Co-op News (August 2019)
What is co-operative culture - and why does it matter? This issue looks at how co-op values intersect with the values in organisations, across movements and between countries. Plus 100 years of the Channel Islands Co-operative – and how the new Coop Exchange app is tackling the capital conundrum.
What is co-operative culture - and why does it matter? This issue looks at how co-op values intersect with the values in organisations, across movements and between countries. Plus 100 years of the Channel Islands Co-operative – and how the new Coop Exchange app is tackling the capital conundrum.
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
TEACHING<br />
YOUNG<br />
PEOPLE<br />
ABOUT CO-OPERATION<br />
Another session at <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> <strong>Co</strong>ngress looked<br />
at co-<strong>op</strong> education, where panellists<br />
tackled the difficulties of bringing young<br />
pe<strong>op</strong>le into the culture of co-<strong>op</strong>eration.<br />
Jonny Gordon-Farleigh from Stir to<br />
Action described his organisation’s New<br />
Economy Programme, which works<br />
with pe<strong>op</strong>le aged 25-45, on issues such<br />
as crowdfunding, community wealth<br />
building and sustainability.<br />
Stir To Action is also training young<br />
pe<strong>op</strong>le to host worksh<strong>op</strong>s, and helping<br />
18-35s in Brixton devel<strong>op</strong> community and<br />
co-<strong>op</strong> enterprises to deal with local needs<br />
and issues.<br />
With its BAME partners giving<br />
referrals, Stir To Action has also set up<br />
international residentials, which included<br />
a visit from Mississippi co-<strong>op</strong> city project<br />
<strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong>eration Jackson.<br />
“We’re also working with book clubs<br />
… it’s a good way of engaging with youth<br />
looking for alternatives. Culturally,<br />
young pe<strong>op</strong>le don’t like to identify as<br />
entrepreneurs, they are more interested<br />
in collaboration. Book clubs give them<br />
a chance to learn about this business<br />
model and get the skills.”<br />
He added: “I don’t think older<br />
organisations can repeat what we do by<br />
reading about millennials; more funding<br />
is needed for partnerships.”<br />
Asked why this was the case by Simon<br />
Parkinson, principal and chief executive<br />
of the <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative <strong>Co</strong>llege, Mr Gordon-<br />
Farleigh said: “To a large degree it can't<br />
be authentically reproduced; it needs<br />
partnerships.”<br />
He added: “Some things are culturally<br />
native to younger generations,” pointing<br />
out that the Stir To Action team is now<br />
finding similar difficulties itself as it<br />
engages with the youngest generation as<br />
it enters the arena.<br />
“We need co-design and co-delivery<br />
with young generations,” he said. “Why<br />
is there such a lack of diversity? We invite<br />
pe<strong>op</strong>le of colour but we are not involving<br />
them in the production of those events;<br />
it’s the same with young pe<strong>op</strong>le.”<br />
He added: “Having younger members of<br />
staff helps but there’s still a huge cultural<br />
issue around older organisations.”<br />
Tanya Noon from Central England<br />
<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> responded: “I do have to defend<br />
our work with young pe<strong>op</strong>le; we bring a<br />
lot of expertise to the table. We found the<br />
youngsters did want to learn from us. It’s<br />
intergenerational work – it’s important to<br />
pass on our skills.”<br />
She told delegates how her society was<br />
helping young pe<strong>op</strong>le set up co-<strong>op</strong>s.<br />
“We’re planting a seed to get them to<br />
look at co-<strong>op</strong>s … we connect them to the<br />
Hive, and students learn about consumer<br />
and worker co-<strong>op</strong>s. Students enjoy peer<br />
group working.”<br />
She said this means that students no<br />
longer saw the society’s stores as “just<br />
another sh<strong>op</strong>” and now favour them over<br />
rival retailers.<br />
BY MILES HADFIELD<br />
Vivian Woodell, on the panel to discuss<br />
his role in the foundation of Student<br />
<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> Homes, said: “The way generations<br />
relate to each other has shifted. As long<br />
as you approach pe<strong>op</strong>le in an <strong>op</strong>en way,<br />
don’t tell them how to live, they are<br />
willing to engage.”<br />
He said young pe<strong>op</strong>le were keen to<br />
learn about alternative business models<br />
– giving the example of students in<br />
Sheffield, where these models are not<br />
taught; in response, they have set up their<br />
own forum.<br />
Mr Woodell also discussed his time<br />
at the Phone <strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong>, when he led the<br />
organisation's efforts to help students set<br />
up housing co-<strong>op</strong>s.<br />
A group in Birmingham was struggling<br />
to get a mortgage so the Phone <strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong><br />
bought a house and leased it to<br />
them.“They’ve improved the pr<strong>op</strong>erty,<br />
added value and built two room,” said<br />
Mr Woodell. “We repeated the exercise<br />
in Sheffield, then a group in Edinburgh<br />
set up.”<br />
He called for more resources to scale<br />
up the model, including the devel<strong>op</strong>ment<br />
of secondary co-<strong>op</strong>s and the use of share<br />
issues to raise finance.<br />
“This is an <strong>op</strong>portunity to reach pe<strong>op</strong>le<br />
at an important time in their lives, and<br />
<strong>op</strong>en up the possibility of getting them<br />
involved in the co-<strong>op</strong> movement,” he<br />
said. “It’s an alternative to experiencing<br />
the cynical world of landlords and<br />
a chance to learn what they can achieve<br />
by working together.”<br />
He added: “Many of those founders<br />
are now working in co-<strong>op</strong>s. One is<br />
youth representative on the <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong><br />
Group Members <strong>Co</strong>uncil and working at<br />
Phone <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>; others have gone and<br />
started co-<strong>op</strong>s.”<br />
JONNY GORDON-FARLEIGH<br />
AUGUST <strong>2019</strong> | 33