Practitioners Forum 2023

Beyond the AGM: What could modern democratic engagement look like?

Emma Laycock, Co-operatives UK

Join Emma Laycock from Co-operatives UK for this workshop which will consider what modern democratic engagement could look like. We'll be discussing how co-ops can encourage diverse and meaningful member engagement in their governance, and will offer an opportunity for participants to share what their organisations have been doing, sparking a conversation about what we can achieve  together. 

Elections, AGMs and more: Using technology to encourage member engagement

Emma Laycock, Co-operatives UK and Ben Thomas, Mi-Voice

Join Emma Laycock, Head of Co-operative Advice, to hear about the latest best practice guidance around elections and member engagement. She’ll be joined by Ben Thomas, Director of Mi-Voice - Democracy Technology Ltd, who will host a discussion on the use of technology in enhancing membership engagement during democratic events conducted by co-ops. The session will explore the role of technology in improving processes such as voting in elections, annual member meetings and AGMs. It will also examine how adopting an 'outcome-based' approach to elections, supported by technology, can lead to increased engagement and a broader pool of candidates, while ensuring inclusivity. 

The good, the bad, and the frankly appalling: Behaviour in the board room

David Alcock, Anthony Collins Solicitors LLP

What does a good board look like? How do we deal with difficult dynamics? How can we manage misconduct at board level? This session will cover everything you need to know about dealing with board behaviour and culture issues. We will consider formal processes for dealing with complaints, as well as learning from practical examples. David has worked with numerous boards on dealing with conduct procedures; names will be changed to protect the guilty!

Know your members: Maximising the value of your data

Sian Basker, Data Orchard

In this workshop you will hear from, co-CEO of Data Orchard, Sian Basker, an award winning UK social enterprise specialising in helping organisations gain value from their data in a way that benefits their members. You’ll learn about the important factors for data success and the different stages of organisational data maturity, as well as finding out how to get access to the resources and support that will help you improve. Not only that but you'll get a chance to be part of a live data visualisation!

Elections, AGMs and more: Using technology to encourage member engagement

Emma Laycock, Co-operatives UK and Ben Thomas, Mi-Voice

Join Emma Laycock, Head of Co-operative Advice, to hear about the latest best practice guidance around elections and member engagement. She’ll be joined by Ben Thomas, Director of Mi-Voice - Democracy Technology Ltd, who will host a discussion on the use of technology in enhancing membership engagement during democratic events conducted by co-ops. The session will explore the role of technology in improving processes such as voting in elections, annual member meetings and AGMs. It will also examine how adopting an 'outcome-based' approach to elections, supported by technology, can lead to increased engagement and a broader pool of candidates, while ensuring inclusivity. 

Raising capital and social investment options

John Dawson, Co-operatives UK and Melanie Mills, Big Society Capital

Could social investment hold the key to increasing your impact and building long term resilience in your organisation? Join John Dawson, Co-operatives UK's Head of Market Development, and Melanie Mills, Head of Social Sector Engagement at Big Society Capital, for an interactive session covering everything from community shares to loans and bonds. Together, we'll explore the role of social investment as part of your co-op's funding/finance toolkit; common myths and preconceptions; and real life case studies and insights from leaders who have been through the process. We welcome participation in this session so please bring your questions and challenges!

Employment Law Update

Emma Bagshaw, Nexa Law

Emma Bagshaw, employment and immigration lawyer at Nexa Law, will examine recent and upcoming changes in employment law and implications for businesses. The spotlight will focus on areas having most impact on co-operative businesses. 

Insights into supporting neurodiversity in the workplace

Snoof Kattekop, The Brain Charity 

Central to the co-operative identity is the need to treat all members fairly. This can sometimes be challenging if we don't fully understand the barriers that other people may face.  In this session, Snoof Kattekop from The Brain Charity will help you to better understand neurodiversity and how to support neurodivergent employees in the workplace. Attendees will come away with a better understanding of key terminology and definitions surrounding neurodiversity, the strengths and challenges of neurological conditions, the Equality Act and the law around Access to Work.

How and why you should add audio and podcasts to your comms strategy 

Clare Savory, ASFB Productions

The term 'podcast' is very much on trend. But its not all celebrities and big brands making use of this popular comms channel. Internal and member led organisations are also tapping into podcasting as a relatively low-cost strategy to inform, educate and entertain. Whether you're looking to share content with just your members or to the wider world, expert podcast producer Clare Savory of ASFB productions offers 15 things to think about in this specialist Co-operative skills session. From dispelling myths about tech, to understanding hosting platforms, to finding the right platform and strategy for your co-op - there's plenty to dig into. Prepare to be inspired!

Getting creative with video: Telling your co-op story

Amrit Singh, Rebel Creatives

With the dominance of video-based social media platforms, we all know video should be core to any content strategy. But this can sound time-consuming, expensive and even scary to the most experienced and well-resourced marketing teams. Mr Amrit Singh is joining us to say it doesn't have to be this way! In this interactive session, you'll learn why empowering others to use video will unlock a wealth of authentic content from the people that know your business best – your members, workers and customers. Join this session to find out how, in a matter of minutes, you can create content that's worthy of telling your co-op's story. 

Diversity and inclusion in communications and marketing

Dr Leanne Dawson, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion consultant, author and academic

This workshop will consider the ethical, legal, and business cases for being inclusive in our communications, before diving in to a wide range of practical tips – both easy wins and more intricate solutions – to make our comms reach and, crucially, successfully land as widely as needed. 

After a quick introduction to inclusive language, we'll think about the images we use in our marketing and the effects of these on (potential) colleagues, customers and more, and how we can work fairly with images – still and moving – if our organisation is perhaps not as diverse as we would like it to be.  The session will also open up room to discuss accessibility and the nuances of the digital divide, including examples of good and bad practice. 

Throughout the workshop, we will be mindful that diversity and inclusion need to be firmly embedded into organisational culture, rather than merely resting on the shoulders of colleagues working in comms and marketing, and how we can communicate this within our organisations.

Please note: There will be a more extensive session on inclusive language beforehand in the Membership Forum. People are welcome to attend both or just one – no prior knowledge is needed to attend this session.