OSG highlighting the co-operative difference

PAULINE Green, Chief Executive and General Secretary of Co-operatives UK has praised the `progressive` Oxford, Swindon & Gloucester Co-op (OSG) at the society&#039s 2004/5 AGM.
As keynote speaker at the society&#039s AGM, Dame Pauline credited OSG as being `part of the renaissance of the British Co-operative Movement,` and paid tribute to the way the society operates a very open and honest corporate governance code.
The AGM, which took place recently at Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester, also heard Dame Pauline talking about the history and the breadth of the Co-operative Movement worldwide and praised OSG for its continuing leadership in co-operative development.
OSG is aiming to unite the world of co-operatives through the world wide web, and its ownership of the .coop internet domain. It took management of the name last year and the society is expected to launch some global campaigns this year.
On a local level Dame Pauline highlighted how OSG is working hard to explain the co-operative difference to society members, customers and the wider public through various schemes and policies the society has developed. One policy which has received overwhelming support locally is the Local Harvest scheme, which promises to use foods in store that are sourced locally.
Dame Pauline said: `I was very pleased to be asked to be keynote speaker at the OSG AGM. This is a progressive society which understands the importance, as part of its day to day business, of explaining, and acting as an example of our unique co-operative difference.`
Bob Burlton, OSG&#039s Chief Executive said: `We were very honoured to welcome Pauline Green to our AGM on Saturday. She delivered a most uplifting presentation, which was obviously very inspiring to many of our members.`
The AGM was attended this year by a record 270 society members.
� The day before the AGM, a French video production company filmed Dame Pauline at the Society&#039s Headington store in Oxford. The finished video will be shown at a convention of French co-operative bankers. It shows how OSG is using the latest technology to show the co-operative difference in-store, through the four key themes of health; the community; our world; and co-operative.