Understanding co‑operatives
Co-operatives are businesses owned and controlled by their members. They exist to meet shared needs, from shops, housing and community energy to worker-owned businesses, finance, farming and digital platforms. This section explains what co-operatives are, how they work, where they came from and why they matter, in the UK and around the world.
What makes a co-operative different?
A co-operative is owned and controlled by its members, not outside shareholders. Members might be customers, workers, suppliers, tenants, residents or a community. They have a say in how the co-op is run and share in its benefits.
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Birmingham Bike Foundry is a worker co-operative that repairs and refurbishes bikes and provides training courses for individuals and organisations
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What is a co-operative
Many of us have heard of co-operatives, but do you actually know what one is?
How co-operatives began
The modern co-operative movement began in Rochdale in 1844, when the first commercially successful co-operative was founded.
Co-op values and principles
From the outside a co-op may look like any other business – it’s what happens inside that makes them different. All co-ops are based on the same principles and they share a set of values.
Co-ops across the world
The modern day co-op movement was founded in Rochdale, Lancashire in 1844. Since then, the co-operative model has spread across the world, impacting on the lives of over a billion people.
Quick facts about co-ops
Did you know there are more than 15 million co-operative memberships in the UK? That’s equivalent to around a fifth of the population. There’s a global movement that all co-operatives across the world are part of. Here’s just a few quick facts…
Co-operative and Mutual Economy report
Our ground-breaking Co‑operative and Mutual Economy report presents a compelling case for harnessing the full potential of co‑operatives and mutuals in the UK.
About us
As the voice of the UK’s co-operative movement, we empower and support co-operative enterprise with specialised knowledge and expertise, to grow the co-operative economy and create a fairer society.
What does membership mean
Co-operatives are businesses owned by their members. But what does it mean to be a member of a co-op?
