The Coop Insider

Bo needs to try much harder. We are seeing too much complacency.

Please consider the state of the UK movement. We are in disarray. We tried to align ourselves with a weak and Toryesque ideal that hasn't worked. #coops it's hard to trust the current leadership in the UK.

Big shifts in Italy's retail movement. Discussions on closing supermarkets on Sundays to cut costs. Reminds me somewhat of the Sunday opening hours debate from the 90s. #Coops adventmessenger.org/italys-natio...

The board need to take action. Will they? No, they won't.

#coops

Senior Co-op staff complain of 'toxic' culture at the top Lawyers for the Co-op said they do not believe the complaints represent the broader views of staff

It's incredibly sad to see this. Let's not forget the trauma that is associated with poor / bad / incompetent management. The last few years been hard on cooperative mgmt. Rightly so. It must be better. Not the shambles we see at the largest Coop a d the apex.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Apparently the BBC are reporting on poor leadership practices at the Group. Are we surprised? No, not in the slightest. The rot begins at the source. CUK has been failing for years now. Central has made progress, yet other societies are struggling with Mgmt.

Revolver Co‑operative, the UK-based worker- and farmer-owned co-operative, has been ranked number one for coffee and tea in the latest Ethical Consumer guides #coops #Fairtrade

www.thenews.coop/revolver-co%...

The Canary, New Internationalist, The Ferret, Positive News, Coop Press, the list goes on. #coops

In another telling example of 'the world does #coops better than the UK', Kenya has a coop university. Let that sink in.

Hmm. We struggle to see any growth. Especially when development is so misguided.

#coops

Workers.coop launches its first business support programme The apex for the UK's worker co-op sector is launching its first support programme “for workers leading the transition to a new economy”

UK worker #coops apex @workers-coop.bsky.social
launches its first business support programme for the sector

How poorly you read the room, and continue to do so. The worker coops we speak to have walked far away from CUK. 'Toxic' is often mentioned.

Should the Cooperative Party align with the Green Party? Labour is failing the country and the membership. Yes, it's a big move, bit the world is changing very rapidly before our eyes.

1/9
🇨🇦 WHY CO-OPS ARE THE SOLUTION TO OUR HOUSING CRISIS 🇨🇦

In Peterborough, a 3-bedroom co-op unit costs $828. A 1-bedroom on the market is $1,687.

Wait lists are years long, proving people want a model that governments keep ignoring.

Ludovic Viger reports... #HousingCrisis #CdnPoli #Coops

The @moreperfectunion.bsky.social account have posted a great insight into Italian Exceptionalism we wish we could say the same of the UK.

2025 was the year of the photo op. Meanwhile, the pillars are gone. We might morn them in a non fatal manner.

The board appear to be asleep at the wheel, but that's not new. Bamboozled by an archaic governance system that only serves the founding societies.

The CEO has her event registrations and her photos with Steve Coogan. We have a hollowed out apex body where remaining staff are taught to 'toe the line' or follow the pillars out the door. 180 years of literacy traded for 4 years of personal branding. 🥀 It's sad to see the mvmt in this state.

Richard Self (Agri) exits. May 2025: Gareth Wright (Member Relations) pushed out. The 'old guard' didn't just retire; they were cleared to make room for 'friends' who speak Social Enterprise but don't understand the Rochdale Principles. Institutional memory is now a black hole.

The UN Int. Year is ending with record income figures and high-gloss galas. But at Holyoake House, the technical debt is due. You can't run a movement on branding when you’ve purged the people who actually knew how it worked.

Huge shoes to fill. We're sure they'll find someone amazing.

The worker coop movement is forging it's own path. This would be a great role for someone who is a self starter and a great organiser. #coops

🤝 We've 50 years experience of lending to workers co-operatives and we understand - better than most financial advisers and lenders - the particular dynamics of a co-operative working environment

Discover how we could help you 👉 buff.ly/3ONzmbD #Coops

Support could be wider, but many disadvantaged communities have been taught to compete. It's all they know.

Pauline and Ed built unity and trust. Today's approach risks alienating the very members who keep the movement alive. Time for honest reflection, not more glossy reports. #Coops

It's funny how things work out. When a ceo recruits their mates to vital positions, you end up losing the plot (and the trust of long standing staff members) #coops

Membership of Co-ops UK itself? Whispers of stagnation or worse. Staff morale low. Good people living in fear, tiptoeing around decisions from the top. The current leadership's push for "scaling" and accelerators feels disconnected from the grassroots reality many of us see.

Another year ends, and the latest figures from Co-operatives UK are out. Record turnover, memberships holding steady at over 65 million, fictional as mutuals now boost the figures massively. On paper, growth. But dig deeper – indie co-ops are struggling, with worker co-ops barely growing.
#coops

Hiring: Studio and Production Manager - media co-op Media co-op is a team of award-winning media professionals who create digital media and films for the third sector and broadcast television.

Great studio/production manager job going with our pals @mediaco-op.bsky.social in Glasgow! mediaco-op.net/news/studio-... #workercoops #coops #ethicaljobs etc