cooperatives-wales.coop

Joseph (Joe) Reeves was born on 28 January 1888 in Camberwell, London. His childhood was impoverished and he left school at 13. He was a conscientious objector during World War I.  Joe was Education Secretary of the Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society (RACS) from 1918-1938. He believed that ‘the dynamic of education must be altered from individual assertiveness to service on behalf of the community’. While Reeves was secretary the Education Committee expanded its activities and provided equipment and premises for classes as well as holding drama groups and orchestras. In 1945 he was elected as a member of parliament for the Greenwich Constituency, until 1955. He also served on the RACS Political Purposes Committee from 1946-1953. https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/search/archives/1421fc6e-153c-3142-8ae9-ddcaf00e00f3

https://gov.wales/economy-minister-sets-out-plans-banc-cambria-wales-new-community-bank

Welsh Government statement issued today.

Excellent cross-party support for Monmouthshire Building Society backing a civic society mutual intiative for a community bank – long in the making in Wales. Many more miles to travel. Mutuals are member controlled. If you want a say in branch location/policy join this mutual to make it a great success.

As part of Congress’s first key theme, Examining Our Co-operative Identity, delegates gathered on the afternoon of 1 December in Seoul and online to discuss cooperative and cultural heritage. In 2016, UNESCO formally recognised cooperatives as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and in her introduction, the session’s facilitator Stefania Marcone referenced this decision as something to reflect on in this conversation, saying, “if we want to rebuild a better world, cooperative culture and the culture in cooperative sectors are fundamental.”

David Smith, lifelong co-operative activist and Trustee of the Robert Owen Memorial Museum offered a presentation from Wales, where he shared that despite having global recognition in the co-operative world, Robert Owen, whose 250th birthday is being celebrated this year, is little known in Wales. Mr Smith explained that there is sadly poor understanding of the co-operative movement in Wales, something he and his colleagues are working to counter through educational programmes, media coverage and events. He ended his presentation with a question to Congress: Would the creation of a global annual Robert Owen Day spur us to action in creating a co-operative education system for the co-operative world we wish it to be?

https://www.thenational.wales/news/19737010.robert-owen—one-waless-greatest-political-icons/ 

Francis Jones explores the life and work of Welsh businessman and social reformer Robert Owen: why do we know so little about a man whose work is revered across the world?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000z4vj

The radio programme is on this evening, 31^st August 2021 at 18.30 hrs, and will be available on the BBC Sounds app for the next month so there’s plenty of time to take advantage of its presence online for a while yet.

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