A community owned bakery announces exciting new plans to buyout premises, provide apprenticeships and purchase new equipment. Located about 30 miles east of Edinburgh, Dunbar Bakery has been serving the community of Dunbar for over 150 years and as a co-operative with a membership of 1,300 since 2011. Wholly owned by its shareholders who mostly […]
A collective of hospitality and events workers in Plymouth have taken on the premises of a previously dormant college brewery to launch Borrowed Parts Brew Co. Operating out of a former teaching and commercial brewery installed by City College Plymouth in the year 2000, the group have revived and retrofitted the facility which has been […]
The co-operative movement has long been at forefront of putting environmental and ecological principles and values into action to tackle climate breakdown. Co-operatives have been global leaders in building economic, social and environmental sustainability through creating models of business based on ethical values and principles. Whether it be community renewable energy, sustainable co-operative housing, minimising […]
Co-operatives have played a major role in the development of Fair Trade and building belief in the possibility of a better world. Fair Trade co-ops have been global leaders in building economic, social and environmental sustainability through creating models of business based on ethical values and principles. They can provide for the needs and aspirations […]
Hospitality co-ops are showing resilience and doing the right thing by their communities through diversifying services and supporting staff, members, and customers. In throughout what has been an extremely difficult time for the commercial hospitality sector, it has been reported that co-operative and community-owned pubs, bars, cafés and restaurants have been bearing up well throughout […]
Creative co-ops are delivering greater equality – both economically and culturally – not just to the co-operative sector, but locally in our communities, nationally and internationally. Often made up of a consortia of the self-employed, small businesses and freelancers; creative co-ops can bring people together through mutual support, shared services, democratic governance and sustainable employment […]
At a time of increasing precarious work and recent expanse of the exploitative ‘gig economy’, worker co-operatives can provide sustainability, equality and equity to members providing fair work at a time when it is greatly needed. This year Co-op Fortnight, the annual UK celebration of co-operation, is celebrating the benefits and diversity of co-op membership […]
There is no doubt that the global pandemic has forced many to embrace the use of technology and digital resources to function and communicate effectively throughout the Covid-19 crisis. The co-operative movement however has been shouting from the roof tops about the benefits of democratically owned platform tech solutions long before the coronavirus was on […]
“Time is running out. You need to act now. Make sure you are ready,” shrieks the government’s Brexit Transition website. The co-operative movement has a calmer response. “Co-ops need to work together to minimise the risks and maximise the opportunities in Brexit,” says Co-operatives UK. Co-op Loan Fund is a good example of co-ops working […]
This year Co-op Fortnight, the annual UK celebration of co-operation, is a time for reflection. What can we learn from the way co-ops and communities have responded to the pandemic? How can we ensure we build something better for the future? Co-op Loan Fund brings together the UK’s biggest and smallest co-op businesses in a […]