James Morris MP - Adopt a Co-operative 2012

14 DAYS OF CELEBRATIONS BEGIN: 22 JUNE CELEBRATING  'CO-OPERATIVES FORTNIGHT 2013'

Co-operatives Fortnight 2013, the national campaign to celebrate co-operative businesses up and down the country has begun in earnest.

With the theme ‘local, loved and trusted’ the fourteen days of Co-operatives Fortnight will see businesses ranging from bike shops to bakers, architects to allotments and farmers to pharmacies, inviting local people to join them in celebrating the fact that they are owned by and run for their members.

Residents, politicians, businesses and loves of the co-op principles will be invited to various events in localities across the UK. See our events page and register your own.

Up and down the country events and open days will be taking place to acknowledge the 5.900 co-operative organisations that are ‘powered by members’ and contribute £36bn to the UK’s economy.

Simon Randall, Chairman of Conservative Co-operative Movement

“ Just when many customers and members of the public are losing trust in business, Co-operatives Fortnight is an opportunity for us to show that co-operatives are different; we don’t have shareholders, we’re not controlled by face-less management teams based in another country, we’re local, we’re loved and we’re trusted. “

Local
For every £1 spent in a co-operative, an additional 40 pence is generated for the local economy
There are co-operatives in almost every postcode in the UK
From credit unions to Co-operative Food, there are more than 14,000 co-operative outlets across the UK
Loved
Co-operatives share their profits with their members and local community
Co-operatives give people an equal say
One in four adults is a member, that’s 13 million, and more than 5,000 independent co-operatives contribute more than £35 billion a year to the UK economy.
Trusted
Where trust is low, like energy and food, co-operatives are thriving
In a recent poll, 52% of people who expressed a view described co-operative businesses as trusted, compared to just 7% for PLCs.  
Co-operatives have grown by 20% since the start of the credit crunch

Visit www.uk.coop/choosecoop for more information about Co-operatives Fortnight or find nearby co-operatives