Co-operatives UK has unveiled the list of speakers for Co-op Congress, which will be held at the Mercure Manchester Picadilly Hotel on 16-17 June.
The event, sponsored by the Co-op Bank for the third consecutive year, is “about bringing together those working to build a fairer economy to learn, share ideas and take action”.
Speakers include:
- Andrew Griffith MP, economic secretary to the treasury and City minister
- Lisa Nandy MP, shadow secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities
- Cherylee Houston, actor and disability campaigner
- Shirine Khoury-Haq, CEO of the Co-op Group
- Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester
- Lord Victor Adebowale, chair of the NHS Confederation
- Debbie Robinson, CEO of Central Co-op
- Sarah Merrick, CEO of Ripple Energy
- Catherine Douglas, chief people and sustainability officer, the Co-op Bank
- Rob Harrison, director, Ethical Consumer
- Sara Vicari, aroundtheworld.coop
- Dan Sodergren, Great Marketing Works
- Emma Back, Equal Care Co-op
- Cheryl Barrott, Co-operative Guild of Social and Community Workers
- Blase Lambert, Confederation of Co-operative Housing
Dicussion will include climate change, the co-operative identity, principle 6 (co-operation among co-ops), raising finance, co-operation in social care, community ownership, and tech.
Congress will also present an offer from the Co-op Bank, which gives all its staff two paid volunteering days per year to make a difference in their community. From its exhibition stand, the Bank will give co-ops the chance to match-make its colleague volunteers with their own needs – ranging from board expertise to offering to a spruce-up of community space.
