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Nathan invited me on here as I've expressed a few ideas in the past about the role of co-ops in solving problems in various industries. I've tried to keep abreast of some discussions on here and send apologies for not participating as much as I would like.
Some context: I set up this multi-stakeholder co-op www.retrofitworks.co.uk having identified this legal model as ideal for the aims of the business, not with an eye on setting up a co-op of its own sake. The model seems to be working; recent contract award to renovate 1,000 privately owned homes from the Mayor of London and starting large schemes in Devon and Oxfordshire this year. Turnover likely to be £0.5m this financial year with income for our members up at £5m.
I have been thinking on your question about the role of cooperative development programmes. I’ve also been dwelling on the void left by C and Local Government in many sectors. My view is that this is actually about ‘cooperation’ rather than it being about ‘cooperatives’. In one of Nathan's workshops we are asked ‘why are lots more co-ops not being created in the face of government roll back and the failure of capitalism?’, and ‘why are co-ops not seen to be a standard business model from which to choose’. Why not go with this situation rather than try to change it – much like I did with RetrofitWorks i.e. realise that there was a need to bring together the organisations or people around the market failure, then happily found the cooperative model as the answer.
So change the whole narrative from
‘We love co-ops, come and start one’
To
‘Let’s solve problems together, seek creative ways to collaborate, and we offer some commercial models to make it work (which is v likely to be a cooperative)’
I've got ideas on how to do all of that, but given my limited time available will need pointing at the most useful thread here on Loomio?
Cheers all.
Russell
07904 224410
Emma Howard Wed 21 Jul 2021 10:19AM
Hi Graham,
Sounds fascinating. This is exactly why I signed up, I don't have any of this network at all yet coming from a retail background. For all I know the co-op I want to create might already exist!
I also never considered until the last year or so being responsible for actually starting an organisation - it clashes with my need for stability haha.
I'd happily have a call to find out more and what's next.
Graham Fri 16 Jul 2021 10:40AM
Sounds really interesting Emma, many thanks for coming here and posting. I've seen some stuff about data co-ops and am interested in the possibilities. I participated in a webinar a while back hosted by Open Data Manchester, and I've also spoken to the folks running https://polypoly.org/en-gb/ about the idea of setting up a UK-based cooperative as part of their ecosystem.
Coming at it form a slightly different angle perhaps, I also think that there is huge potential in the sector for cross-marketing (co-op A marketing its services to the members of co-ops B & C, and vice versa, through a data sharing mechanism, and I've been talking with some others about how that might happen - some intriguing ideas ion that space. I'd be keen to explore this more with you if you are up for a call?
Emma Howard Fri 16 Jul 2021 9:54AM
Hello all!
My name is Emma, and I've been in the co-op movement for over ten years now. I work at East of England Co-op in their finance team, studying data analysis. I'm also a board director there, and a board director at Co-ops UK too. More recently I've joined Co-op Group's National Members Council.
However, the reason I'm here is that I'm passionate about co-ops growing in the digital and online world, so I'm looking to find similar minded people to talk to and help, and eventually I want to start my own data co-op!
Graham Thu 15 Jul 2021 11:45AM
Welcome to a new Platform 6 member @emmahoward1 ! Hi Emma. Maybe you'd like to introduce yourself here and talk a bit about what you are working on?
Graham Tue 22 May 2018 9:41AM
Hi Russell. Apologies for the late response - I must have missed your original post. I hear what you are saying about cooperation rather than cooperatives, and I think that - for me at least - this is what we are setting out deliver. You mentioned questions about why there are not more cooperatives being established. I think that in large part the answer is about visibility and accessibility: for the vast majority of people the option isn't even on their radar as there is very little exposure given to cooperation, and for the small number that make it past that hurdle, actually finding someone with some knowledge and expertise is another needle in a very large haystack.
I think we also have a tendency to focus too much and too early on legal structures and governance models and not enough on honing the core business model and getting some traction. Our plan to use OpenCollective shifts the focus very firmly on to the latter, enabling good ideas to develop and gain traction before any energy needs to be invested in choosing corporate structures and getting buried in admin.
Rory (FSA) Wed 25 Apr 2018 9:44PM
Hi all,
I’m Rory - a cooperator since 1989, and now Professor of Cooperative Social Entrepreneurship at
Sheffield Business School. I have a particular interest in the governance and development of multi-stakeholder cooperatives using the FairShares Model, and drafted the model rules used to constitute www.resonate.is, www.anyshare.coop, evolutesix.com and www.fairshares.coop (amongst others). Sheffield Business School will shortly become the first university to offer FCA Accepted Model Rules for
FairShares Cooperatives (agreed in principle, subject to a few changes)
Emma Sun 22 Apr 2018 12:55PM
Hi everyone, I'm Emma and I'm in the midst of keeping a tiny baby happy and well fed together with starting a social care platform co-op called Equal Care Co-op (eccoo). I'm mostly here to read and keep connected to the initiative and grow my input once eccoo is actually a thing!
Pat Conaty Thu 19 Apr 2018 4:43PM
Hi All, I am Pat Conaty and a research and development person. Recent work has been with Co-ops UK and the Wales Co-op Centre on social co-ops and on co-op and trade union solutions for precarious workers. But before that 12 years of work on Community Land Trust development since 1998 and earlier in the 1990s on Community Development Finance development. I am a founder member of the Solidarity Economy Association co-op and I am a new member of the Consultancy Co-op.
Cath M in Bentley (A Commune in the North/Radical Routes/Platform6) Thu 19 Apr 2018 2:27PM
Currently co-op activist/developer for love not money, largely with a Radical Routes (UK rad coop federation) hat on, via my housing coop (Cornerstone) and workers coop (Footprint). I am also an Associate of Cooperative Business Consultants via Footprint, and did a tiny bit of paid work through the Coop Enterprise Hub.
Lurking here to keep myself informed while i'm out of the country, doing a tour of Catalan and US coops/coop federations/coop development projects. Hopefully there'll be some useful info to swap. Here's the blog: www.leedscath.wixsite.com/northamericantour
Graham · Fri 20 Aug 2021 12:45PM
Hi Emma. Apologies for not getting back sooner.Would you like to suggest a couple of dates/times in the next couple of weeks that might work for a conversation? Please send me email at [email protected] - I'd be keen to learn more about the sort of things you are up to with respect to data, and I can share what I know about some possible opportunities.