

– was its crown jewel. 

The Summit took two years to organise, 

featured more than 150 speakers, published 

44 academic papers in a 665-page book, 

and sponsored nine studies considered 

“groundbreaking” because so few studies of 

co-operatives had ever been done. Two thirds 

of the studies were presented by the four top 

international consulting firms, McKinsey, PwC, 

Deloitte and E&Y. 

There would be dozens of corporate 

contributors to the Summit. The federal and 

Quebec governments each kicked in CA$1m. 

But the chief organiser and biggest backer by 

far was Desjardins Group, the sixth largest 

financial institution in Canada with assets over 

CA$275bn. The CEO of Desjardins in 2012 was 

Monique Leroux. She created the Summit, she 

said, to show the world that co-operatives can 

work for both people and profit. It wasn’t going 

to be just another conference. “It has to be not 

just good, but emotionally positive – there has 

to be a taste to come back.” 

Ms Leroux and Dame Pauline made a joint 

presentation of a statement from the Quebec 

Summit to the UN at a ceremony in New York to 

conclude ICY. Costs estimated at CA$10m were 

recovered to some extent from sponsorships and 

participation fees but a substantial deficit was 

covered by Desjardins. 

It was evident that the Quebec Summit had 

a ring to it and could grow to mean something 

significant within the global co-op movement. 

A successful second Summit had potential 

to develop into a Davos-like forum for co-ops. 

A PLATFORM FOR THE MOVEMENT 

Despite the CA$1,700 entrance fee, let alone 

travel and hotel costs, the second Quebec 

Summit in October 2014 attracted 3,000 

participants from over 90 countries. A third 

edition, by then described in the literature as a 

“bi-annual event and a central organising force 

in the international co-operative movement” 

was held 11-13 October 2016. It was another 

sell-out, with “more than 3,000” participants 

from 113 countries, boosting awareness and 

providing a high level forum for co-operation 

globally among co-operators. 

By this third iteration, the Quebec Summit was 

doing better than break even. Costs had been 

contained while revenues were maintained. The 

Summit had won a reputation as a go-to event for 

the co-op establishment and had an established 

client base. It had a functioning team, profit in 

reserve and a lively prospect list. 

The ICA was still an official sponsor and 

Monique Leroux was still in charge, although 

she was no longer CEO of Desjardins. After two 

terms in that office retirement is mandatory – 

she was now president of the ICA, replacing 

Dame Pauline, who had retired. 

When she took office at the ICA there 

were already discussions under way for “an 

overarching solution that could bring together 

several co-operative initiatives”. These a 

included a proposal for an International 


TO THE SUMMIT? 

Co-operative Center (ICC) “to launch the co-op 

business world to another level.” Ms Leroux 

would champion this notion, and add a critical 

component. To give it a push and substance, 

ICC would embed the Quebec Summit – and 

capitalise on its tools, team, and contacts. 

The ICC would have a number of activities 

and roles – to advance B2B marketing among 

co-ops, conduct syndicated research, and 

create a networking platform and programmes. 

It would have global reach and speak to the 

interests of the Top 300 in the World Monitor and 

those that aspire to get there, including many 

of the 3,000 participants crowding the Quebec 

Summit every two years. 

Even before the proposal was ready for the 

ICA board, Ms Leroux was pitching the concept 

at the highest levels. Connections in Canada 

were good enough that two-thirds of the $30m 

in projected start-up costs for the ICC was soon 

pledged by governments. A grant of CA$5m was 

under negotiation with the city of Montreal. 

Ms Leroux would soon report CA$1.5m in 

confirmed commitments for ICC from “private 

partners, mostly co-ops,” with another CA$3m 

“of declared interest”. 

HITTING THE BUFFERS 

The Summit now was incorporated in the Center. 

Or was the Center a creation of the Summit? It 

wasn’t entirely clear. The draft 42-page business 

case for the ICC circulated on 11 September 2017 

had logos for both the Alliance and the Summit. 

But just a week before, on 5 September, Ms 

Leroux had announced she would not be putting 

her name forward again for the ICA presidency, a 

decision she said she was making “for important 

personal and family reasons”. 

The ICA annual meeting was held in Malaysia 

in 2017. On 13 November the retiring board met 

in Kuala Lumpur to hear an upbeat presentation 

about ICC from the outgoing president, including 

reaffirmation that Canadian governments had 

committed over CA$20m. 

But on 17 November the incoming board 

met with the new president, Ariel Guarco of 

Argentina. ICC was not mentioned. There 

wouldn't be another ICA board meeting until 

January 2018. That would be too late. 

Among the footnotes of the ICC proposal is 

this caveat: “The Canadian public funding 

comes with the following expectations: that 

the ICC is headquartered in Montreal and that 

a public announcement is made in November 

/early December 2017.” 

In a letter addressed to Mr Guarco on 27 

February 2018, Ms Leroux wrote, “I regret to 

inform you that we will not be going forward 

with the Center at this time”. 

She added: “Despite the will of the 

governments of Quebec and Canada and the city 

of Montreal to proceed,” not all the conditions 

for launch were in place. 

As for the Quebec Summit, “You will 

appreciate that this [decision] ... compromises 

future editions of the International Summit of 

Co-operatives since their funding was partly 

included in the financing [for the Center]”. 

In a follow-up letter dated 5 March, Ms Leroux 

confirmed that the Summit was no more. 

In her ICA resignation letter she wrote: “Due to 

some very particular personal circumstances, I 

am forced to limit my activities outside Canada.” 

Did she have any inkling that the Summit was 

going to implode as soon as she departed? She 

vehemently denies it, insisting until the day 

she stepped away that more than two thirds the 

required start-up capital for ICC was committed. 

But she also knew a large chunk of the 

commitment was time sensitive. The Canadian 

government, for reasons inscrutable, required 

an announcement of ICC by early December. 

When the new board with a new president didn't 

take it up at its initial meeting in November, the 

writing was on the wall. 

Ms Leroux’s letter cancelling the Center says 

“not all conditions for launch were in place.” 

But she specifies only one unmet condition: 

“a timely commitment by the International 

Co-operative Alliance”. The chance to solidify 

that commitment fell between regimes over four 

days in November. The outgoing president failed 

to bring a vote. The incoming president failed to 

take it up in time. 

And the ICA's perspective? Leire Luengo, the 

ICA’s director of communications, puts primary 

responsibility on a combination of “the new 

presidency and board of Desjardins.” But, she 

adds, “both organisations found the Summit 

was not viable any more.” 

Desjardins' Maxime Richard said that the 

organisation did “not wish to comment further 

at the moment”. 


BOOKS 

How co-operation can help the masses against a rigged market 

Enterprises that 

change lives 

by Edgar Parnell 

(Amazon, £10.01) 

Review by Anca Voinea 

The market regularly works against the mass 

of ordinary people, argues Edgar Parnell in his book, 

Enterprises That Change Lives. 

The most effective response to this, he says, 

is to join organisations that intervene in the 

market in the interest of their members. These are 

self-help enterprises such as co-operatives, credit 

unions, building societies, friendly societies and 

community enterprises. 

Mr Parnell has spent his life working in self-help 

enterprises, having managed, studied, researched 

and advised enterprises in more than 40 countries. 

A former chief executive of the Plunkett Foundation, 

he has also worked on projects for governments, 

European and United Nations agencies. 

Here, he draws on this experience to ask 

what policy makers, community developers and 

academics can do to help grow and sustain “selfhelp” 

enterprise. And he aims to give leaders a 

better understanding of their business, and provide 

a reference point for others involved in the sector, 

including employees, grassroots members and 

those looking to start up a new “self-help” business, 

When these organisations flourish, argues Mr 

Parnell, it is not because of their business model 

per se, but because they are giving people what 

they want. 

He looks at how to effectively run self-help 

enterprises that meet their members’ needs 

and achieve their purpose. The volume sets out 

the systems and culture needed to achieve the 

objectives of the enterprise, offering readers some 

useful tips for good governance and oversight. 

It suggests ways to finance self-help enterprises and 

common practices to make co-operation work. 

Mr Parnell believes the use of multiple 

terminologies for self-help enterprises can 

confuse the public. Some of them call themselves 

businesses, for instance while, others identify 

as social enterprises. And he warns self-help 

enterprises against their tendency to talk about 

sharing profit with members – while telling people 

they are not-for-profit enterprises. 

The book is available on Amazon. For more 

information contact books@edgarparnell.uk 

Human Energy 

A film by 

Adam Dzienis 

(humanenergy.in 

Download for €4) 

Film review: Human energy (2018) 

Climate change and concerns over the ownership 

of energy production have led to the search for 

new models in the sector – including the rise of 

community-owned energy. 

In this 62-minute film, producer Adam Dzienis 

shares the stories from leading lights of the sector 

across dozen European countries – the UK, Belgium, 

Croatia, Denmark, Greece, Germany, France, Italy, 

Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Spain, along with 

insight from climate change experts and academics. 

Against a backdrop of powerful fossil fuel lobbyists 

working across the continent, ensuring continued 

government support and subsidy for polluters, 

Human Energy offers a hopeful not, showing how 

grassroots groups are making a difference in their 

communities. 

It links this idealism back to the founders of the 

modern co-op movement, taking viewers on a tour 

of the Rochdale Pioneers’ Museum. Sustainability 

adviser Paul Monaghan thinks renewable co-ops 

need to draw on the determined spirit shown by the 

Pioneers if their model is to succeed. 

Renewable co-ops are on the rise across Europe; 

which is now home to more than 2,500 renewable 

energy co-operatives. REScoop.eu, the European 

federation for the sector, represents 1,250 energy 

co-operatives and their 65,0000 members. 

But in countries like Poland, co-ops face an uphill 

struggle; they are often seen as relics This doesn’t 

have to be so; before they were used as tools for 

forced collectivisation, co-ops had a long history in 

the country. Prior to WWII, one in five Polish people 

was a member of a co-op. 

In Greece, consumer and agri co-ops are 

well known but energy co-ops are still not well 

understood. It took a year to set up Sifnos Island 

Res Coop, which faced obstacles at every step of 

the way, says member Apostolos Dimopoulos. 

Similarly, in the UK, Repowering London is 

running energy gardens on the Overground network, 

offering people space to grow vegetables and install 

solar panels. 

And consumers still have the power to choose 

where they buy from, says Ricardo Moura, member 

of Coopernico RES Coop Lisbon. He thinks 

co-operatives enable people to consume in 

aresponsible, ethical way. 

Far from being utopian ideas, renewable energy 

co-ops are viable business models that can help to 

address climate change, says the film – a message 

it was keen to put across at its official premiere took 

place in December 2018, held at a side event at the 

UN Climate Change Conference in Katowice. 


Taking on the Men: The First Women Parliamentary Candidates 1918 

Taking on 

the Men: The 

First Women 

Parliamentary 

Candidates 1918 

by David Hallam 

(Amazon, £9.95) 

Review by 

Claire McCarthy 

Last year, the UK rightly commemorated the historic 

1918 General Election, when women were permitted 

to vote and stand for election for the first time. 

The extension of the franchise to women (who 

met certain qualifying criteria) was a milestone in 

our nation’s history. But as David Hallam reminds 

us in this book, the Representation of the People’s 

Act was the only the beginning of the struggle for 

women’s representation. 

He offers a fascinating and detailed account of 

the experience of three of the 17 women candidates 

that stood in the election – all based in his home 

turf of the West Midlands. In each case the reality of 

standing for election proved less of a fairy tale than 

these women might have deserved after the hardwon 

fight for suffrage. Perhaps most significantly, 

the challenges they encountered were not unique 

to this first electoral encounter. They still reflect the 

experiences of too many women seeking elected 

office today. 

Firstly, the women portrayed here – Christabel 

Pankhurst, Mary McArthur and Margery Corbett 

Ashby – all faced the challenge of standing against 

an established local patriarch in constituencies 

where they had few or no local ties. 

None of the three were the first choice candidate 

for their party – and they had to contest either with 

against a sitting MP, enjoying the benefits of local 

profile, connections and incumbency; or another 

local establishment figure. 

Secondly, it is interesting to note that despite the 

seismic shift that female enfranchisement the main 

parties had given little thought to the selection of 

women candidates, let alone that they might be 

chosen to fight winnable seats. 

Mr Hallam quotes prime minister David Lloyd 

George as saying: “I am not sure we have any 

women candidates and I think it highly desirable 

that we should.” But these women were learning 

an early lesson – that when it comes to women’s 

representation it is not sufficient for those in 

powerful positions to will the ends; they must also 

will the means. 

And it would take until the mid-1990s for a political 

party to really will the means to transform womens’ 

representation in Parliament, when the Labour Party 

elected more than 100 women MPs, many as a result 

of selection by all-women shortlists. 

Thirdly, the women faced the familiar struggles 

of juggling political campaigning and childcare 

responsibilities. Corbett Ashby called in support 

from her mother and father to help care for her 

young son Michael – something that will be familiar 

to many parents of political candidates today. 

In addition, McArthur was criticised for involving her 

child in her campaigning activities. 

I wonder what they would have reacted if they gad 

known that 100 years, that same Parliament would 

still be grappling with concepts as basic as proxy 

voting for MPs on maternity leave. 

Of the many interesting insights in the book, 

I was struck by the approach of the candidates to 

the job of appealing to the newly enfranchised 

women voters. McArthur was most explicit in 

setting out what might be described as a ‘pitch’ 

to women saying “If I am returned to the House 

of Commons, I shall try to voice in a special sense 

the aspirations of the women workers of this land, 

to whose cause I have been privileged to devote my 

life… I shall also feel entitled to speak for the woman 

whose work never ends – the woman in the home...” 

In contrast, Christabel Pankhurst is said to have 

dedicated much of her campaign to the ‘German 

Question’ and issues of post-war patriotism. 

In Birmingham Ladywood, it was Margery Corbett 

Ashby’s opponent, future prime minister Neville 

Chamberlain, who felt compelled to hold meetings 

specifically targeted at women voters and published 

a leaflet entitled A Word to the Ladies. 

It seems none of the three women candidates 

under discussion sought to address the very 

real consumer issues of the time – and yet these 

involved questions such as the availability of food, 

which would have been a concern for both male and 

female voters. 

This was instead left to the fledgling Co-operative 

Party, formed just a year earlier; this historic election 

is notable for another reason; the election of its first 

MP, Alfred Waterson for Kettering. 

Claire McCarthy is general secretary of the 

Co-operative Party 


DIARY 

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Ways Forward 

looks at the new municipalism (5 Apr); 

the World Credit Union Conference is 

held in the Bahamas (28-31 July); and 

the Worker Co-op Weekend is held in 

Northants (10-13 May) 

8 Mar: Abcul Annual Conference/AGM 

With discussion of digital, social impact 

and ways to boost lending. 

WHERE: The Midland Hotel, Manchester 

INFO: abcul.coop/events/view/244 

8-10 Mar: Co-operative Retail Conference 

Organised by Co-operatives UK. 

WHERE: De Vere Cranage Estate, Cheshire 

INFO: uk.coop/co-operative-retailconference 

9 Mar: Common Decency 

(Co-operative Party Spring Conference) 

The Party will look at ways to “rebuild 

common decency and ensure decent 

living for all”. 

WHERE: Amnesty International Human 

Rights Action Centre 

INFO: party.coop/event/ 

4 Apr: Unlocking Co-ops: 

revealing the hidden potential 

Co-operative College event looking at the 

movement’s needs in terms of research 

and education. Participants can pitch 

ideas and try research speed dating. 

WHERE: One Angel Square, Manchester 

INFO: s.coop/22bev 

5 April: Ways Forward: Ways Forward 

Conference – Manchester 

Looking at the rise of new municipalism, 

seen in cities as diverse as Preston and 

Barcelona; grassroots activism centred 

around ideas of the solidarity economy; 

and community wealth building. 

WHERE: Methodist Central Hall, MCR 

INFO: waysforward.coop 

10-13 May: Worker Co-op 

Weekend 2019 

Practical sessions designed and run 

by worker co-op, include developing 

leadership in flat hierarchy worker 

co-ops,and a guide to peer reviews. 

WHERE: Northamptonshire 

INFO: s.coop/22bed 

27-28 May: ICA-CCR, ACE and CASC 

joint conference on cooperative 

entrepreneurship 

Delegates will look at the 

concept of co-operative entrepreneurship, 

which organisers say poses a great 

challenge, in both its complexity 

and its novelty in the scientific field. 

WHERE: Montreal, Canada 

INFO: s.coop/22beb 

21-22 Jun: Co-op Congress 2019 

The movement’s annual conference 

WHERE: Manchester 

INFO: uk.coop/congress 

24 Jun: UKSCS Annual lecture 

Co-operatives UK secretary general Ed 

Mayo will expand on his recent Journal 

of Co-operative Studies article on the 

long history of co-operation. 

WHERE: Leicester Secular Hall 

INFO: ukscs.coop 

24-27 Jun: 7th EMES International 

Research Conference on Social Enterprise 

A central meeting place for researchers in 

social enterprise, social entrepreneurship 

and solidarity economy research. 

WHERE: Sheffield Hallam University 

INFO: s.coop/2atdt 

28-31 July: World Credit Union 

Conference 2018 

Keynote speakers include executive 

coach Connie Dieken, business futurist 

Patrick Schwerdtfeger and global 

security expert Mikko Hypponen 

WHERE: The Bahamas 

INFO: wcuc.org 


Assel Valley Community Renewables Society is a community benefit 

society formed to enable people to own a stake in the Assel Valley wind 

farm in Ayrshire. The Society are looking to raise £1,000,000 through a 

public share offer and are working in partnership with Energy4All and 

the developer, Falck Renewables Wing, to promote community schemes 

across Scotland. 

The Fall of the Ethical 

Bank: how a large group 

of decision makers believed 

their own hype – and got it 

spectacularly wrong 

thenews.coop/fall

Together we will reach new heights 

Our co-operative IT solution includes everything needed to run a consumer co-op. Our 

mission is to help the independent co-op movement thrive. We do this by reducing your 

society’s costs and helping your co-op be as efficient as possible through technology. We 

are truly co-operative – with lower prices for all consumer societies as more co-ops use 

VME technology.

MARCH 2019

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