Discover co‑ops

Watch the most Is starting a co-op right for you? webinar. Discover co-ops – their purpose and benefits. Find out if your business idea suits the co-op model.

According to the latest official figures, there are some 4 million self-employed people in the UK. Whatever their reasons for being self-employed, they have this in common: they’re more likely to have unstable incomes and to miss out on social protections such as pensions, insurance and sick pay.

But there is a way to enjoy a thriving, autonomous and secure career: co‑ops. Forming a co‑op makes good business sense. Freelancers who’ve joined forces to set up co-ops have benefitted in many ways – from sharing costs, skills, knowledge and risk, to gaining new opportunities and enjoying peer support. WATCH THIS WEBINAR to find out more. 

The arts and cultural industries make an important contribution to the economy. Yet there are plenty of challenges for people within this sector – with squeezed funding, digitisation and unstable freelance work, sustaining careers, spaces, opportunities and morale can be a challenge.  

That’s where co-ops can help. They can empower creativity, create work opportunities, preserve vital spaces and provide support that empowers individuals to thrive within their chosen field of work. WATCH THIS WEBINAR to find out more. 

Job insecurity and precarious working have proliferated with the rise of digital platforms like Uber and Deliveroo. Meanwhile, the tech giants behind digital platforms dominate markets and make huge profits.

But there’s a fairer alternative: platform co-ops – democratically owned and controlled businesses that use an online platform or mobile app to trade. They’re built on co‑operative principles and values, making them a fairer way to do business digitally. Watch this webinar hosted by Co-operatives UK’s Ludovica Rogers for this FREE one-hour webinar to find out more. WATCH WEBINAR. 

Offering Hope to Future Generations, a report from Co‑operatives UK, has found that mental health, job security, career prospects, a lack of control over working lives and climate change are major causes of stress in young people. But there is a solution: co‑ops. The co‑op model gives members ownership and control, which aids mental health and wellbeing significantly.

This webinar will hear from young people who have been involved in or founded a range of co‑ops. Discover how co‑ops can empower young people and provide opportunities to help them build successful, fulfilling lives. WATCH WEBINAR.

The last decade has seen an increase in the number of community owned co‑ops across the UK. Co‑ops are democratic businesses that allow local communities to take control of the services and spaces that matter most to them. They enable people to pool resources to trade goods and services that benefit the community. Watch this webinar to hear from co-ops that provide solutions, spaces and services that benefit communities. WATCH WEBINAR

The co-op model, based on equity, fairness and transparency, has proved particularly suitable for businesses with environmental aims. Co-ops are a grass roots force for climate action. Hear from speakers from Repowering London, Carbon Co-op and Bristol Wood Recycling Project in this introductory webinar working collaboratively to tackle the climate emergency. WATCH WEBINAR.