Wales Co-operative Centre

Last updated

Wales Co-operative Centre is a non-profit co-operative development agency in Wales. It is the largest co-operative development body in the UK, [1] managing several major initiatives in Wales.

Contents

It delivers a range of projects to promote social, financial inclusion, and digital inclusion. Its team of advisors work across the country, helping co-operatives, social enterprises, community groups and voluntary organisations. [2]

The Centre was originally an industrial and provident society, which in 2014 became a community benefit society. It is funded through the Welsh Government, Europe, some local authorities and some earned income. The Centre has over 80 staff members working across Wales at offices in Caerphilly, Bangor, Carmarthen and Swansea, including its head office in the Y Borth building. Its membership elect a management board, who appoint the executive committee.[ citation needed ]

History

1980s

The Centre was established in 1982 by the Wales TUC to provide business support to co-operatives in Wales. Two years later the Centre published the first list of co-operatives in Wales and launched its first programme of training courses. It helped establish the first credit union in Wales in Rhydfelin (now called Dragonsavers [3] ) in 1988, and also began providing advice to trade unions and their members about employee ownership.

1990s

In 1992 the Wales Co-operative Centre was the largest co-operative development agency in England and Wales. (As of 2018 the UK's largest co-operatives included John Lewis Partnership [4] and the Co-operative Group.) The Centre's support helped Tower Colliery to become the largest employee-owned company in the country in 1995. [5] [6] The Centre also helped to set up the UK's first credit union based on an NHS Trust, in Bridgend. In 1998 the Centre merged with Cardiff and Vale Co-operative Development Agency and took over the Enterprise Rehearsal Project which helped benefit claimants into self-employment (examples [7] [8] ). It began working with social enterprises in Wales in 1999 and became the first Chair of the All Wales Social Enterprise Network. [9]

2000s

The Wales Co-operative Centre gained support from the Welsh Assembly Government in 2000 for a significant credit union development and grant fund initiative, which then became a flagship project under the new European structural funds Programme. [10] In 2001, the Wales Co-operative Centre brought together the Communities First Support Network to support the work of the Communities First Programme. [11] The Coalfields Regeneration Trust provided further funding in 2002 for the Centre to administer the Debt Redemption and Money Advice Scheme to protect those most at risk from doorstep lenders. In 2004 it secured European Objective One funding to continue work in developing co-operatives and that led to a major expansion of the Centre. The Welsh Assembly Government's 'Social Enterprise Strategy for Wales' formally recognised the role which social enterprises and co-operatives play in economic development in 2005. [12] Communities@One was launched by the Communities Directorate of the Welsh Assembly Government in 2006, and the Wales Co-operative Centre won the contract to deliver this digital inclusion initiative. 2007 saw the Centre launch a Fair Trade project working with businesses across Wales to show them the benefits of adopting a fair trade policy, following funding from the Welsh Assembly Government. [13] In 2009, the Centre won contracts to deliver the Social Enterprise Support Project [14] and the Welsh Assembly Government's digital inclusion project, Communities 2.0. [15]

2010s

2010 saw a change of Chief Executive. After a total of 18 years with the Centre, Simon Harris left to become Director of Wales at Business in the Community. He was replaced by Derek Walker, coming from Director of External Affairs at the Big Lottery Fund. [16] [17] In 2015, the Centre began delivery of the Social Business Wales project [18] which provides online and face-to-face support to social businesses seeking to expand and increase employment. It also won the contract to deliver Digital Communities Wales, [19] the Welsh Government's digital inclusion programme to get people in Wales online. 2016 saw the start of two new projects, Care to Co-operate (which supports the development of social care and well-being co-ops) and Community Shares Wales, which helps communities raise investment to save or create amenities and services.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Lottery Community Fund</span> UK non-departmental public body

The National Lottery Community Fund, legally named the Big Lottery Fund, is a non-departmental public body responsible for distributing funds raised by the National Lottery for "good causes".

A social enterprise is an organization that applies commercial strategies to maximize improvements in financial, social and environmental well-being. This may include maximizing social impact alongside profits for co-owners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grant (money)</span> Non-repayable funds disbursed by one party to a recipient

A grant is a financial award given by a government entity, foundation, corporation, or other organization to an individual or organization for a specific purpose. Unlike loans, grants do not need to be repaid, making them an attractive source of funding for various activities, such as research, education, public service projects, and business ventures. Examples include student grants, research grants, the Sovereign Grant paid by the UK Treasury to the monarch, and some European Regional Development Fund payments in the European Union.

Shaw Trust is a charitable organisation in the United Kingdom which supports people with complex needs into good work. It was founded in the village of Shaw in Wiltshire in 1982.

The United Kingdom is home to a widespread and diverse co-operative movement, with over 7,000 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edwina Hart</span> British politician (born 1957)

Edwina Hart, MBE is a Welsh Labour politician who represented the constituency of Gower from the establishment of the National Assembly for Wales (Senedd) in 1999 until 2016. Hart served in the Welsh Government as a cabinet minister for the full 17 years she was an AM including as Minister for Health and Social Services from 2007 to 2011 and as Minister for Business, Enterprise, Technology and Science from 2011 to 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development</span> Government owned All India Development Financial Institution and Regulatory Body

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) is an All India Development Financial Institution (DFI) and an apex Supervisory Body for overall supervision of Regional Rural Banks, State Cooperative Banks and District Central Cooperative Banks in India. It was established under the NABARD Act 1981 passed by the Parliament of India. It is fully owned by Government of India and functions under the Department of Financial Services (DFS) under the Ministry of Finance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Griffiths (Welsh politician)</span> Welsh Labour politician and Member of the Senedd for Newport East

John Griffiths is a Welsh Labour and Co-operative politician who previously served as Minister for Environment and Sustainable Development from 2011 to 2013. Griffiths has represented the constituency of Newport East in the Senedd since 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antigonish Movement</span> Community development organization in Canada

The Antigonish Movement blended adult education, co-operatives, microfinance and rural community development to help small, resource-based communities around Canada's Maritimes to improve their economic and social circumstances. A group of priests and educators, including Father Jimmy Tompkins, Father Moses Coady, Rev. Hugh MacPherson and A.B. MacDonald led this movement from a base at the Extension Department at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.

The Coalfields Regeneration Trust is a registered charity that works across the former Coalfield communities of England, Wales and Scotland. The Charity was founded in 1999. The Coalfields Regeneration Trust receives funding from the Department of Communities and Local Government for their work in English communities, The Welsh Government for their Welsh activities and the Scottish Government to cover their Scottish work. The Trust runs a number of initiatives and activities that make things happen at a community level in Coalfield areas. Each Country sets its own strategic objectives in line with local priorities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carnegie United Kingdom Trust</span> UK charitable foundation

The Carnegie United Kingdom Trust is an independent, endowed charitable trust based in Scotland that operates throughout Great Britain and Ireland. Originally established with an endowment from Andrew Carnegie in his birthplace of Dunfermline, it is incorporated by a royal charter and shares purpose-built premises with the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, the Carnegie Dunfermline Trust, and the Carnegie Hero Fund Trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bank Australia</span> Australian banking co-operative

Bank Australia is an Australian customer-owned bank based in Collingwood, Victoria. The organisation can trace its origins back to 1957, when the CSIRO Co-operative Credit Society was formed. Over succeeding years, mergers among 72 other credit unions and co-operative banks eventually led to the creation of the Members & Education Credit Union (mecu) in 2003, which became Bankmecu in 2011, and Bank Australia in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeremy Miles</span> Welsh politician (born 1971)

Jeremy Miles is a Welsh Labour Co-op politician serving as Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care since September 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Arthur Williams</span> Canadian politician (1933–2024)

Robert Arthur Williams was a Canadian consultant and political figure in British Columbia. He represented Vancouver East in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 1966 to 1976 and from 1984 to 1991 as a New Democratic Party (NDP) member.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Autism Cymru</span> Former Welsh national charity for autism

Autism Cymru was Wales' national charity for autism with offices in Cardiff, Wrexham, and Aberystwyth. The charity was established in May 2001 through an initial 3-year grant provided by The Shirley Foundation. The founder chair of the Trustees was Dame Stephanie Shirley of the Shirley Foundation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hannah Blythyn</span> Welsh Labour politician and Member of the Senedd for Delyn

Hannah Blythyn is a Welsh politician who served as the Minister for Social Partnership in the Welsh Government from 2021 to 2024. She was previously the Environment Minister from 2017 to 2018 and the Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government from 2018 to 2021. A member of Welsh Labour and Co-operative Party, she has been the Member of the Senedd (MS) for Delyn since 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Murphy (politician)</span> Welsh politician

Sarah Murphy is a Welsh Labour and Co-operative politician, serving as Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing since July 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Menter Môn</span> Social enterprise based in Anglesey, Wales

Menter Môn is a social enterprise organisation, based in Anglesey, Wales. It mainly operates in Anglesey and Gwynedd, although some of its programmes and funds extent to other parts of north and west Wales. Menter Môn focuses on delivering local projects, including those specialising in local regeneration, the environment and culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice (Wales)</span> Welsh Government cabinet minister

The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice is a member of the Cabinet in the Welsh Government. The current officeholder is Jane Hutt since July 2024.

The Deputy Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism was a deputy minister of the Welsh Government, accountable to the cabinet minister for the economy. Established in 2014, the last officeholder was Dawn Bowden from May 2021 to March 2024.

References

  1. ↑ "Wales Co-operative Centre | cooperatives-wales.coop" . Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  2. ↑ "walescoop.com | Domain Name For Sale". Uni Market. Archived from the original on 7 June 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  3. ↑ "Dragonsavers Credit Union". www.dragonsavers.org. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  4. ↑ "Co-operatives offer template for David Cameron's big society | Business | the Guardian". TheGuardian.com . Archived from the original on 22 July 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  5. ↑ "Tower Colliery – background". Archived from the original on 2 July 2010. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
  6. ↑ Tower Colliery – case study
  7. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 July 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. ↑ "Cancer pain inspires wig service". 26 September 2005. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  9. ↑ "Community Enterprise Wales". Archived from the original on 3 June 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
  10. ↑ Chambers, Clare. "PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLEThe funding of credit unions where has all the money gone?CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS The funding of credit unions – where has all the money gone".{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  11. ↑ "Welsh Government | Communities First". 7 April 2012. Archived from the original on 7 April 2012. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  12. ↑ "Welsh Government | Social Enterprise Strategy for Wales". 15 March 2012. Archived from the original on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  13. ↑ "(Annex A)". Assemblywales.org. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  14. ↑ Social Enterprise Support Project
  15. ↑ https://gov.wales/sites/default/files/statistics-and-research/2019-07/150728-evaluation-communities-20-final-summary-revised-en.pdf
  16. ↑ History source: Wales Co-operative Centre Marketing team
  17. ↑ "Wales Co-operative Centre appoints new chief executive | Social Enterprise". Archived from the original on 30 November 2010. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
  18. ↑ "Social Business Wales". Archived from the original on 11 October 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  19. ↑ "Digital Communities Wales". www.digitalcommunities.gov.wales.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.