guest lecture delivered to Public Services undergradutes at MMU on the opportunities and threats faced by co-operative enterprises in delivering public services in the Big Society agenda

1. Public services in the community –
what have co-ops got to do with it?
16th
Nov 2010
Adrian Ashton
www.adrianashton.co.uk
Guest lecture to 1st
year Public Services students, MMU

2. • What’s a co-op (and isn’t it the same as a
mutual?)
• Opps/threats in Big Society policy for coops
Adrian Ashton

3. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=Wxu_zDisalY (ed mayo)
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=x0atBklESuU&feature=channel (ursulla
lebetter)
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=yswusM3_mkw&feature=channel (unicorn)
Adrian Ashton

4. What’s a co-op?
• In the UK, no overarching single legal
definition...
• An enterprise owned, controlled, and run in
interests of its members (must be a principle
stakeholder group)
Adrian Ashton

5. Defined by values
• Voluntary and open membership
• Democratic member control
• Member economic participation
• Autonomy and independence
• Education, training and information
• Co-operation amongst co-operatives
• Concern for community
Adrian Ashton

6. A mutual
... shares many characteristics in common
with co-ops, but exists only to benefit its
members
Adrian Ashton

7. Co-ops in the Big Society
Adrian Ashton

8. • Whatever happened to the Conservative Co-
operative Movement?
Adrian Ashton

9. Big Society
• Public sector reform
• Community empowerment
• Philanthropic action
Adrian Ashton

10. Why the interest in co-ops?
• One of most sustainable models for business
• Able to reach and engage those people that the state
can’t...
• Pioneered consumer/worker rights:
– Food labelling
– Animal testing
– Fair trade
– Environmental impact
– Workers rights
Adrian Ashton

11. UK co-op movement
• £29bn turnover (£550m each week)
• 1 in 5 people are a member of a co-op
• Employs more than 200,000 people
Adrian Ashton

12. ...and globally:
• 100 million jobs (more than all multinationals
combined)
• Protects against fascism (Italy)
• Offers financial services to the White House
• Assure living wages and workers rights (fair Trade)
Adrian Ashton

13. Government agenda:
• “employee-led social enterprises, externalised
from existing public sector bodies”
Adrian Ashton

14. Perspective of the sector
• Co-op model would seem to offer ideal fit to
policy agenda
– ‘hunger’ from people: community buy-outs,
community share issues, Co-op schools, ...
• But need for support – no funding from state,
sector needs to better support itself
Adrian Ashton

15. Want to know more?
• Twitter - #coops
• Co-operativesUK www.uk.coop
• ICA www.ica.coop
Adrian Ashton