Public services in the community – what have co-ops got to do with it?

16th Nov 2010Adrian Ashton

www.adrianashton.co.uk

Guest lecture to 1st year Public Services students, MMU

• What’s a co-op (and isn’t it the same as a mutual?)

• Opps/threats in Big Society policy for coops

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• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wxu_zDisalY (ed mayo)

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0atBklESuU&feature=channel (ursulla lebetter)

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yswusM3_mkw&feature=channel (unicorn)

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What’s a co-op?

• In the UK, no overarching single legal definition...

• An enterprise owned, controlled, and run in interests of its members (must be a principle stakeholder group)

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Defined by values

• Voluntary and open membership• Democratic member control• Member economic participation• Autonomy and independence• Education, training and information• Co-operation amongst co-operatives• Concern for community

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A mutual

... shares many characteristics in common with co-ops, but exists only to benefit its members

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Co-ops in the Big Society

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• Whatever happened to the Conservative Co-operative Movement?

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Big Society

• Public sector reform• Community empowerment• Philanthropic action

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Why the interest in co-ops?

• One of most sustainable models for business

• Able to reach and engage those people that the state can’t...

• Pioneered consumer/worker rights:– Food labelling– Animal testing– Fair trade– Environmental impact– Workers rights

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UK co-op movement

• £29bn turnover (£550m each week)

• 1 in 5 people are a member of a co-op

• Employs more than 200,000 people

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...and globally:

• 100 million jobs (more than all multinationals combined)

• Protects against fascism (Italy)

• Offers financial services to the White House

• Assure living wages and workers rights (fair Trade)

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Government agenda:

• “employee-led social enterprises, externalised from existing public sector bodies”

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Perspective of the sector

• Co-op model would seem to offer ideal fit to policy agenda– ‘hunger’ from people: community buy-outs,

community share issues, Co-op schools, ...

• But need for support – no funding from state, sector needs to better support itself

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Want to know more?

• Twitter - #coops

• Co-operativesUK www.uk.coop

• ICA www.ica.coop

Adrian Ashton