Co-operatives UK

"We are embedding participation into the regeneration of the town," says @rosemarley.bsky.social at #MIPIM2026

About to begin 👀 👇

LIVE from #MIPIM2026

Our CEO Rose Marley joins Steve Coogan, Andy Burnham and Rochdale Council Leader Neil Emmott to discuss how Middleton is exploring a co-operative model for regeneration.

Development shaped with communities, not around them.
Watch from 10.15am: lnkd.in/eFRBmYDr
#Coops

🔐 And the Friday Gala Dinner is sponsored by Longwall Security.

The night includes an after-dinner speech from Fred MacAulay, a ceilidh and a charity raffle raising funds for Childnet 👏

🛒 The Thursday Welcome Dinner is sponsored by Marsanz and Joalpe, in partnership with Formbar.

We’re really excited about Co-op Retail Conference taking place in Glasgow next week – proudly sponsored by Locyco ✨️ See the full #CoopRetail line-up at www.uk.coop/crc

We're also thrilled to reveal 👇

What if the BBC was owned by the people who fund it?

We’re proposing a member-owned BBC where licence fee payers become members with a real voice in how it's run.

Independent. Accountable. Owned by the public.

Support the idea before the consultation closes today 👇
buff.ly/OdtHYx0

#BBC #Coops

Submit your thoughts by 31 March - feed into our proposal and help the future of co-operative development in Scotland.📝

Help shape what happens next, read the principles and respond here: buff.ly/FG5WKvX

What we want from you is a response to our guiding principles by answering the three questions:

1. How far do you agree with the principles, and what would you change?
2. What risks do you see, and how could they be managed?
3. How could you or your organisation help make them happen?

Scottish co-operatives, we need your input.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 We're inviting Scottish co-operatives to feed into our proposed principles on the future of co-operative development in Scotland before 31 March.

Worker co-op brings children’s authors into UK libraries to inspire young readers Public libraries have long been places where stories begin, but a national initiative is helping them spark something even bigger. In this guest blog, GLL's Rebecca Gediking shares how one of…

"Working with the GLL Literary Foundation has already made me feel like I am back where I belong," says Nadine Wild-Palmer, GLL Literary Foundation 2025 author.

Read the full blog and see what co-operative impact looks like: buff.ly/KediY7Z

#WorldBookDay #Libraries #Coops

GLL exists to make life in communities better - spreading health, social and economic opportunity.This is what co-operatives do best: reinvest for community benefit, back talent, and strengthen the places that help us learn and thrive.

Our partner member GLL, a worker co-op, is bringing children’s authors into libraries across the UK through the GLL Literary Foundation. Creating what Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho calls “life-changing” moments for young readers.

World Book Day is the perfect time to celebrate libraries' impact AND the #coops that strengthen them, making a difference in people's lives 🧵 👇

ICYMI: Our letter to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero @ed-miliband.bsky.social welcoming the #LocalPowerPlan 👏

@rosemarley.bsky.social @jameslwright.bsky.social @energy4alluk.bsky.social

"The levels of ambition and funding in the #LocalPowerPlan are like nothing the UK community energy sector, or the wider co-operative movement, has ever seen before... We look forward to hearing how we, our members and our networks can get involved." #coops #comshares

Our letter stressed the importance of our unique #comshares investment model being able to simultaneously mobilise social and financial capital in communities and multiply the impact of public funds many times over while building inclusive democratic ownership. #LocalPowerPlan

Last week, Co-operatives UK – along with
@energy4alluk.bsky.social and Energy Local CIC – wrote to the Sec of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, @Ed_Miliband, and Dan McGrail, CEO Great British Energy, about the recently #LocalPowerPlan.

@rosemarley.bsky.social @jameslwright.bsky.social

From governance and HR to role-specific advice and guides, this page features the services and resources co-operatives and community benefit societies rely on.

Find the perfect resource for you >> buff.ly/aoublh0

#coops #resources #advice #guidance

Want to see the resources our members value the most?

We've brought together our most trusted advice, toolkits and support services in one place, so you can quickly find what will make the biggest difference to your co-operative or community-owned business.

What is a Community Energy Share Offer? – A Guide - SELCE We’re a co-op helping communities in South East London to bring solar energy to their homes, their schools, and their community centres. We also give out free advice on energy bills, to households in…

"Community ownership is an incredibly stable way to run businesses. @cooperativesuk.bsky.social ran a survey and they believe that 92% of all businesses that have used community shares are still trading."

Thanks to Brightelm for sponsoring the awards, and to everyone who helped make Congress such a memorable event. We’re keeping everything crossed for this evening.

#coops #events #award

Congratulations and best of luck to our fellow nominees: Aviation Services, British Coatings Federation, British Florist Association and TIGA.

Held at Rochdale Town Hall, last year’s Co-op Congress was a powerful celebration of co-operation, and it’s fantastic to see it recognised on a national stage.

We’re delighted to share that Co-op Congress 2025 has been shortlisted for Event of the Year at tonight’s Trade Association Awards - @taforum.bsky.social.

Thanks to being a co‑op, they’re now attracting clients who share their values. 🤩

🔎 Read their inspiring story: buff.ly/VbR6jhw

#Coops #WorkerCoops #EthicalDesign #SustainableArchitecture

... delivered by Co-operatives UK in partnership with The Co-operative Bank. Thanks to tailored governance advice, access to peer mentors from an established co‑op and expert guidance, every step of the way, Incremental Architecture successfully aligned their structure with their mission. 👍️ (2/3)

🌱 Aligning structure with values. 💚

Meet Incremental Architecture – whose mission is rooted in shared ownership and community impact. After staring life as a company, they became a worker co‑operative – with help from Business Support for Co‑ops... 🧵 (1/3)

We’ve produced guidance on how to respond, covering suggestions for:
🔺Where to focus
🔺Issues to cover
🔺Ways to align with sector insights and priorities

Read our draft, add your support and submit your response >> buff.ly/ODiJB03

Thanks to valuable input from all different kinds of co‑operatives, we’ve published our first draft response.

There’s still time to submit your own response directly – before the closing date on Wednesday, 18 February. ⬇️