Co-op News (August 2019)

MEET...
Meet … Olly Young,
director at Chelsmford
Star Co-operative
Olly Young was elected to the board of directors at
Chelmsford Star Co-operative in May – and, at 26,
he is the youngest person to ever take up such a
role at the society. Here he talks about his journey
with Chelmsford Star, his work in the third sector
and the crossover of co-operative values.
HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN THE
CO-OP MOVEMENT?
My initial involvement in the co-operative
movement was aged 16, working for Chelmsford
Star as a part-time general assistant while
I was studying at college. I was then fortunate to
be part of the society for a further seven years,
working across various business streams in
the co-operative.
Very early on I was committed to a greater
understanding of the co-op movement, particularly
the sense of shared ownership and strong values
underpinning the movement. I was one of the
founding members of Chelmsford Star’s Youth
Council, which allowed younger members of the
co-op to have a voice and learn more about the key
elements of the movement.
HOW DO CO-OPERATIVE VALUES FIT IN WITH
YOUR OTHER ROLES?
I am currently a regional manager for the Royal
Voluntary Service, where I oversee all of the
charity’s retail activity across the south of England
(from Cornwall to Kent).
Within this role I manage a team of staff and
volunteers, with the overarching aim to inspire
and enable people within communities to
give their time and talents to support society’s
greatest challenges.
The co-operative values almost mirror the values
underpinning my role in the third sector – from
both an ethical perspective in terms of how we
operate, and a sense of a ‘shared purpose’ where
we put community and members first in all of our
business decisions.
ONE OF THE WAYS CO-OPS CAN IMPROVE ENGAGEMENT
WITH YOUNGER PEOPLE IS TO FIND SOMETHING THEY
REALLY CARE FOR AND ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT – AND
BRING IN THE CO-OPERATIVE VALUES AND PRINCIPLES
BEHIND IT TO SUPPORT THEIR MISSION.
22 | AUGUST 2019