From Monday 24 June to Sunday 7 July, UK co-ops are celebrating co-op fortnight, and sector body Co-operatives UK is urging its members to “back our call for co-operative growth”.
“We’re calling on the entire movement to get behind our call for all political parties to commit to co-operative growth this Co-op Fortnight,” said the organisation.
“Co-ops offer an altogether different way of doing business. They’re democratic. They share power and wealth across the economy. We now need the next UK government to take action to unleash co-operative potential.”
Co-operatives UK has been urging all political parties to commit to co-operative growth, and with the Association of Brisith Credit Unions, the Association of Financial Mutuals and the Building Societies Association, issued a letter to the main party leaders, urging them to put the mutual business model at heart of their growth plans.
“Our lobbying efforts are strengthened every time a co-operative backs the campaign,” Co-operatives UK says. “We’ll be contacting the new prime minister and government after the general election on 4 July, but meanwhile, please also invite your members, employees, customers and supporters to back our campaign.”
To “unleash the UK’s co-operative potential”, the apex has called on the next government to deliver five policy priorities, including unlocking capital options, removing unnecessary barriers to co-operation and “accelerating the proliferation of replicable co-operative solutions in broken systems like social care, food, housing, data and culture”.
Co-operatives UK also wants to ensure communities, workers, entrepreneurs and businesses are supported to explore and adopt co-operative options, and to harness co-operative action on climate and the environment.
“Business as usual is failing and wrecking the planet in the process,” says the organisation. “For more than a century, we have pioneered a better way of doing business and serving communities. While we are still something of a ‘best-kept-secret’ in the UK, we are growing in number and already punch above our weight.
“Globally co-operatives are a significant force, offering genuine alternatives to corporate myopia, knee-jerk government, trickledown philanthropy and passive consumerism. The UK needs to be part of this.”
The fortnight ends on the weekend of the International Day of Cooperatives – which is celebrated on the first Saturday in July. This year’s event, on 6 July, will be celebrated under the theme ‘Cooperatives Build a Better Future for All’ – and will include the soft launch of the 2025 UN International Year of Cooperatives.
For more information on Co-operatives UK’s #CoopGrowth campaign, visit uk.coop/CoopGrowth
