Directory

Co-operatives UK

Co-operatives UK is the trade association for all co-operatives in the UK and works with the Co-operative International Alliance based in Brussels. The ICA serves co-operatives worldwide. www.uk.coop

International Co-operative Alliance (ICA)

The ICA is the global level organisation that unites and serves co-operatives worldwide. www.case.coop

Lincolnshire Co-operative Development Agency

Devoted to the promotion and development of social and co-operative enterprise across Lincolnshire. Campaigns for the sector in public debate, promotes its advantages in business and community sectors and support to emerging, growing and established businesses as well as running a network of mutual support and information for member businesses. www.lincolnshire.cda.coop

Co-operative & Social Enterprise Development Agency (CASE)

Helps people to set up social enterprises and other forms of democratic business. www.case.coop

Supporters Direct

Provides advice, information and support to Supporters’ Trusts, and supports the development of new Supporter’s Trusts. www.supporters-direct.coop

The Co-operative Group (Central & Eastern Region)

The world’s largest consumer co-operative. The Co-operative Group with a national turnover of £9billion has an East Midlands Constituency – with three elected representatives on the National Member Council.

Central England Co-operative Society

Central England Co-op Society, as it is better known to many, is the largest regional Co-operative Society in the UK, a modern forward-looking organisation employing some 8,000 staff, and with gross sales in excess of £720m. Principal activities are retailing – food and non-food; travel, funeral services and transport. Trading principally in Derbyshire, Leicestershire and the Greater Midlands, they also have outlets in Herefordshire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire. Over 400 trading outlets, ranging from superstores to convenience stores, department stores, travel shops, funeral homes, florists, garages, post offices and petrol stations. www.centralengland.coop

Lincolnshire Co-operative

The Lincolnshire Co-operative is an independent consumer co-operative which operates in Lincolnshire and the surrounding counties, United Kingdom. The society has over 200 outlets with its principal trading activity being its 83 food stores, funeral homes, travel agencies, florists and pharmacies. The Society is owned by over 250,000 members who hold Lincolnshire Co-op dividend cards, equal to approximately one quarter of the population of Greater Lincolnshire. The society also owns the Gadsby’s bakery which is based in Southwell, Nottinghamshire. As a co-operative, it shares all its profits with members. Ways of doing this include paying dividend and a dividend bonus at the end of the year, investing in new and improved services and supporting community groups and charities. During the 2014-15 year a sum equivalent to 5% of pre-tax profits was distributed to community initiatives. Since Lincolnshire County Council closed a number of libraries across the county, the Lincolnshire Co-operative has operated five libraries within its food stores and pharmacies and offers library book deliveries in areas covered by its pharmacy delivery scheme. In the last full year of trading, 2014/15, Lincolnshire Co-op recorded sales of £293m and profit of £19.2m of which more than 50% of trade was with members. This figure included a like-for-like food sales increase of 1.4% and an increase of 7.4% at its Gadsby’s bakery. The society was able to pay its members a total of £3.4m in dividend and dividend bonus during the year. www.lincolnshire.coop

Co-operatives West Midlands

A sister Regional Co-operative Council – based in Birmingham and serving the West Midlands has the same objectives as Co-operatives East Midlands founded on co-operative values and principles. A number of Regional Co-operative Councils work together to share information and knowledge. www.cooperatives-wm.org.uk

Association of British Credit Unions ABCUL

The Association of British Credit Unions – the national organisation representing and promoting credit unions across the UK. Credit unions provide savings and loans at attractive rates under a strict governance code of practice. www.abcul.org