Community Impact Index 2013-2014

The Community Impact Index is based on research into the investment in communities from the largest consumer-facing co-operatives in the UK, as well as the largest non-co-op retailers. Embodying...

The Community Impact Index is based on research into the investment in communities from the largest consumer-facing co-operatives in the UK, as well as the largest non-co-op retailers.

Embodying co-operative principles within the research, the index looks at how the sector shows ‘concern for the community’ and ‘co-operation among co-operatives’.

In order to make meaningful comparisons between co-operatives and their mainstream competitors, quantitative data on the following community investment sub-categories of activity has been collected, which includes: total investment in charitable activity; total investment in community activity; volunteering activity; and support for co-operative development.

  • Introduction: The importance of co-operatives investing in communities

    The importance of co-operatives investing in their communities has long been recognised. The report of the Co-operative Commission in 2001 noted the virtuous circle theory of the attainment of social goals providing a competitive advantage, leading to commercial success which then reinforces the ability to meet the social goals. The report also notes that for this to work, the “social goals ...

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  • Community investment index: giving back to neighbourhoods

    Consumer co-operatives give 6.9% of profits back to communities, while its nearest retail rivals provide 2.4%. The Community Impact Index, which covers the 2013 financial year, lists the top nine retail co-operatives by turnover that gave over £20m to communities. The figure, which represents 6.9% of pre-tax/pre-dividend profits, looks at all areas of giving to communities, such as donations ...

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  • Volunteering index: co-operatives dedicating time to communities

    During 2013, the top co-operatives reported close to 290,000 volunteer hours from their staff. But this will still not be the full picture of the sector, since only seven out of 20 consumer-facing co-ops have reported the figure. Volunteering is a part of British society, according to the government’s Community Life Survey that found 74% of people had volunteered at least once over a period ...

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  • Charity and community index: how co-ops support good causes

    Healthcare mutuals are finding new ways to benefit their communities, through dedicated funds, volunteering and local partnerships – and, as the charity and community index shows, the impact is growing. In 2013, Simplyhealth, the UK’s biggest health and social care mutual, donated £1.4m to UK charities through its community fund, and its workers participated in 194 volunteer days. Workers ...

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  • Co-operative support index: measuring co-operation among co-operatives

    The sixth principle of co-operation between co-ops is one indicator to measure the co-operative difference. It is not a standard reporting measure within the sector, but as Co-operatives UK’s head of co-operative advice Helen Barber says in this report, the co-operative difference is “fundamentally different” and can be measured in many ways including “investment in co-op initiatives”. Here ...

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  • Ask the experts: Weighing up the social impact

    Corporate social responsibility is the cornerstone of modern day business. Measuring the social and environmental impact of business activity is showcased in annual reports of organisations looking for an ethical edge. But with seven guiding principles behind them, how do co-operatives approach measurement? Co-operative News spoke with CSR experts from some of the country’s larger ...

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  • How do we measure the co-operative difference?

    Corporate social responsibility (CSR) includes a range of criteria to determine an organisation’s ethical status, and has been adopted by many co-ops. But what should they measure to show their unique co-operative status? Helen Barber, head of co-operative advice at Co-operatives UK, says the co-operative difference is “fundamentally different” from CSR. “Co-operatives have the interests of ...

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  • Measuring the impact of co-op grocers across the US

    In the United States, a national purchasing co-op that represents over 140 food co-ops has measured the impact of its members. In 2012, the National Co-op Grocers discovered that for every dollar spent in store, $0.38 was reinvested in the local economy –compared to $0.24 at rival grocers. Part of this difference is through the increased spend on local produce, where co-ops spend on average ...

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  • Anti-fracking protesters in Balcombe march against energy company Cuadrilla, which HSBC provides banking services to (Image: Randi Sokoloff/Shutterstock)

    The impact of financial institutions on communities

    Whether they’re aware of it or not, whether they care about it or not, all financial institutions have a significant impact on communities. By directing the flow of credit in our economy, they decide the shape of our world – the houses we live in; the businesses we work for and buy from; and the activities that protect or destroy our environment. Community considerations may be addressed ...

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  • A CSR programme from Morrisons saw it donate £18m worth of gardening equipment to schools (Image: Chris Warham / Shutterstock.com)

    How do UK supermarkets do corporate social responsibility?

    In the UK, many high street supermarkets such as Tesco and Morrisons have their own ‘community champions’, who work with communities in local areas. Some have also set up in-store collection points for donations to local food banks (Tesco) and donate surplus food to charities (Sainsbury’s, Asda and Aldi) or convert it into energy through anaerobic digestion (Aldi). Others (Marks and Spencer) ...

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  • Regional Communities at The Midcounties Co-operative: Walsall Case Study

    In 2014, The Midcounties Co-operative reviewed its approach to community giving, to make it more region-focused. The organisation has recently launched energy and childcare businesses and, as it diversified, felt it was important to take its community work back to its roots by providing both financial and volunteering support on a local level. So this year Midcounties launched its Regional ...

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  • Inside the Impact Index

    The Community Impact Index is based on research into the investment in communities from the largest consumer-facing co-operatives in the UK, as well as the largest non-co-op retailers. Embodying co-operative principles within the research, the index looks at how the sector shows ‘concern for the community’ and ‘co-operation among co-operatives’. In order to make meaningful comparisons ...

    Read more...