We all “know” the Co-op, most towns have one, be it a shop, a travel agency, a funeral parlour.. but who ARE the Co-op?
“The Co-operative Group is a UK is run co-operative and owned by its members. It is the largest organisation of this type in the world, with over 5.5 million members, who all have a say in how the business is run and how its social goals are achieved. Membership is open to everyone, provided that they share the values and principles upon which the group was founded. Every year members receive a share of the group’s profit, based on the total amount of profit made, and the amount of money they spent with the organisation in that year”. Taken from Wikipedia … http://bit.ly/6t5go9
That is WHO the Co-op are but what it doesn’t come close to highlighting is the huge impact the Co-operative has had on local communities since 1863 when it first started out. The Co-op are a very ethically focussed group and plough a lot of time, effort and finance (when comes from donations from it’s members) back into the community. One of the many schemes they run is the Cooperative Community Fund.
The Community Fund is a registered charity and run on a regional level, with money donated by member from each area, going back into that geographical area.
How does it work?
Grants vary from a minimum of £100 to a maximum of £2,000. Groups have to apply for the funding – an application form is available here: The Cooperative Membership Fund
– To be successful a group must:
· Carry out positive work in the community (it does not have to have charitable status to apply)
And the project must:
· Address a community issue
· Provide a long-term benefit to the community
· Support co-operative values and principles
· Ideally be innovative in its approach
If I could see the money go anywhere locally I’d like it to go into services for children/young adults for example, Young Carers which is a group that supports youngsters who help and support their own families in someway due to illness or disability. Or I’d like to see the local park patched up a bit, to fund more tree planting in communal areas (what is good for the environment has to be good for our children right?). I could think of so many local initiatives and groups that could do with some extra cash to enable them to continue support locals and their local area – can you?
Do you run a group, or know of one that could use this type of funding and fits the criteria? If so.. apply here The Cooperative Membership Fund or pass this post on via Twitter, Facebook or just by mentioning it to group leaders. The more people that know and apply, the better for your local area.
