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| coop:co-operatives [2025/12/05 10:04] – external edit 127.0.0.1 | coop:co-operatives [2025/12/17 04:30] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1 |
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| <caption> | <caption> |
| | _The [Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochdale_Society_of_Equitable_Pioneers), aka the Rochdale Pioneers, who wrote down the co-operative principles in 1844; they were [updated](http://ica.coop/en/whats-co-op/co-operative-identity-values-principles) by the International Co-operative Alliance in 1966._ |
| The [Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochdale_Society_of_Equitable_Pioneers), aka the Rochdale Pioneers, who wrote down the co-operative principles in 1844; they were [updated](http://ica.coop/en/whats-co-op/co-operative-identity-values-principles) by the International Co-operative Alliance in 1966. | |
| </caption> | </caption> |
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| <caption> | <caption> |
| | _[Suma Wholefoods Co-op](http://www.suma.coop) - the UK’s largest independent wholefood wholesaler/distributor._ |
| [Suma Wholefoods Co-op](http://www.suma.coop) - the UK’s largest independent wholefood wholesaler/distributor. | |
| </caption> | </caption> |
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| Worker co-ops are not just employee-owned businesses – they are democratically managed by their workers. [The John Lewis Partnership](https://www.johnlewispartnership.co.uk/work/employee-ownership.html) (including Waitrose) is a well-known employee-owned business. Employees either own shares in the company, or in a trust of some kind, which owns shares in the company (maybe all of them), and shares are not publicly traded. When the company does well, employees benefit financially. Workers have much more control in co-ops – they either make decisions directly, or decide who’s going to make them. Employee-owned businesses are fellow-travellers, however, along with [mutual societies](/buil/building_societies), although neither are true co-ops, which subscribe to the principles and values above. | Worker co-ops are not just employee-owned businesses – they are democratically managed by their workers. [The John Lewis Partnership](https://www.johnlewispartnership.co.uk/work/employee-ownership.html) (including Waitrose) is a well-known employee-owned business. Employees either own shares in the company, or in a trust of some kind, which owns shares in the company (maybe all of them), and shares are not publicly traded. When the company does well, employees benefit financially. Workers have much more control in co-ops – they either make decisions directly, or decide who’s going to make them. Employee-owned businesses are fellow-travellers, however, along with [mutual societies](/bsoc/building_societies), although neither are true co-ops, which subscribe to the principles and values above. |
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| Structures of co-ops can vary enormously. In the UK, there is no one legal structure that co-ops have to adhere to. If an organisation’s constitution matches the above definition, values and principles, and the members consider themselves part of the co-operative movement, then they are. Elsewhere (e.g. Germany), there are much more specific definitions and legal structures. | Structures of co-ops can vary enormously. In the UK, there is no one legal structure that co-ops have to adhere to. If an organisation’s constitution matches the above definition, values and principles, and the members consider themselves part of the co-operative movement, then they are. Elsewhere (e.g. Germany), there are much more specific definitions and legal structures. |
| </WRAP> | </WRAP> |
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| Plus, closely related to co-ops, you can shop with [John Lewis](https://www.johnlewis.com/) / [Waitrose](http://www.waitrose.com/), and switch your mortgage and savings account (and current account, in some cases) to a [building society](/buil/building_societies). | Plus, closely related to co-ops, you can shop with [John Lewis](https://www.johnlewis.com/) / [Waitrose](http://www.waitrose.com/), and switch your mortgage and savings account (and current account, in some cases) to a [building society](bsoc:building_societies). |
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| You can also join the [Worker Co-op Solidarity Fund](http://solidfund.coop/). Individuals can join for a pound a week, and a fund builds up to promote the co-operative movement. | You can also join the [Worker Co-op Solidarity Fund](http://solidfund.coop/). Individuals can join for a pound a week, and a fund builds up to promote the co-operative movement. |
| ## Further resources | ## Further resources |
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| | - [International Co-operative Alliance](https://ica.coop/) |
| - [UK Co-operative Directory](https://www.uk.coop/directory) | - [UK Co-operative Directory](https://www.uk.coop/directory) |
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| - [Co-operative World Map](https://worldmap.coop/) | - [Co-operative World Map](https://worldmap.coop/) |
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| - [Step-by-step guide to starting a co-op](https://www.uk.coop/start-new-co-op/start) | - [Step-by-step guide to starting a co-op](https://www.uk.coop/start-new-co-op/start) |
| | - [Co-op Culture](https://www.culture.coop/) - supporting co-ops |
| | - [Catalyst Collective](https://www.catalystcollective.org/) - supporting the development of co-ops |
| | - [Co-operative & Community Finance](https://coopfinance.coop/) |
| | - [Co-operative College](https://www.co-op.ac.uk/) |
| | - [Co-op News](https://www.thenews.coop/) |
| | - [Radical Routes](https://www.radicalroutes.org.uk/) - advice, loans |
| | - [South-west Co-op Development](https://www.southwest.coop/) - helping start co-ops |
| | - [United Diversity](https://library.uniteddiversity.coop/Cooperatives/) - huge co-op library |
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| ## Specialist(s) | ## Specialist curators of this topic |
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