Recent News About Co-operatives in the East Midlands
Download our Autumn '09 Newsletter
New Chair for Co-operatives EM Announced
Sarah Kirkpatrick of Enterprise Solutions Northamptonshire has taken over as Chair of Co-operatives East Midlands and looks forward to progressing further development of co-operative enterprise in the region.
Co-operative Group Fund Boosts Co-operative Development in the Regions
Co-operatives East Midlands is currently working with The Co-operative Group who have created a fund to support the promotion of co-operatives in the regions nationally. The Co-operative Enterprise Hub Fund has given a fantastic boost to the regional co-operative development agencies.
Events planned for 2010 and dates for your diary
- 17 February: "First Steps on Co-operatives" - an understanding of what co-operatives stand for. A free seminar at Derby Conference Centre from 10 - 12 noon. This event is supported by The Co-operative Group Enterprise Hub Fund.
- 26 March: "Communities in Control" - Nottingham Conference Centre, Nottingham Trent University with keynote speaker Ed Mayo, newly appointed secretary general at Co-operatives UK.
Download the event programme and booking form in Word format or as a PDF.
More information about either of these events is available from Jenny de Villiers, Secretary, Co-operatives East Midlands. Email: jdevilliers@btinternet.com or tel:07773705552.
Lidbetter Steps Down As Chair
Ursula Lidbetter has stepped down as Chair after many years service. She has taken up additional commitments on the Main Board of The Co-operative Group, placing additional demands on her already busy schedule. Members expressed their sincere appreciation of her valued contribution in promoting co-operative enterprise in the region.
Calling Co-operative Entrepreneurs
Do you have an idea for a co-operative business? Co-operatives East Midlands is running a competition to support an innovative co-operative business. The winner will receive £2,000 worth of business advice to take their idea further and develop it into a successful co-operative.
If you and your friends/colleagues have thought of a practical business solution that meets a need within your community and could be financially viable, let’s hear from you!
You can be at the ideas stage or have recently started your enterprise. You can download an application form here. The closing date for applications is 16 October 2009. Shortlisted projects will be interviewed on 5 November 2009, with the presentation on Social Enterprise Day - 19 November 2009 at the SEEM event. Business advice will be given by specialist advisors from co-operative development agencies in your area.
Now We Are Ten
Co-operatives East Midlands celebrated its 10th anniversary in August. A magnificent cake, made by Gadsbys of Lincoln, together with Truly Irresistible Elderflower Sparkling ensured a superb celebration.
At the event, a special presentation was made to Bob Marsh, catering supervisor at Midlands Co-operative, Scudamore Road, who is retiring in October. His cheerful manner and co-operation will be missed, not to mention his sandwiches!
Health and Social Care: a co-operative perspective
We held a major event at Derby's Pride Park Stadium on Monday 30 March 2009, featuring Phil Hope MP, Minister for Care, and Ursula Lidbetter, CEO of Lincolnshire Co-operative. The hugely successful event very effectively showcased a range of co-operative and mutual solutions in health and social care.
We were wowed! The audience of health professionals, local government and community organisations working in health & social care were treated to an invigorating morning of what is going on in the co-operative and social enterprise sector, working for the good of their local communities and residents.
Ursula Lidbetter, Chair of Co-operatives EM, led the event with an overview of the specific differences of co-operatives, the benefits to their members and customers and the links in promoting wellbeing through a variety of co-operative models.
Phil Hope MP, Minister of State for Care Services, was welcomed and, despite his busy schedule, gave time to reiterate the need for joined up public services and the need to treat people holistically. PCTs are now obliged to consider social and co-operative enterprise for delivery of services but there is a clear requirement for “evidence based” examples that can be replicated in all parts of the country – the challenge is ours.
Mick Taylor from Mutual Advantage highlighted examples where empowerment of people and staff really makes a difference, where end users are taking charge of their individual needs.
Helen Griffiths inspiringly reported on Principia, the co-operative/social enterprise of 100 GPs in South Rushcliffe who, alongside their patients, decide and deliver health services. She highlighted the Board structure and governance and reflected that the Government needs to address the issue of how staff are converted to a co-operative/social enterprise without losing their terms and conditions within the NHS.
Delegates learned how the consumer co-operatives of Midlands Co-operative and The Co-operative Group, through their retail stores, are getting a message across about healthy eating, the environment, local food and linking with a variety of community projects to support many varied initiatives. We were treated to a first hand report by 7 boys from Derby Grammar School who each in turn gave their own understanding of a co-operative, the environment, honest labelling, good food and saving the planet. The school has formed close links with Midlands Co-operative who give their support to educate and inform.
Charles Cooke from Lincolnshire Co-operative Development Agency discussed strategic planning of opportunities in the personalisation of health and social care, developing brokerage and supporting new ways of delivery that do meet needs and can transform existing services.
At grass roots level, Sarah Pollard from Shepshed Carers identified how, from simple beginnings from a dining room to now – 15 years on – a small idea can successfully meet the needs of local people in their own homes. 108 carers are now employed – contracted to the PCT and Adult Social Care Services to offer a successful co-operative solution. Business support from CaSEda, the co-operative development agency in Leicester.
To end the morning, delegates were treated to a good dose of enthusiasm and optimism – Nick Padwick – from Co-operative Farms in Stoughton. He spoke of how young people get a taste of where their food is grown, how to cook it and he supplied a much sought after cookery book. The programme is increasingly attracting schools and is supported by the Co-operative Group.
Health Information and Services were available from Disability Direct, Enabled Art, Derby Hospitals NHS Trust, SEEM (Social Enterprise East Midlands), Co-operatives East Midlands, Lincolnshire CDA and The Co-operative Pharmacy.
Downloads from the event:
- Presentation made by Mick Taylor, Mutual Advantage (PDF, 2.8MB)
- Presentation made by Helen Griffiths, Principia (PDF, 130KB)
- Presentation made by students from Derby Grammar School (PDF, 2.4MB)
- Presentation made by Charles Cooke, Lincolnshire CDA (PDF, 2.2MB)
"Farm to Fork" project rolls out nationally
The Co-operative Group, Central & Eastern region, actively supports fairtrade, food ethics and cruelty free household products. To promote these, and other co-operative values the membership team attends many events, often with their own kitchen, running demonstrations of how to cook well and healthily.
Congratulations go to the Farm to Fork project, which brought 4,500 children through the gates of Leicestershire’s Stoughton working farm in the last school year. This initiative is now being developed across the country and on 14 October 2008, the project won the Social Innovation Award at the prestigious IGD Awards in London. With the capacity for over 20,000 children to go through the project in 2009, this really is changing perceptions in a huge way.
Investing in the Community
The Midlands Co-operative Society puts 1% of its trading profit each year back into the community through the Making a Difference Community Dividend Scheme.
Many groups benefit, including musical instruments and books for schools; sensory gardens for hospitals and special schools; cycles for community police; mowers for bowls clubs and nature reserves – and much more.
One such project - The Rebike Project in Kettering pictured left, refurbishes and recycles old bikes, helping the environment and helping young people learn practical skills and gain recognised qualifications.
“The Midlands Co-operative Society supports Co-operatives EM as this is an important body where co-operative models of business can be showcased and promoted across the East Midlands.” said Tanya Noon, Member Relations Officer for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
Minister Salutes Flourishing East Midlands Co-operative Sector
(reproduced with the kind permission of The Co-operative News)
The booming co-operative economy in the East Midlands was celebrated in Lincoln when junior minister Gillian Merron MP congratulated the region on its commitment to co-operation saying: “To me, Lincoln is the home of co-operation.”
Ms Merron attended an event to launch The Co-operative Economy in the East Midlands pamphlet which highlights the economic success of the Movement in the area and was compiled by Jenny de Villiers, Secretary of Co-operatives East Midlands.
The leaflet, which aims to increase awareness of co-operation and promote the success of co-ops in the East Midlands, was presented to delegates from the region’s businesses by Ms Merron along with Dame Pauline Green, Chief Executive of Co-operatives UK, and Ursula Lidbetter, Lincolnshire Co-operative Chief Executive. The East Midlands is a hugely successful co-operative area with a turnover of almost £2.4 billion and 14,436 employees.
Ms Merron, Minister for the East Midlands, said that co-operatives and social enterprises of all kinds had a bright future with Labour in government and pledged that the Government was always looking at ways to promote social enterprise and ensure it has the right kind of support.
Ms Merron told delegates: “Today isn’t just about the brochure. It’s also about showcasing the best of co-operation in the area. Social enterprises have huge potential to effect social change, but we need to talk up their role.” She added that it is imperative young people really get involved with the Movement. Said Ms Merron: “We need to get young people to aspire and meet the needs of those aspirations. We have to be serious about encouraging and growing social enterprise.”
Dame Pauline explained just how important and significant the Movement is to local, national and global economies. She congratulated the Lincolnshire Society on its successes in the region, both financially and socially and explained to delegates how Co-operatives UK works to promote and expand co-operative enterprise and act as the home of the wider Movement.
She emphasised the importance of the Movement with some startling facts. She recalled that the former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan once said that half the world’s population is supported in one way or another by a co-operative. Dame Pauline also said the top co-operatives that made the Global 300 list had a turnover of $1 trillion, which is equivalent to the GDP of Canada — £27 billion of this comes from co-operatives in the UK. Co-ops also employ over 100 million people worldwide.
People often lose sight of the collective strength of co-operation due to its local nature, according to Dame Pauline, but she insisted the focus must remain at a local level to build its strengths. She said co-ops were about working together for an agreed purpose and “building wealth for the many”.
Ursula Lidbetter discussed how the Lincolnshire society supports other co-operatives in the region to ensure the success of the Movement as a whole. She said the society worked with a range of other co-ops in order to provide for the community. It has links with farmer co-ops in the region to ensure quality, low prices and to cut down on food miles. It also supports Fenland Green Wind Farm and has invested £150,000 to ensure its success and sets aside £50,000 each year to support various co-ops.
To highlight the diversity of co-operative provision in the region organiser Jenny de Villiers arranged for a number of speakers to explain what their co-operative does. Delegates learned about financial co-operatives from ICOF’s Andrew Hibbert, while Phil Gibson, from the Dairy Farmers of Britain, discussed how farmers' co-ops could be a profitable success.
Sarah Tanner, of the Care Services Improvement Partnership, showed how the co-operative model may be used to provide and improve public services. She said that a scheme for a new kind of social care would be piloted in Lincoln and would give customers the opportunity to choose the outcomes they want rather than the services they require.
Delegates were also given an insight into how development agencies work with co-operatives to deliver what a community needs. Sue Kirby of the East Midlands Development Agency; Tanya Noon of Midlands Co-operative Society; David Kelly of Social Enterprise East Midlands; and Jane Avery, Charles Cooke and Sarah Kirkpatrick from the Co-operative Deveolpment Agencies of Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire all gave their take on how co-operation works.
John Goodman, Head of Policy and Regions at Co-operatives UK, rounded off the day with a positive message to the gathered delegates. He said: “Co-operation works. It delivers to the people. We need to put co-operation right at the top of the agenda.”
