Co-op News (August 2019)

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FINANCE Mutuals among the most-trusted financial firms for customer service Mutuals and building societies were among the winners at the 2019 Moneywise Most Trusted Customer Service Awards. Mutual society Benenden Health was named most trusted provider in the health insurance via employer category, and was a highly commended in the individual health insurance category. Based in York, the non-profit mutual provides healthcare services for over 810,000 members across the UK, including employees of 545 businesses. Chief commercial officer Helen Smith said: “We’re so proud that our members have taken the time to vote for us as their most trusted employerprovided healthcare product. Members are at the heart of our decision-making as an organisation and it’s great to be recognised by them. It was also amazing to be highly commended in the poll of those who have a personal healthcare product.” The Co-op Bank won in the most trusted mainstream bank award category, and was highly commended in the best branch service, best contact centre service and most trusted current account categories. While no longer owned by the Co-op Group, over the last four years the Bank has invested of £1.3m in the Hive, a co-op business support programme provided by Co-operatives UK. Nationwide Building Society won the best current account provider for branch service and best provider for children’s savings categories. It was highly commended in the most trusted financial provider, most trusted mortgage provider and best provider for regular savers categories. Coventry Building Society won most trusted savings and cash Isa provider. NFU mutual won most trusted insurer and was highly commended in the most trusted car insurance provider. Employee owned John Lewis won best credit card provider for rewards and was highly commended in most trusted credit card provider. Around 32,000 members of the public voted in the awards. Rachel Rickard Straus, editor of Moneywise, said: “Customer service matters. So much so that 32,000 readers took the time to share their views with us. “Great customer service and trust remains as important now as ever. You can have the whizziest apps, websites and products in the world, but if a customer can’t easily get a complaint resolved, or speak to a human if they need to, that’s what will stick in minds.” DEVELOPMENT Stir to Action grants will fund study of community business leadership “While mental health and wellbeing are rightly becoming a priority, there is still pressure for communities to put their best face forward,” said Stir to Action’s director Jonny Gordon-Farleigh. “This fellowship will initially build more awareness and also support individuals and communities to more effectively share new and inspiring approaches across the UK.” Worker-owned magazine Stir to Action is funding research into the pressures faced by community business leaders. Supported by independent trust Power to Change, the Beyond Here fellowship will explore wellbeing in community leadership. “Recognising yourself as a community leader can have profound positive effects, but the experience can be challenging and isolating,” said Fergus Arkley, development manager at Power to Change. Fellows will work with community leaders across the UK to explore, and find solutions to, these challenges. Stir to Action’s coordinator Stephanie Gamauf will help them find community business partners, undertake place-based research, and share their findings through Stir to Action’s magazine and events. u Stir to Action is offering four fellowship grants of £2,000 through the scheme, which will fund a week-long fellowship and cover loss of earnings, accommodation, and a host contribution. Applications close on 1 September. For more details visit s.coop/23f9w 10 | AUGUST 2019
DEVELOPMENT EU puts £3m into Welsh social business sector p Heather Powell of Denbighshire Music Co-op, a leading light of the sector EU funds totalling £3m will support a new project to create 200 social businesses over the next three years. The Social Business Wales New Start initiative, which will be led by Wales Co-operative Centre, was announced by Welsh deputy minister for economy and transport, Lee Waters. “Co-operatives and mutuals add real value to the Welsh economy and labour market,” he said, “by creating jobs, improving educational attainment, providing social care in people’s houses and reducing inequality, particularly in our most deprived communities. “We see growing the co-operative sector as part of our broader ambition to tackle the ‘missing middle’ in Wales – and increasing the number of grounded indigenous firms in our communities – helping the Welsh government achieve its goal of prosperity for all.” Glenn Bowen, enterprise programme director at Wales Co-operative Centre, added: “The social business sector is an important and growing part of the Welsh economy. “Social Business Wales New Start will help people come together to set up new social businesses across west Wales and the valleys, providing important services and creating much needed jobs. “Wales Co-operative Centre will deliver the new start service alongside its existing Social Business Wales growth programme and will be delivered as part of the Business Wales family of support.” Social Business Wales is funded by the European Regional Development Fund and Welsh government. According to the Welsh government, EU-funded projects in Wales have created more than 48,000 jobs and 13,000 new businesses, while helping 86,000 people back into work. Top ABTA role for Midcounties’ specialist business chief The Midcounties Co-operative’s Alistair Rowland has been elected chair of the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA). Mr Rowland, who is currently chief retail officer for specialist business, has been with the society for more than seven years. Prior to this role, he was group general manager for specialist retail and group general manager for travel services. Energy4All co-op makes Fair Tax Mark commitment Renewable energy co-op development organisation, Energy4All, has been certified as a Fair Tax Mark business. The Fair Tax Mark certification scheme was launched in February 2014 to allow businesses that are paying tax in a responsible way to demonstrate this commitment to their customers, suppliers, investors and employees. College brings it back home to Rochdale for centenary The Co-operative College will continue to mark its 100th anniversary with a centenary conference in Rochdale, the birthplace of the modern-day co-operative movement. The three-day event will take place on 26-28 November 2019 at Rochdale Town Hall, featuring five plenary sessions, seven keynote addresses and 12 workshops. Housing co-ops open their doors to spread the message Housing co-op and tenant management organisations (TMO) across Greater Manchester opened their doors to the public in July for the first ever county-wide Community Led Housing Open Homes Weekend. Members of the public were given tours and information on how to set up a community led housing. Channel Islands Co-op trials new plastic-free initiative Channel Islands Co-op is trialling the sale of a number of local fruit and vegetable products unwrapped, in response to concerns about plastic packaging. The trial is taking place at the society’s Grand Marché stores in Jersey and Guernsey. Products in the pilot include baking potatoes, tomatoes, courgettes and leeks. AUGUST 2019 | 11
Page 1 and 2: AUGUST 2019 CO-OP CULTURE What is i
Page 3 and 4: Why is co-operative culture importa
Page 5 and 6: NEWS RETAIL Campaign urges UK gover
Page 7 and 8: RETAIL GMB union slams John Lewis t
Page 9: CO-OP GROUP Co-op Food is a top sup
Page 13 and 14: OBITUARY Radical Routes loses two o
Page 15 and 16: REI enters the newspaper trade to s
Page 17 and 18: SWEDEN New governance code for co-o
Page 19 and 20: USA A Green New Deal ‘can help el
Page 21 and 22: YOUR VIEWS DEFENCE OF CLAIRE MCCART
Page 23 and 24: 01 Issue #7288 OCT WHAT WHAT WILL C
Page 25 and 26: What would you say have been the Pa
Page 27 and 28: Is there a need to redefine afforda
Page 29 and 30: CO-OP CULTURE & RELIGION BY ANCa VO
Page 31 and 32: prayers most mornings before the st
Page 33 and 34: TEACHING YOUNG PEOPLE ABOUT CO-OPER
Page 35 and 36: directions. I thought: ʻI’ve got
Page 37 and 38: In the mid 1990s Italian social co-
Page 39 and 40: The paper also highlights that Desj
Page 41 and 42: us and how we go about delivering o
Page 43 and 44: Legacoop to serve the socialist and
Page 45 and 46: shift the initial losses from worke
Page 47 and 48: As part of its year-long centenary
Page 49 and 50: Ted Howard: Architect of the Clevel
Page 51 and 52: The Fall of the Ethical Bank: how a

Co-op News (August 2019)

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