Ian Snaith announced as Co-operative Heritage Trust chair

The Co-operative Heritage Trust (CHT), which is responsible for the National Co-operative Archive in Manchester and the Rochdale Pioneers Museum, has a new chair following the retirement of historian Stephen Yeo.

Professor Yeo, formerly of Ruskin College, Oxford, has been the chair of the Trust since it was formed in 2007 by the Co‑operative Group, Co-operatives UK and the Co-operative College to safeguard the movement’s heritage.

Ian Snaith, who has been announced as the new chair of the Co-operative Heritage Trust, taught law at the University of Leicester for three decades and, before his retirement, specialised in co-operative law. Mr Snaith has been a trustee of the CHT since its inception, and has worked with the Co-operative College running training on the legal responsibilities of directors of co-operatives.

“It’s really important to preserve and give people access to the rich history of the co-operative movement,” he said. “Heritage helps people understand the co-operative principles and how co-operatives work – and how to start new ones and find new ways of applying the principles.”

Mr Snaith added: “The museum and archive are enormous resources. I hope to make a useful contribution.

“I am looking forward to working with College principal Simon Parkinson and head of heritage resources Gillian Lonergan, who have done amazing work on the museum and archive, to develop new projects, for example around workers’ co-operatives.

“Resilience is also really important. The museum is currently engaged in an exciting project to develop the museum and the operations of the trust to link with the local community in Rochdale and make the museum a more vibrant place for people to come and learn about co-operatives.”