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  • Lead Member Kirklees Council
  • Participating Members Co-operative and Mutual Solutions Ltd, Co-operative Futures, Co-operatives UK, Greenwich Royal Borough, Innovation Cooperative Ltd, Kirklees Council, Oldham Council, Oxford City Council, Power to Change, South Ribble Borough Council, Stevenage Borough Council, Sunderland City Council
  • Year 2024
  • Status Policy Labs

Principles met

  • Community leadership and a new role for councillors

    We will explore ways for councils to act as a platform for helping the community to contribute to local outcomes, and to re-think the role of councillors as community connectors, brokers and leaders.

  • Innovation

    We will embrace innovation in how we work with local communities to drive positive change.

  • Maximising social value

    We will support the development of a framework and criteria for social value, giving substance to the concept and supporting Councils with the tools to ensure better local social and economic outcomes.

  • 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.

About the project

SKIP TO - Councils' Cooperative Development Toolkit

This new resource from the Cooperative Councils’ Innovation Network jointly funded by Power to Change is intended to take councils from “We need more coops” to a clear understanding of what cooperatives they have, potential opportunities in their local area and well-defined steps.

The toolkit consists of four sections:

  1. Back to basics: what are cooperatives, their benefits, the evidence for them and related national support.
  2. What can I do? Taking you through the main areas where councils can take action to support cooperative development.
  3. Doing your homework: understanding your local context and objectives.
  4. Taking action: get going by identifying stakeholders, developing a theory of change, finding funding and developing an action plan.

The toolkit is the result of two years work by six CCIN Full Member Councils led by Kirklees Council and with support from four affiliate members. Within the toolkit are a wealth of resources that will help councils further strengthen their strategy for cooperative development whether they are just starting out or are building on years of existing work. It comes at an important moment when the Government has committed during their election campaign to double the size of the UK’s cooperative and mutual economy and demonstrates the fundamental role that local authorities can play in delivering this.

For further information contact:

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