Cooperatives Yorkshire and Humber

SUMA wins Grocer Award

Suma Foods, the worker co-operative based in West Yorkshire, has won the inaugural award for “Specialist Wholesaler of the Year” at the Grocer magazine's Gold Awards 2009. Suma’s PR Manager Andrew Mackintosh says “it is, of course, a great honour to be nominated and then to win was entirely unexpected. We like to think it’s a recognition of the fact that you can run a business along ethical lines and still be innovative and progressive in what is a difficult time for us all commercially”. Receiving the award for Suma was its Brand Development Manager Jon Knight who said “on the night other category winners included Tesco, Cadburys and Waitrose, so we were competing with the real giants of the grocery trade, it was with great pride that we accepted the award”. Suma is a co-operative owned, managed and entirely controlled by its workers. Distributing food across the globe from it’s base in Elland, West Yorkshire, it is the largest independent wholefood wholesaler in the UK. www.suma.co.uk

Co-operative Diversity Action launched

Co-operatives UK has launched a new initiative and website, Co-operative Diversity Action, to help engage people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities in co-operative enterprise. CDA offers strategies, resources and guidance to encourage more people from BAME communities to get involved in co‑operatives. www.diversityaction.coop

Watch your Waste!

3 September in Leeds, 4 November in Sheffield, 5 November in Hull, 10 November in Huddersfield, 11 November in Harrogate

Make the most of your food. The Co-operative believes there are a few quick and easy things we can all do to reduce the amount of food we throw away. Join the Co-operative and their community chefs at one of their Watch your Waste events to fund out what you can do. rebekah.watson@co-operative.coop 0191 411 2347.

Co-operative Support Consortium Takes Shape

Co-operatives YH supported a meeting of 11 people interested in delivering co-operative development, in July. A consortium is forming, able to deliver high quality support to co-operative enterprises, in any part of Yorkshire & the Humber. The meeting heard about funding from the Co-operative Enterprise Hub, from Dave Hollings of Co-operative & Mutual Solutions. The next meeting of the consortium - making policy decisions - will be held on Monday 14 September at Sheffield Co-operative Development Group. Any co-operative enterprise wishing to benefit from up to four days free support and advice should visit www.co-operative.coop/Enterprisehub/

Co-operative Development Information & Training Day

24 September, 10 for 10.30am to 4pm, Holyoake House, Manchester M60 0AS

Co-operatives UK has organised a training day for co-operative development workers and those who have shown an interest in engaging with the Co-operative Development Network. The event will cover a wide range of legal topics including the impact of the Companies Act 2006, changes to industrial & provident legislation and the revised Co-operatives UK model rules and is an ideal opportunity for networking and information sharing. The day will be a great chance for development workers to get up-to-speed with all of the new developments and to meet with the members of the Legal Team. CDB and Federal members of Co-operativesUK - £65 + VAT. Non-members of Co-operatives UK - £150 + VAT. Contact emma.laycock@cooperatives-uk.coop. Full programme and booking form is on-line at www.events.uk.coop/cdbnetworkevent.

Community Hydro Electricity Workshops

Sept 29th, Oct 29th and Nov 24th at Manchester Knowledge Capital, Oxford Rd

Water Power Enterprises are running a series of free workshops for community groups wanting to set up community owned small-scale hydro schemes. The workshops are practical sessions and show the various stages needed including technical aspects, finance, permissions and legal aspects. Attendees will be expected to do some ‘homework’ on their site before the workshop. www.h2ope.org.uk. To attend, contact steve.welsh[at]h2ope.co.uk or 07964 106037. For Settle co-op case study see www.guardian.co.uk/money/2008/sep/13/energy.householdbills

Footsey

Join Co-operatives Yorkshire & the Humber at Footsey, the regional social enterprise trade fair. Thursday 22 October, Doncaster racecourse. www.seyh.org.uk

Making Local Food Work

Governance and Legal Structures training; 10am-4 pm October 28th in Sheffield; November 25th in Lancaster

Throughout this year the Co-operatives UK team are offering regional one day training days on Governance and Legal Structures to improve the knowledge of good governance and its critical role in the sustainability of organisations. The training includes typical legal and organisational structures for community based local food initiatives; good governance; and interactive select-a-structure workshop. Contact 0161 246 2953 or mlfw[at]cooperatives-uk.coop. www.cooperatives-uk.coop/Home/miniwebs/miniwebsA-z/makingLocalFoodWork/trainingEvents

Transitional Economies conference

Friday 6th November, Slaithwaite, West Yorkshire

This conference is organised by the Co-operative Group (North Region), Co-operatives YH, Transition Towns Network, Making Local Food Work (Co-operatives UK), Marsden & Slaithwaite Transition Town and other partners. Keynote speakers include Rob Hoskins and Ben Brangwyn the co founders of transition towns. More details will follow.

International Enterprise Promotion Convention

15-17 November, Harrogate

Call for speakers - Personal presentations are invited for this major new international convention on Enterprise Promotion to be held in the Harrogate International Centre. Do you promote enterprise or support entrepreneurs as they struggle to survive and thrive? If so please come and tell others about your own programmes and achievements in this crucial role. A unique opportunity for all business advisers, coaches, counsellors, consultants, educators, financiers, mentors, teachers and trainers to promote their own successes and to network with like-minded specialists in SME creation and development from all around the world. Delegate bookings now open. Contact Brian Dunsby, or Maggie Hall at info@enterprisepromotion.org. 01423 879208. www.enterprisepromotion.org