News, Events and Information - Co-operatives Fortnight

The Co-operative Marketplace - 150 years of CWS

The Co-operative Marketplace is the launch event for an exciting new exhibition at Leeds City Museum as part of Co-operatives Fortnight. The exhibition celebrates the growth of the co-operative movement, in the 150th anniversary year of Co-operative Wholesale Society. The Marketplace event is a celebration of the vibrant co-operative scene in Leeds. The day will be full of tasters, dancing and fun. Come along and meet some of the fantastic range of Leeds co-operatives, from housing co-operatives to bakers. The event will also feature Harmony is a vibrant, energetic, multi-racial community choir based in Burmantofts who sing for joy and to bring the community together.

It takes place on the 22nd June at Leeds City Museum

Full details here

Rugby League Networking Meeting

Supporters Direct will hold a Networking Meeting for all Rugby League supporters trusts and community owned clubs on Wednesday, 3rd July hosted by Co-operatives Yorkshire and the Humber in Leeds city centre as part of Co-operatives Fortnight.

The event will be addressed by Blake Solly, the Rugby Football League’s Director of Standards & Licensing who will consult fans on the current Policy Review restructuring proposals for Super League and Championship Rugby League.

The event is open to all League fans and discussion will take place on raising the profile of supporters trusts and community owned clubs within the game and what Supporters Direct do within Rugby League how we can work more closely with the RFL and promote community ownership within the game to achieve the SD mission “ to promote sustainable spectator sports clubs based on supporters’ involvement and community ownership.

Wednesday, 3rd July, 2013
Ebor Court, Westgate, Skinner Street, Leeds. LS1 4ND

7.00 p.m. for food, business commences at 7.30 p.m. and will finish at 9.30 p.m.

Please register at events@supporters-direct.coop

Co-operative Councils Open Space

The event is organised as an Open Space event driven by your own enterprise development agenda and hosted by Sheffield Business School and Co-operatives Yorkshire and the Humber. There will be a general open space and a Co-operative Councils Open Space. The Co-operative Council Open Space follows a succesful Open Space in 2012 which looked at:

What is a Cooperative Council?

The status of Co-operative Councils and whther they should have minimum standards?

The Transition to Cooperative Councils

What does a Cooperative Council look like?

Citizen participation in a Co-operative Council?

What is the council’s place in a cooperative economy?

The Cooperative Neighbourhood

All participants will receive a copy of the 2012 report prior to the event.

For more information and to book click here

Green Schools Revolution

Green Schools Revolution is a community education programme for all primary and secondary schools across the UK. The aim is to help schools to become greener and to inspire young people, teachers, parents and whole communities to get involved with environmental and sustainability issues.

This is part of The Co-operative's ongoing commitment to the environment; inspiring and encouraging young people from the age of 5 - 16 as well as their local communities.

Schools should visit: www.greenschools.coop

Staff form co-op to take over popular organic food shop

Valley Organics, the specialist grocers in the centre of Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, has today (4 June) opened as usual but with new owners – the employees.  With expert advice from The Co-operative Enterprise Hub and finance from The Co-operative Loan Fund they have set up a co-operative and bought the business from the previous owners who are moving on.

Valley Organics is a well-established business that specialises in organic, ethical and local food and goods.  It has built up a very loyal customer base over the last 12 years and managed to bounce back after the shop was devastated in the serious floods that struck the town in 2012.  When the two owners announced that they were planning to relocate the staff immediately started to look at how they could keep the business going. 

The Co-operative Enterprise Hub, which provides advice and training, helped the six members to register a workers’ co-operative and negotiate the business transfer.  The members raised the finance to buy the business, fixtures and fittings and lease from a combination of their own money, loan stock from customers and a loan from The Co-operative Loan Fund, which lends exclusively to co-operatives.

One of the members, Sally Hayes, said: “The shop has been selling good organic produce and wholefoods for more than 12 years.  The previous owners, Jackie and Elaine, have done a wonderful job.  When they decided to move on, we jumped at the chance to buy this thriving business.  Recent research by the Soil Association shows that organic shoppers are abandoning supermarkets in favour of independent shops - and our loyal customers bear this out.  The veg box scheme is going from strength to strength, shop sales are on the up and we’re looking at stocking new lines.” 

Ian Taylor of The Co-operative Loan Fund said: “I’m confident that this co-operative takeover of an existing business will be a success.  They are a very good team who know the business well and have a deep commitment to organic and ethically sourced food and the environment.  They seem to work well together and have good ideas for improving the business.”

Valley Organics will be having an official launch on Saturday 8 June with many special offers for customers old and new.

For more information about Valley Organics please visit www.valleyorganics.co.uk

Co-operative News

The fortnightly Co-operative News is the only publication that provides full coverage of the Co-operative Movement in the UK. Order your free sample copy today.

Tel: 0161 214 0870

or visit www.thenews.coop

Sheffield Co-operatives

For everything that you want to know about the Co-operative Movement in Sheffield see www.sheffield.coop

 

Co-operatives Yorkshire and the Humber Enhanced Benefits Package

Join our enhanced scheme for a number of new benefits including a free place at Futures North 2011. The package is being delivered jointly with Social Enterprise Yorkshire and the Humber and includes benefits such as membership of a business club for social enterprises and co-operatives and inclusion on a marketplace e-directory.

The package starts at just £25 for small co-operatives and full details can be downloaded here.

The Phone Co-op Affinity Scheme

CYH have an affinity scheme with The Phone Co-op. Any individual or organisation can join so If you're considering joining the The Phone Co-op there are several benefits you can receive by quoting our affinity number AF0461- details are available here.

If you are not a member but wish to be membership of Co-operatives Yorkshire and the Humber is free and open to all organisations who support co-operative values and principles. A membership form can be obtained by downloading a form from here