High attendance for this year’s Congress

CO-OPERATIVES UK chairman Ben Reid described the Congress 2004 attendance of over 900 as "absolutely fantastic."
Two years ago, he said, there were just 270 delegates at Congress. This year&#039s total was 408, plus another 507 guests and vistors.
Mr Reid, recently elected as Co-ops UK&#039s chairman, admitted it was "quite a moment" for him to open Congress after 20 years in the Movement.
He said the Old Trafford Congress brought together two of Manchester&#039s greatest institutions ? the Co-operative Movement and Manchester United.
Talking of Manchester ?institutions&#039 Mr Reid saluted Lord Morris of Manchester, who was celebrating 40 years as a Co-op Parliamentarian.
Two other peers – Lord Graham of Edmonton and Baroness Glenys Thornton plus three other Labour/Co-op MPs – were also in attendance and Mr Reid pointed out that, altogether, 10 past Congress Presidents were in the audience.
Mr Reid introduced guest speaker Bernard Kadasia of the ICA&#039s Regional Officer for East, Central and Southern Africa, who urged UK co-ops to consider ?twinning&#039 arrangements with emerging co-operatives – including housing co-ops and credit unions – in Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa.
Co-ops interested should contact Co-operatives UK&#039s Manchester head office for further details.