A friendly society is a mutual association for the purposes of insurance, pensions, savings or cooperative banking. It is a mutual organization or benefit society composed of a body of people who join together for a common financial or social purpose. Before modern insurance and the welfare state, friendly societies provided financial and social services to individuals, often according to their religious, political, or trade affiliations. These societies are still widespread in many parts of the developing world, where they are referred to as ROSCAs, ASCAs, burial societies, chit funds, etc.
An industrial and provident society (IPS) was a legal entity for a trading business or voluntary organisation in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, and New Zealand. The name is still used in New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland and within the UK in Northern Ireland.
The United Kingdom is home to a widespread and diverse co-operative movement, with over 7000 registered co-operatives owned by 17 million individual members and which contribute £34bn a year to the British economy. Modern co-operation started with the Rochdale Pioneers' shop in the northern English town of Rochdale in 1844, though the history of co-operation in Britain can be traced back to before 1800. The British co-operative movement is most commonly associated with The Co-operative brand which has been adopted by several large consumers' co-operative societies; however, there are many thousands of registered co-operative businesses operating in the UK. Alongside these consumers' co-operatives, there exist many prominent agricultural co-operatives (621), co-operative housing providers (619), health and social care cooperatives (111), cooperative schools (834), retail co-operatives, co-operatively run community energy projects, football supporters' trusts, credit unions, and worker-owned businesses.
Wooldale Co-operative Society was a small consumer co-operative based in the West Yorkshire village of Wooldale. The Society operated three convenience stores in the Holme Valley villages of New Mill, Thongsbridge and Wooldale. It was founded as the Wooldale Industrial and Equitable Co-operative Society in 1886, changing its name in 1989.
The East of England Co-operative Society is the fourth largest consumer co-operative in the United Kingdom after The Co-operative Group, The Midcounties Co-operative and Central England Co-operative. It is a registered industrial and provident society with its headquarters in Wherstead, near Ipswich and trading in the eastern counties of Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire. The Society is the area's largest independent retailer.
The South Suburban Co-operative Society (SSCS) was a co-operative retailer in south London, Surrey and Kent, England. It became part of the Co-operative Wholesale Society, now the Co-operative Group.
Associated Co-operative Creameries (ACC), formerly CWS Milk Group, was a subsidiary and operating division of the Co-operative Group.
Highburton Industrial and Provident Society Limited, or Highburton Co-op, was a small consumer co-operative based in the West Yorkshire village of Highburton, five miles southeast of Huddersfield. The Society was founded in 1857, buying the building from the church, and operating a single store on Towngate in the village. The Society claimed to being the world's oldest operating independent single retail co-operative outlet. In 2006, the Society held talks with the nearby Wooldale Co-op with a view to merging the two Societies' operations but these talks ended without a merger going ahead.
Midlands Co-operative Society Limited was the second largest consumer co-operative in the United Kingdom. It was a registered Industrial and Provident Society, a member of the Co-operative Union, the Co-operative Retail Trading Group and a corporate member of The Co-operative Group, the largest consumer co-operative in the world. The Society had over 200 stores, principally trading in the English Midlands. Head office was located in Lichfield, Staffordshire.
Co-op Insurance is the trading name of CIS General Insurance, a general insurance company, which is part of the Co-operative Group, based in Manchester, United Kingdom. Co-op Insurance Services, an insurance intermediary incorporated in 2017, is a wholly owned subsidiary of CIS General Insurance.
Anglia Regional Co-operative Society Limited was the fifth largest consumer co-operative in the United Kingdom. It was formed by the merger of the Greater Peterborough Regional and Anglia co-operative societies in 1987. The Society had over 80 stores, principally trading in East Anglia. Head office was located at Westgate House, Peterborough until 2011.
Westmill Wind Farm Co-operative Ltd is a community-owned Industrial and Provident Society that owns 100% of the Westmill Wind Farm which is an onshore wind farm near the village of Watchfield in the Vale of White Horse, England. It has five 1.3 MW wind turbines erected in a line along the disused runway of the former RAF Watchfield. The wind farm has a power output of up to 6.5 MW, projected to produce as much electricity in a year as used by more than 2,500 homes. The turbines were erected in 8 days and the first fully month of generation was March 2008. It has an open day usually in June each year.
Farmcare Trading Limited is the largest lowland farming organisation in the United Kingdom. Farmcare traded as The Co-operative Farms while a subsidiary of The Co-operative Group until it was sold to the Wellcome Trust in 2014.
The Heart of England Co-operative Society is an independent consumer co-operative in the United Kingdom. Based in Coventry, the Society trades in the English counties of West Midlands, Warwickshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire.
The Channel Islands' Co-operative Society is a long-established consumer co-operative with stores in the Channel Islands. Its head office is located in Saint Helier in Jersey.
The Industrial and Provident Societies Act 1965 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that regulated industrial and provident societies in Great Britain and the Channel Islands.
Hornsey (FIA) Co-operative Credit Union Limited was a savings and loans co-operative, established in the Municipal Borough of Hornsey, now part of the London Borough of Haringey, in 1964. One of the earliest credit unions in the United Kingdom, it merged with London Capital Credit Union in 2013.
The Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 (c.14) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that received Royal Assent on 14 May 2014.
Coniston Co-operative Society Limited is a small consumer co-operative in Furness, Cumbria. It is one of the few societies operating a single village store to remain independent.
Allendale Co-operative Society is a small consumer co-operative in the village of Allendale, Northumberland, England. Founded in 1874 as the Allendale Industrial and Provident Society, the co-operative is one of the few remaining British co-operative retail societies still operating from a single village store.
