Members’ Update November 2023

• 13th Nov 2023

Thank you, Sunderland - you were amazing! Thanks to everyone who joined us for our 2023 Annual Conference held at City Hall, Sunderland and hosted by Sunderland City Council.

Councillor Louise Gittins

Chair of the CCIN
Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council

• [email protected]

Highlights of this year’s conference included:

• Introduction to Riverside Sunderland
• Walking Tour of Heritage Quarter, including Pop Recs CIC and Sunshine Cooperative
• Visit by coach to Hylton Castle 
• Welcome Reception at The Fire Station – compared by Cal Halbert from the Felt Nowt Comedy Cooperative, welcomes from The Right Worshipful the Mayor of the City of Sunderland, Councillor Dorothy Trueman andPaul Callaghan, Chair of the Music, Arts and Culture Trust, with entertainment from the Sunderland Youth Choir & Sunderland Youth & Community Orchestra, Marty Longstaff from The Lake Poets, and Breaking Tradition Clog dancing
• Launch of two NEW Policy Lab reports at the AGM:
  – Arts & Culture for Social Cohesion – led by North Herts Council
  – Democratising Policy Solutions – led by Rochdale Council
• Plenary 1 – Supporting Children & Young People the Cooperative Way – chaired by Cllr Louise Gittins, Chair of the CCIN and the LGA’s Children & Young People’s Board
• Plenary 2 – A Cooperative Council’s Manifesto for the General Election – an interactive session chaired by Cllr Sarah Doyle – Chair of the CCIN Values & Principles Board and Cabinet Member for Housing at Liverpool City Council
• 15 Workshops 
• Exhibition by our Affiliate Members.

Please make sure you read to the end to find out what delegates thought should be our priorities for our General Election manifesto!

Finally, we’d like to offer personal thanks to Cllr Paul Stewart, whose idea it was for Sunderland to host this conference, and to Helen Peverley and her team for being super organised.

I hope you enjoy this update.

Louise