Principles met

  • We will develop systems that enable citizens to be equal partners in designing and commissioning public services and in determining the use of public resources.
  • We will promote community-based approaches to economic development that focus on supporting the creation of jobs, social enterprises and other businesses and providing an environment for co-operative and mutual enterprises to thrive.
  • We will embrace innovation in how we work with local communities to drive positive change.
  • We will capture and ‘expand’ the experience and learning from individual projects and approaches in order to encourage broader application of co-operative principles within individual member Councils and across the Network.
  • 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.

Delivered in towns and cities within several areas of England, the Co-operative College’s ground-breaking Youth Co-operative Action (YCA) programme focuses on youth activism and empowers young people to make real change in their communities. It is currently the only cooperative youth social action programme of its kind in the country. 

During 2021/22, YCA has worked with cohorts of young people, aged between 12 and 20, in various areas of Greater Manchester, Plymouth and London. As a participant-led programme, it’s up to the young people to decide what issues they want to address, and last year these included hate crime, climate change, youth safety, loneliness and the difficulties that young people face as they get older, such as getting a foot on the career ladder and managing money.  

Youth Co-operative Action participants

For further information contact: