Webinar: Co-operatives and the plan for neighbourhoods

Co-operatives are a distinctive way of organising activities and resources, focused on collaboration and sharing power and wealth. Co-operatives exist to meet the shared needs and aspirations of one or more stakeholder groups, such as local residents, workers, businesses and even public bodies. A co-operative is democratically owned and controlled by these stakeholders.

There are more than 7,500 co-operatives in the UK, providing jobs to more than 230,000 people. The co-operative approach is successfully used in sectors including food, renewables, land and property, housing, digital, creative, manufacture, social care, retail, hospitality and leisure. 

The co-operative model has three unique super-powers: 

• Effective and efficient collaboration with members achieving more together than they can alone
• Effective sharing of opportunity, power and wealth through day-to-day activities
• Increased economic and social resilience for individuals, organisations and communities

Neighbourhood boards can use co-operative growth to help deliver on a range of objectives, from revitalising high streets and building affordable housing, to improving social care, retrofitting homes and creating good jobs in foundational sectors.  

But Neighbourhood boards and local authorities are often held back by not having sufficient knowledge or expertise to implement co-operative growth strategies. This is where Co-operatives UK and its partners comes in: we can offer practical and cost-effective solutions for local partners.  

This webinar delivered by Co-operatives UK will provide: 

• An introduction to the co-operative model
• Concrete examples of how the co-operative model has contributed to local regeneration.
• An overview of the services that Co-operatives UK can offer to Neighbourhood boards and local authorities. 

The webinar will take place Monday 13 October, 1-2pm.

Additional Information: 

About the Plan for Neighbourhoods 

The Government’s Plan for Neighbourhoods aims to revitalise local areas and fight deprivation in 75 towns across the UK, by focusing on 3 goals: thriving places, stronger communities, and taking back control. 

The plan will provide these places with flexible funding of up to £20 million for 10 years. Local communities will be in control of how the funds are allocated, via Neighbourhood Boards that will be required to submit a Regeneration Plan by the end of 2025.   

About Co-operatives UK 

Co-operatives UK is the politically independent association of co‑operative businesses. Our mission is to empower and grow the UK’s co‑operative economy and in doing so, to build a better world through co‑operation.