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Principles met

  • New models of meeting priority needs

    In exploring new ways of meeting the priority needs of our communities we will encourage models, such as co-operatives and mutuals, which give greater influence and voice to staff and users. in designing and commissioning public services and in determining the use of public resources.

  • Walking the talk

    As a membership organisation, we will make this statement of our principles operational by: • Co-operation among members: Our members work together to help each other implement our values, sharing experiences and learning. • Openness of membership: Full, Associate and Affiliate Membership is open to any qualifying Council, organisation or individual who shares our values and is committed to putting them into action. • Co-production of the Network’s work: Members help shape the Network’s work programme and the content of events and written products. • Action-focused: The network is a vehicle for helping councils translate co-operative values and principles into policy and practice. •Membership-based: The network is majority funded by modest membership subscriptions from its member Councils, Associates and Affiliates. •Non-party-political: Members share the belief that working co-operatively within and across communities holds the key to tackling today’s challenges.

After nearly a decade as CEO of the Cooperative Councils’ Innovation Network (CCIN), I stepped down at the end of December 2025.  My break was brief, however, as I was soon invited to take on the role of Honorary President — an honour and a privilege.

The earliest events in my CCIN journey were the Cooperative Congress in Birmingham, swiftly followed by the LGA Conference and Exhibition in Bournemouth.  Over the years, I have taken the CCIN roadshow from Dundee to Plymouth, and organised Annual Conferences in Cardiff, Oldham, Croydon, Rochdale, Telford, Sunderland and Greenwich, working with officer teams in each place.  Around 100 events have been delivered, spanning thousands of miles.  Highlights have included study visits to Mondragon and Emilia-Romagna, where members have had the opportunity to visit cooperative places in action and speak with international cooperators.  I am immensely proud of that achievement and of the breadth of local government talent nurtured within individual councils, taking advantage of the opportunities the CCIN has given.

Dr Ariel Guarco, President of the International Cooperative Alliance and Nicola Huckerby at Cooperative Congress in Rochdale, July 2025

For further information contact:

Nicola Huckerby
Honorary President
Cooperative Councils’ Innovation Network

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