Events

Future Co-ops, Oxford, 10-11th Feb "From crisis to co-op"

Takes place in Oxford, attended by a hole range of cooperators For more info

“WE OFTEN SAY CO-OPS ARE THE SOLUTION, BUT ARE THEY? HOW CAN WE TRANSLATE THE RHETORIC INTO ACTION AND SUPPORT PEOPLE FACING A DESPERATE CHOICE BETWEEN ‘HEAT OR EAT’?”

They also have bursary’s for people under 30 who haven’t been before.

SEA has just launched a fundraiser. Chip in you like our work, or just want to do some guilt free, co-op supporting Christmas shopping!

We need your help! We are trying to raise some funds to maintain our work through 2023, to strengthen and build the solidarity economy as an alternative to capitalism, and play a role in building an ecologically sustainable, resilient and socially just economic system from below.

What do we need? Solidarity Economy Association (who run the cooperation in Mesopotamia project) have a shortfall of £18,000 for the first part of 2023 which we need to contribute towards the salaries of our three dedicated, part-time staff (based in England, Wales and Scotland), so we can keep running and delivering our current amazing projects and identifying new opportunities to keep building the solidarity economy.Rewards!

We also have some great rewards donated by from coops and supporters from all around the word, so you can help build the solidarity economy and find some beautiful gifts for loved ones (or yourself!).

You can find the campaign page here https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/solidarity-economy-from-below#start

Please donate what you can and share the link with your friends, family and co-workers.

No amount is too small, and we’re offering rewards for donations, from Janet Biehl, Dog Section Press, Rojava Cooperatives, Maxine Peake, the Zapatistas and many many more! 

Donate in the first week of the campaign and we’ll send your reward in time for Christmas. (Sadly we can only post physical rewards to UK addresses.)   

Thank you!

In solidarity, 

The SEA Ops Team

Practitioners Forum - the co-op essentials training event in one hit - has co-op membership expert, Sue Froggatt, conducting TWO mighty sessions this year. If you're a fairly new member to Co-operatives UK (past 18 months or so) you'll qualify for bursary places too. Where else can you get essential co-op training on HR, membership, finance and governance under one roof, in one day, for the price? See more here https://www.uk.coop/events-and-training/events-calendar/practitioners-forum-2022-book-your-place

Come to the annual 'Ways Forward for the Co-op Movement' conference in a couple of weeks:

Book soon! Share ideas and learn about projects from speakers like

• Chris Saltmarsh, Author of “Burnt: Fighting for Climate Justice’ (Pluto Press), Co-founder of Labour for a Green New Deal,

• The Kindling Trust working with Unicorn Grocery

• Molly Scott Cato, professor of Green Economics

• The Larder, Preston

• Tipping Point

• Edinburgh Student Housing Co-op

• Kate Whittle of the Worker Co-ops Anti-Racism working group

• Steve Graby, researching disabled people's involvement in UK co-ops

• Jonathan Atkinson of People-Powered Retrofit

• workers.coop - new UK federation of worker-led co-ops*

• and many more on themes of housing, economics, energy and social change

Join for food, social and Open Mic on Thursday evening - Open Mic slots still available and tickets can be bought separately if you just wanna hang out or can't make the daytimes, see attached flyer.

Stalls and bursaries are available and volunteers are still needed.

Stick around afterwards for the North England/North Wales regional workers.coop get together.

For anyone going to the Green Gathering this week 4-7Aug: the Radical Routes/A Commune in the North stall n the campaigns area will be running 'speed dating' networking sessions for any co-operators around

Another plug for our Sociocracy in Co-ops Annual Conference on Thursday 23rd June. We're very excited to be joined by Jessica Gordon Nembhard who will be running a session on Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Justice in co-ops. Tickets and full session details here

Co-operatives UK is hosting a Youth Summit on the 11th July in Manchester. Free to attend and aimed at 16-25's looking to join a movement that empowers people and gives a voice to all. There will be a session on www.ycn.coop which SF supported as well (how to link the two initiatives together) So if your under 25 take a look.

https://www.uk.coop/events-and-training/national-youth-summit

I'm part of the international Sociocracy for All's Co-op Circle and we are very excited to announce SoFA’s second annual Sociocracy in Cooperatives international conference. Building on the success of last year, we look forward to welcoming you to an interactive programme of inspiring workshops. 

This year we’ll be exploring implementations in worker and multi-stakeholder co-ops, reviewing the progress made in aligning sociocracy with UK cooperative legal structures, and making space to co-design a new community of practice for co-operators implementing sociocracy in their co-ops .

Our overarching theme is Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

This conference is for everyone enthusiastic about co-ops and/or sociocracy. Please join us for an accessible introduction to, and interactive exploration of, the current and future theory and practice of sociocratic governance in cooperatives.

Book here: https://www.sociocracyforall.org/sociocracy-in-cooperatives-conference-2022/

Another worker co-op conference?!?

May 21st/22nd, at Wortley Hall, near Sheffield. Conference about co-ops working with trade unions

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/decent-work-may-20th21st-2022-tickets-149918110103

Come and join the 15-min online 'Ted-type' talk from our Ideas Generator platform on Wed 27 April 3:30pm. Hear from platform co-op, We Guild, which aims to make the culture of 'chipping in for each other' as easy as buying a round of drinks (with no charity in sight). Could the tech work in your co-op? Click the link to register your interest to attend; https://www.uk.coop/events-and-training/events-calendar/co-op-connections-ideas-generator-27apr22 Idea Generator talks are about the strength of the idea rather than the speaker - they're also sent as audition tapes to TedTalks. If you have a talk idea email it to [email protected] and you might just end up on the real thing.