Economic Secretary to the Treasury Rachel Blake will be the keynote speaker at this year’s Co-op Congress at the Eastside Rooms in Birmingham on 12-13 June when the co-operative movement comes together to “explore how co‑operatives are responding to today’s challenges and building practical alternatives for a fairer future”.
The conference will also feature a contributions from poet Tony Walsh and actor and writer Julie Hesmondhalgh, who were both involved in a co-operative community campaign to save Oldham Coliseum Theatre.
A line from Walsh’s poem This Beautiful Idea – ‘co-operate and we can save the world’ – provides the theme for both this year’s Congress and for Co-op Fortnight which runs from 22 June to 5 July.
Both events are organised by Co-operatives UK, the self-styled “voice of the UK’s co-operative movement”.
Other highlights of the Congress include:
- ‘When the going gets tough’, an honest discussion on resilience, governance and trust
- ‘Creative co-ops: Taking inspiration from the West Midlands’
- ‘The Local Power Plan’ and the opportunity for co-operatives
- Communities shaping high streets and places
- ‘Co-operation amongst co-operatives: Unlocking opportunity through unity’
- An international supper, with food, speeches and networking.
For the Fortnight, Co-ops UK is encouraging members and others to share the reasons they’re proud to be co-operatives, such as:
- the way co‑operatives support and strengthen their communities
- how co-ops improve the lives of members, employees, customers or clients
- how co‑operative principles are creating fairer, more empowering places to live and work.
More details of the Co-op Congress can be found here, while information and resources for the Co-op Fortnight are here.
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