I’ve always been aware that The Co-operative Group has been praised for its ethical credentials but I’ve never really known what initiatives they have supported over the years. Now the group has launched a multi-media campaign to show the massive impact the original co-operators have had on the world and they are encouraging people to join the revolution.
Founded in Rochdale in 1863, The Co-operative today has six million members and 5,000 outlets across its family of businesses all sharing the same heritage. The impact their initiatives have had in the UK and in the developing world is impressive, and as a result I have recently become a member myself.
One initiative that has caught my eye, following my own trip to Africa which resulted in a commitment to buying Fairtrade products, is the work The Co-operative has done in Kenya. There they have worked with The Co-operative College and The Cooperative Food, to help over 10,000 smallholder tea farmers to organise into co-operatives.
The result has been increased negotiating power for the farmers and access to markets previously closed to them. It has also helped the farmers to achieve Fairtrade certification which means they can supply tea for The Co-operative’s ‘99’ Fairtrade tea blend and receive a fair return for their crop.
In the UK, one of the many campaigns they have been involved with is in setting up a co-operative football club to help put community back at the heart of the game. FC United in Manchester – founded by a collective in response to the increasing commercialisation of the game – now has a membership of over 3,000 co-operative shareholders.
It offers affordable football matches, sports coaching for refugees, care-leavers and those who could not otherwise be able to access them. In January 2011 it also launched a Community Football Coach Apprenticeship especially for children in the local area.
These are not one-off gestures designed to make to ensure a company demonstrates corporate social responsibility; The Co-operative has made a long-term commitment to help people change the world around them. It’s a stance that many companies could learn from.
You can find out more about The Co-operative by visiting their Facebook page. Why not Get involved and Join the revolution . You could make a real difference where it matters.
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