A co-operative is owned, controlled and run jointly by its members, who share the profits or benefits.
Co-operatives are people-centred and by working together those involved realise their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations.
Co-operatives bring people together in a democratic and equal way.
There are 5 key types of co-operatives:
- Consumer: owned by consumers who buy goods or services from their cooperative
- Producer: owned by producers of commodities or crafts who have joined forces to process and market their products
- Worker: owned and democratically governed by employees who become co-op members
- Purchasing: owned by independent businesses to improve their purchasing power
- Hybrid: a combination of co-op types, where people with common interests band together.
There are over 7,000 independent co-operatives across the UK. Co-op Food is the largest food retail co-op in the UK.
Would you like to work with like-minded people, where everyone has an equal say and is valued equally?
Reach out to us to find out more.