Policy Review 2009

As well as responding to consultations issued by different government departments, the policy team at Co‑operatives UK have been busy influencing government policy in a range of areas. Here are some of the highlights.

Office of the Third Sector Social Enterprise Strategic Partnership

Co‑operatives UK is one of a number of Social Enterprise Strategic Partners with the Office of the Third Sector. The partnership funding has allowed us to increase our policy and communications work with smaller and developing co‑operatives. During 2009 this has enabled us to develop relationships with the Department of Energy and Climate Change, particularly around community scale renewable energy, with the newly-created Third Sector Research Centre and contribute to the Third Sector Task Force on Climate Change and the Environment. We have conducted research into a range of areas relevant to the co-,operative sector including local regeneration, creative and IT co‑operatives, business support and the recession. The funding has also enabled us to strengthen our relationships with a number of external organisations. The partnership runs until March 2011.

Business support

Our research into business support produced solid evidence that the government's system (Business Link in England) was not serving the interests of co‑operatives or potential co‑operatives and that Business Link was itself missing out on this opportunity to work with a vibrant section of the economy. We met with the national Business Link co-ordinator and agreed a number of actions to make Business Link more 'co‑op friendly'. Click here to download a report from this meeting.

The Commission on Co‑operative and Mutual Housing

The independent Commission on Co‑operative and Mutual Housing was formed in mid-2008 to explore the historic role of housing co‑operatives and chart potential futures for this diverse sector. Co‑operatives UK was a key supporter and originator, along with a number of others including The Confederation of Co‑operative Housing, CDS Co‑operatives, social housing providers Accord, Matrix, Hanover and Trident, the Housing Associations Charitable Trust, the National Housing Federation and the Chartered Institute of Housing. Dame Pauline Green, our former Chief Executive, was a Commissioner and John Goodman was a member of the working group. The final report was launched by John Healey, the housing minister, at the House of Commons on 24^th November. For more information visit the Commission's website.

Defra Social Enterprise Strategic Partnership

Co‑operatives UK is one of five organisations that comprise the Social Enterprise Strategic Partnership (SESP) with the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). The SESP was established in 2008 to develop a better understanding of how social enterprises contribute to the Department's Strategic Objectives, increase understanding of the potential growth markets for social enterprise and identify any particular barriers or opportunities for social enterprise to thrive in Defra-related markets.

In October the SESP took a number of food policy leads to visit two innovative social enterprises in London - the Hornbeam Centre and the Shoreditch Development Trust - to see first hand the excellent work the organisations are doing in the capital. The Hornbeam Centre operates a community cafe food hub from its base in Walthamstow. With strong links to its sister project, food-growing co‑operative OrganicLea, the Centre provides a base for local food and environmental education projects and enables people to find out what's going on locally and how to get involved.

The SESP also contributed to the development of a piece of action research, funded by the Office of the Third Sector, that will run from 2010 to March 2011 examining the role of food-based social enterprises in the South West of England.

For more information about the SESP visit Defra's Third Sector blog.

Finance round table

In September we hosted a small round table to discuss a range of finance related issues, including the Social Investment Wholesale Bank and Reforming Financial Markets consultations, plus calls for a US-style Community Reinvestment Act. You can download a copy of the unattributed minutes here.

Getting involved in policy

If you would like to find out more or to get involved in our policy work, please contact: