How was the 2025 International Year of Cooperatives for you and your organisation?
2025 has been a very positive year for co-operatives in Wales.
According to the latest Co-operative and Mutual Economy Report, Wales continues to have the highest start-up rate for co-operatives in the UK, with 2.6 new starts per 100k population over the last five years. This is great news for our communities – but we want to go even further and make sure Wales leads the way in doubling the size of the sector across the UK.
We know the co-operative model has a key role to play across different sectors, whether that’s green energy, social care, housing, or much more. The Senedd’s Cross Party Group for Co-operatives and Mutuals that we support has discussed a number of these areas and heard from sector specialists in the food, economic development and education sectors.
Just this month we celebrated reaching 100 employee-owned businesses – up from 34 in 2021, when the Welsh government committed to doubling the size of the sector by 2026. It’s brilliant news that these businesses are now anchored in our communities, safeguarding high-quality jobs and supporting the local economy.
It’s been a year of growth, but we’re looking forward with radical ambition for what the sector can achieve.
What are your hopes for 2026?
2026 is a huge year in Welsh politics. We are determined to ensure that whoever forms the next Welsh government understands the value, impact and potential of the co-operative model. That’s why we’ve published our Cwmpas manifesto, which sets out ten priority areas with co-operative actions for prosperity, sustainability and resilience.
A key ask is that the next Welsh government invests in a Co-operative Development Hub. This hub would have dedicated capacity to promote the co-operative model; identifying opportunities for new and growing co-operatives, producing the materials and research to support this, and bringing people together to make it happen.
The Local Growth Fund and Pride in Place offer clear opportunities for community-driven co-operative and social enterprise models. The biggest opportunity we see is in the passion and innovation we see working with co-operators and social entrepreneurs every day. Our Social Business Wales mapping report showed us that the sector is growing, with new ideas to build a Wales that is fairer, more sustainable and more prosperous.
This sector will be a vital asset to the next Welsh government and we will work with them to ensure this catalyst for sustainable, inclusive growth is given the power it needs to thrive.
