The Co-operative Challenge — seven days, seven regions, seven unique co-operatives

July 27 2010

As part of Co-operatives Fortnight, Alicia Walker and Becky Crosweller — both graduates on the Co-operative Group’s Management Training Scheme — took some time out of their placements to visit seven unique co-operatives across seven different regions in just seven days. Discover what they got up to in their travel diary . . .

Day 1 — Loch Fyne Oysters

It’s our first day out of seven to visit co-operatives across the UK. We’re both full of energy and took off a bit too early in the morning from Manchester on a short flight to Glasgow. From there we drove through the breathtaking Scottish highlands to Cairndow in Argyll for our first co-operative trip.

Having arrived at Loch Fyne Oysters we were greeted by the niece of the organisation’s founder, who explained how Loch Fyne is now entirely owned by its employees — they’ve had a hands-on role in running the company since it became a co-operative seven years ago. We’ve just had a tour of the shop, the restaurant and the oyster farm then sampled some of Loch Fyne’s delicious seafood at a nearby village festival. Alicia had never tried an oyster before, and was surprised by how much she enjoyed it!

Day 2 — Wool Clip

It’s now day two and we have started off with a lovely scenic drive through Cumbria to Caldbeck, the home of Wool Clip.

This co-operative couldn’t exist if its members didn’t take it in turns to work shifts in the shop, promoting and selling each other’s woollen goods with a strong sense of shared purpose.

Everyone was excitedly preparing for Woolfest, a huge arts and crafts festival organised every summer in the Lake District, and Becky helped one busy member weigh out some skeins of wool with a device called an ‘umbrella swift’.

Following our stop at Wool Clip, we decided to explore the area some more and spent the afternoon in the hills overlooking Ullswater lake where we were lucky enough to spot some Herdwick sheep — a breed highly praised by wool-enthusiasts.

Day 3 — Star Inn

This evening we popped along to a pub. But this was no ordinary pub, it is the first urban co-op pub in the country.

At the Star Inn, Salford, some of the regulars shared their story of how they kept their beloved pub alive by buying it at an auction just in time for Christmas last year.

Since then, the members have been using their invested money to renovate the building, moving the ladies toilets indoors and refurbishing the games room. Today the Star Inn feels like the heart of a close-knit community; a shared space bringing all sorts of people together for a pint of locally brewed real-ale or a game of darts.

Day 4 — Daily Bread

From Salford to Northampton. Today we spent the day at Daily Bread; a workers’ co-operative that sells a large range of wholesome foods and specialises in gluten-free, organic and diabetic-friendly ranges.

We were shown around the warren of rooms, all buzzing with activity, and then helped some of the workers stack shelves on the shop floor and weigh out hazelnuts in the packing room. Our colleagues talked to us about the strong social objectives of sharing and mutual support which have always defined the way their co-operative does business.

We bought some delicious ingredients from the shop and had a picnic in the park — the olives were delicious!

Day 5 — Clissold Leisure Centre

Down to London today for a visit to Clissold Leisure Centre, part of a social enterprise that exists for the benefit of the communities it operates in. The manager explained to us how the centre promotes social inclusion by encouraging more people to lead fit and healthy lifestyles regardless of their ethnicity, gender, disability or financial background.

It was great to talk to some Clissold locals who used the gym facilities regularly and it became clear to us what an important role the centre plays in the community. Later on in the afternoon we met Ed Mayo, Secretaty General of Co-operatives UK, to update him our challenge so far and to ask him a few questions about his role in the Co-operative Movement.

Day 6 — Westmill Wind Farm

The sixth day of the challenge saw us in a more rural setting; out in the fields of Wiltshire, at Westmill Wind Farm.

We had a lot of fun here, where 2,500 people in the local area hold shares in this investor’s co-operative, making it the largest 100 per cent community-owned wind farm in the UK.

Together, these members decided that a percentage of the profits made would go towards funding community projects with the view to making people more aware of green energy. Recently, school children from the local area helped to give names to the five turbines at the farm.

Day 7 — Dulas

Our last stop on the seven day challenge and the longest journey yet was into mid-Wales.

We arrived in Machynlleth for noon and headed straight to Dulas, where the focus is on providing solutions for renewable energy sources like solar power and hydroelectricity.

Everyone at this co-operative takes a break at 1pm to eat a home-cooked lunch together and we were invited to join the group, giving an immediate sense of warmth and togetherness they have created.

We had a chat with some of the workers about their roles in the co-operative and it was clear that everyone was passionate about what their business stands for as well as the environment in which they work.

Late afternoon saw us return to Aberystwyth for the night for a long walk along the coast and a hearty Welsh dinner — the perfect end to a fantastic week!

Category: Wider Co-op Movement