The Formula for Co-operation
Competing in the New Decade: Business Leaders Look Towards Co-op Model
Business leaders and entrepreneurs will explore how the principles of the co-operative movement can help Manchester gain a competitive edge in the face of severe spending cuts, new government policies and other social and economic change.
Entitled, ‘The Formula for Cooperation’ this Wednesday’s session will be held in the CIS tower and is the latest in rolling programme of Innovation Manchester Boardrooms, devised and delivered by Manchester: Knowledge Capital.
The Innovation Manchester Boardroom is a unique forum that harnesses the power of Greater Manchester’s best and brightest minds to tackle the challenges cities are currently facing. Inspirational and expert speakers are brought together with Greater Manchester’s business leaders, public sector representatives and policy makers to generate new ideas and innovative strategies to help the conurbation thrive and prosper.
Leading the Boardroom workshop, which is part of Co-operatives Fortnight, will be Ed Mayo. Ed is Secretary General of Co-Operatives UK, the national trade association for co-operative enterprises which actively promotes co-operative alternatives across many sectors.
Other participants include Phil Arnold, CEO of the Reddish Vale Co-operative Trust, which runs the first school in England to become a Co-operative Trust and Andrew King Founder and Director of Energy4All who will share how they combine the ‘ethics of a cooperative with strong business professionalism’.
Ed Mayo said: “It’s well known that the co-operative movement was born in Greater Manchester and that the region is still home to many excellent examples of sustainable and successful co-op enterprises. Recent events and upheavals across the economy only make the cooperative movement more relevant than ever.
“We shall therefore be encouraging Manchester’s Innovation Boardroom members to consider how both commercial and social and ventures could not only thrive by adopting a co-op model but also give them a genuine competitive edge.”
Kate Pickering, Innovation Programme Manager for M:KC said, “Utilising the Co-operative Movement has the potential to revolutionise the way Manchester does business. I am delighted that Ed and Phil are bringing their experience of running successful co-op business ventures to stimulate participants into thinking about how principles of co-operation can be woven into many aspects of business.
The Boardroom programme is tackling a wide range of challenges Manchester will face over the next 10 years from Benefitting from a Low Carbon Economy, Building Partnerships of Innovation, Valuing Older People, Creating Public Service Efficiencies, Prosperity with Growth and Building on Manchester’s Global Successes are just a few.
ENDS
Editor’s Notes
1. ED Mayo is available for interview.[Soft Break]Ed is a leading British thinker in the fields of economics, community and consumer issues. He is the former Chief Executive of the British National Consumer Council (NCC) and CEO of the NCC’s successor, Consumer Focus. In July 2009, Mayo was named as the Chief Executive Designate of Co-operatives UK, the UK trade association for co-operatives, before assuming office in November 2009 as Secretary General.
2. Manchester: Knowledge Capital [Soft Break]M:KC exists to help keep Greater Manchester ahead of the game. We provide insight, strategic connectivity, and a test-bed for new ways of living and working.[Soft Break]manchesterknowledge.com
3. Cooperatives Fortnight takes place 19 July – 3 August 2010 and is a call for people to do things differently – to work together as individuals, colleagues, communities and businesses.[Soft Break]http://www.thereisanalternative.coop/
4. Reddish Vale Technology College in Stockport was the first Co-operative Trust School which was established in April 2008. There are currently 56 schools which have adopted the co-operative trust model, and over 100 more schools working towards becoming co-operative trusts. http://www.reddish.stockport.sch.uk/[Soft Break][Soft Break]5. Energy4All
Energy4All was formed in 2002 to expand the number of renewable energy co-operatives in the UK as an integral part of our transition to a low carbon economy. Energy4All offers a highly successful combination of industry experience, community involvement, and business acumen providing a package of sector, admin, and financial services to Co-ops in return for an annual fee. [Soft Break]http://www.energy4all.co.uk/energy_home.asp