A detailed research report, commissioned by the Co-operative Party and written by Professor Paul Salveson has been published with the support of SERA, ASLEF, Co-operatives UK and ourselves. Continue reading
On the 16th July 2012, Business, Enterprise and Technology Minister Edwina Hart announced the setting up of the Welsh Co-operative and Mutuals Commission. The remit of the Commission will be to make recommendations on growing and developing the co-operative and mutual economy in Wales in order to create jobs and wealth in support of the Welsh Government’s aims and ambitions.
The Members of the Commission will be as follows: Continue reading
“Humanizing the Economy – Co-operatives in the Age of Capital” by John Restakis, Executive Director of the British Columbia Co-operative Association is now available as an audio book published by the Post Hypnotic Press. Continue reading
Future Co-operatives programme is out and booking is now available. Organised by Co-operative Futures, this is regarded by many as one of the highlights of the co-operative calendar.
This time the event will be held at HF Holidays’ Longmyndd Hotel in Shropshire from January 26th to 28th 2013
For details see:-Programme – Future Co-ops 2013
Dear Co-operator
Are you based in Mid or North Wales?
If so, you are invited to:-
A joint members meeting with 
Monday November 26th
10.00am for 10.30am until 3.00pm
The Interchange
317 – 319 Abergele Road
Old Colwyn, Colwyn Bay, LL29 9YF Continue reading
A date for your diary. Details will follow in the new year
Alex Bird of Co-operatives and Mutuals Wales, in partnership with Derek Walker of Wales Co-operative Centre and Liz Moyle and Ashley Drake of the Co-operative Group presented a workshop at Co-operatives United about their visit to Mondragon in April 2012. Continue reading
This was a momentous occasion for the UK co-operative sector. Co-operatives UK proudly hosted, with the Co-operative Group and the ICA, the culminating event of the International Year of Co-operatives here in the UK, in Manchester; with an abundance of Co-operatives UK members and societies supporting the event. |
The Rochdale Pioneers film premiered at the Co-operatives United event in Manchester last week will be shown on FILM 4 this SUNDAY (11 NOVEMBER) at 5.45. It is well worth seeing, please advertise as widely as possible.
The inspirational new movie telling the story of the birth of the co-operative movement in Rochdale in 1844 is set for its TV Premiere on Sunday, 11 November. Continue reading
On Monday November 26th we are holding a joint members meeting with Co-operatives UK at the Interchange, Old Colwyn, Colwyn Bay to launch our joint membership offer.
The event is free to members and those interested in joining and includes a buffet lunch.
We welcome your feed back, so please come along and tell us what you want from us
Register for this free event at:-
http://cooperatives-wales.eventbrite.co.uk/#
The international management consultants, McKinsey & Company have discovered co-operatives, and it seems that they rather like what they’ve found. They released their much-heralded report “McKinsey on Co-operatives” on Tuesday on October 9th at the International Cooperative Summit in Quebec where their global managing director Dominic Barton arrived to deliver their findings.
“The time has come for the [cooperative] model to be put forward and celebrated,” he told his audience. He called for a shift generally in business from “shareholder value to stakeholder value” and strongly criticised the short-termism of conventional business, driven by the need to produce three-monthly financial accounts for investors. “Quarterly capitalism does not lead to good results. The short term pressure is toxic,” he said.
Read the full report at:-http://www.mckinsey.com/client_service/strategy/latest_thinking/mckinsey_on_cooperatives
A workshop session Mondragon – a view from Wales at Co-operatives United will be based on the study trip to Mondragon and report published earlier this year by the IWA. This was made possible by generous sponsorship from the Co-operative Group Membership (Wales/Cymru).
The workshop is at 12.30am on Wed October 31st in Business (Central 5) as part of the Co-operatives United world co-operative forum at Manchester Central
If you have not already registered to attend Co-operatives United please click here for more information. Once registered for the event, there is no need to register for our workshop – its first come first served.
Copies of the report will be available on the day, or you can order in advance – hard copy or download from:- http://www.iwa.org.uk/en/publications/view/216
It’s not to late to reserve your place at Co-operatives United, the International Congress of the ICA in Manchester from 31st Oct to Nov 2nd at Manchester Central
Full details are booking forms now available at www.manchester2012.coop
MyFerryLink, the newest operator on the Channel is a French worker co-op, or SCOP (Societe Co-Operative et Participative) which started operations from Calais to Dover on August 20th operating 10 crossings per day.
They are using the Rodin and the Berlioz, two identical modern passenger ferries taking up to 700 cars and 1,900 passengers each. After 11 months of inactivity since SeaFrance went into liquidation, the ferries have been bought back from the French Government liquidators by EuroTunnel and leased to a newly formed worker co-operative put together by the former employees of Sea-France. The new workforce of 350 in France and 50 in the UK is 98% former Sea-France staff. Continue reading
The UK Society for Co-op Studies held another successful Annual Conference in Lincoln last weekend on the subject of Co-operatives – Community and Place.
The Society has extended its special membership offer as part of a drive to increase membership, and individuals can sign up for only £10 for a full years membership. To join just complete the special form below:-
Incidentally, Lincoln Co-op Society operates the oldest continuously open co-op shop in the world at Burton Road, Lincoln
A new film on worker co-ops is due to be released this October. The film, Shift Change, by Mark Dworkin and Melissa Young will be premiered on October 18th at the Grand Lake Theater, Oakland, California
More details at http://shiftchange.org/
Neath Port Talbot Credit Union recently attended Downing Street, and the Houses of Parliament in recognition of the credit union’s work in their school saving initiatives.
NPTCU’s work with schools has resulted in an outstanding growth to their current 36 School Savings Schemes, whilst at the same time contributing to the increase of the overall membership to over 6,000.
Representing NPTCU were Steve Mallinson (General Manager), Brian Warlow (Development Manager), Les Hughes (Chief Accountant), Joanne White (Company Secretary and Founder Member), Clare Bentley and Nick Baker (Development Officers). Representing Neath Port Talbot Local Education Authority were Jen Malcolm and Wynne Griffiths Continue reading
Building on previous work on Co-op Capitalism by Professor Noreena Hertz, Co-operatives UK is pleased to support a new essay prize and crowd-sourcing website launched by Ethical Consumer, the UK’s leading alternative consumer organisation.
What would the world be like if most businesses were co-operatives? Would it be fairer and more sustainable? And what would it take to get to that place? The new Ethical Consumer competition site has been established to explore these ideas at a time when serious questions are being asked about our current economic model. Continue reading
The Co-operative Loan Fund is one of three partners involved in the creation of a new fund designed to support communities wanting to raise investment by a community share issue. The Co-operative Community Shares Fund is managed by Co-operative & Community Finance and the initial funds have come from The Co-operative Enterprise Hub. The Co-operative Loan Fund has agreed to provide loan finance if required. Continue reading
The report of the recent study visit to Mondragon in the Basque country was launched at the Co-operative Group Membership (Wales/Cymru) Conference on July 7th Continue reading
Secretary - David Smith
54 Capel Dewi Hall Road
Newport
NP20 2QP
+44 (0) 7597 008176
david(at)cooperatives-wales.coop
Skype: Davidsmith.wales
Follow us @CoopsWales
