January
Coventry Building Society completes takeover of Co-op Bank
The deal creates a combined entity holding around £89bn in assets and means the 152-year-old bank returns to the mutual sector, following its sale to private investors in the wake of its near-collapse in 2013.
Co-ops get ready to fight their corner in Trump’s America
Donald Trump launched a dramatic shift in US policy as he returned to the White House, issuing a flurry of executive orders for the suspension of federal programmes – including a variety of funding schemes for co-ops and credit unions.
Social economy sector report launched at Davos
The World Economic Forum saw the launch of the European Social Enterprise Monitor 2023-2024, which presents insights from 1,800 social entrepreneurs across 31 countries, exploring the barriers, challenges, and opportunities they face in shaping the future of the social economy.
‘Give us the tools, co-ops will finish the job’: Scottish farmers discuss collaboration
Food producers are facing a forbidding array of challenges – and with the old adage hanging in the air that co-operation is born from crisis, the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society (SAOS) took pains to press home the virtues of collaboration at its annual conference, held in Crieff, Perthshire.
February
Co-op Party launches Community Britain campaign to ‘restore trust’
The Co-op Party announced a campaign, Community Britain, in response to “a crisis of trust” in institutions and politics. General secretary Joe Fortune said: “We believe a better Britain exists … you only need to look to the communities who are leading the fightback.”
ICA launches worldwide leaders network
The International Cooperative Alliance launched a worldwide network for co-op and mutual leaders. The Cooperatives and Mutuals Leadership Circle is part of a move to expand the sector’s global market share.
UK sector hosts key conferences
Future Co-ops examined Labour’s commitment to doubling the co-op economy; the Co-operative Councils’ Innovation Network met to look at ways to put co-op ideas into action; and the UK Society for Co-operative Studies held a joint conference with Cooperative Studies Ireland.
March
Ministers announce £20m funding for community-led housing
The UK government announced a £20m package for community groups looking to develop housing – including community land trusts and housing co-operatives. Housing and planning minister Matthew Pennycook said the money will directly support the construction of more than 2,500 new homes over the next decade.
Credit unions urged to step up development support after Trump slashes USAID cash
The Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions launched a fundraising campaign for international development work by the World Council of Credit Unions (Woccu), after USAID terminated all funding for Woccu’s projects following executive orders to slash public spending by the Trump administration.
Conference time for UK retail co-ops and credit unions
Co-operatives UK’s annual Retail Conference, held in Nottingham in March, saw co-ops urged to focus on storytelling to boost consumer awareness. Meanwhile the Association of British Credit Unions pondered opportunities for growth in a new policy landscape – and the challenges of the cost-of-living crisis.
April
UK retail co-ops sign renewable energy supply deal with RWE
Power generator RWE has signed a corporate power purchase agreement (CPPA) with five UK retail co-operatives – Lincolnshire, Scotmid, East of England, Southern, and Central – to supply renewable electricity to over 400 locations.
India’s MPs pass bill to create co-op university
India’s parliament has passed a bill to enable the establishment of a national co-op university in Gujarat, on the former site of the Institute of Rural Management Anand. The Ministry of Co-operation says the university will have the capacity to train 800,000 people a year.
New protests in Nepal’s co-op embezzlement scandal
Members of Nepal’s troubled finance co-ops marched on the President’s Office on 8 April to demand compensation for the loss of their savings and ensure stricter oversight of the sector. The demonstration was the latest in a series of protests over the scandal, after 21 co-ops were declared crisis-ridden by a national committee, estimated they accounted for Rs36.289bn (£338m) in embezzled funds from 59,587 depositors.
Democracy Collaborative launches news aggregator
Since taking office, the Trump administration has issued over 200 executive actions, introduced over 10 major immigration policy changes, and adopted over 100 economic and trade-related directives. Keeping track of this can be an overwhelming process for co-ops. To address this, US non-profit the Democracy Collaborative has launched Tracking the Crisis, a news aggregator and round-up, which tracks the government’s administrative, legislative, and other actions, as well as a broad array of movement responses.
Cyber attack on Co-op Group leaves retail societies with empty shelves
The Co-op Group says it is recovering from a cyber attack which disrupted stock supply to stores and saw some members’ data compromised. The attack forced the retailer to shut down some of its systems, leading to empty shelves in some of the Group’s stores, and at other co-ops in the buying group.
MAY
Tough trading year brings mixed fortunes for UK consumer co-ops
The year brought mixed fortunes for co-op retailers, with Midcounties, East of England, Channel Islands, the Co-op Group, Scotmid, Central and Tamworth reporting trading profits, but losses at Heart of England, Chelmsford Star, Radstock and Southern. Crime continued to be a problem, hitting the bottom line as well as harming colleague safety; the £8m losses to crime at Southern were greater than its trading loss.
Tanzania launches national co-op bank to develop agri sector
The Cooperative Bank of Tanzania (Coop Bank Tanzania) was officially launched last month by the country’s president, Samia Suluhu Hassan. Hassan said the move is part of her government’s commitment to addressing the financial needs of farmers.
EU rapped over axe for social economy unit – and urged to do more for worker buyouts
The Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG Grow) has scrapped the unit responsible for social economy (SE) – a move attacked by social economy actors, including co-op apexes. Meanwhile, apexes Cooperatives Europe and Cecop have signed a joint letter urging the Commission to prioritise business transfers – including worker buyouts, which suffer from a lack of recognition in most member states.
Co-op apexes offer a hopeful welcome to new governments
After federal elections saw the re-election in Australia of Anthony Albanese’s Labor government and in Canada of Mark Carney’s Liberals, the two countries’ co-op apexes have issued statements calling for support for the sector. In Australia, the Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals congratulated Albanese, adding it will work with ministers to bring reforms to boost the co-op sector. And Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada said co-ops could help the country face “urgent and interconnected challenges”.
Asett social economy hub looks to a better world
The first Asett Forum, organised by the Arizmendiarrietta Social Economy Think Tank (Asett), gathered co-ops and mutuals from around the world to kickstart a global network focused on the study and promotion of the social economy. Over 400 people from more than 30 countries joined the event in San Sebastian, Basque Spain.
June
Co-op and mutual leaders attend Downing Street reception
The meeting was hosted by the business secretary Jonathan Reynolds, services, small business and export minister Gareth Thomas and economic secretary Emma Reynolds, who reaffirmed the government’s manifesto pledge to double the size of the sector.
Co-op Group to stop sourcing from 17 countries including Israel and Iran
The Co-op Group will stop sourcing relationships with countries where there are “internationally recognised community-wide human rights abuses and violations of international law”, it announced in June. The policy, approved by the board, states that, wherever possible, the Group will not use ingredients in Co-op-branded products or sell whole products from 17 countries of concern, which have been identified by the international community.
Jordan reforms co-op law to meet international standards
The Jordanian Senate has adopted amendments to the country’s 1997 Cooperative Law to better align it with international standards. While the old law made explicit reference to the co-operative principles, it did not define them. Now the amendments have enshrined into law a definition of co-ops based on guidelines by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA).
International Labour Conference closer to new standard on platform work
The International Labour Conference looked at a range of topics of interest to co-ops, including decent work in the platform economy and ways to tackle informal work. A notable step forward was the vote to develop a new International Labour Organization convention and recommendation on decent work in the platform economy.
July
Community right to buy announced as part of English Devolution Bill
Measures to strengthen a community’s right to buy a local asset or business have been included in the English Devolution Bill, set out in the House of Commons. The government says the bill will include provisions “giving more power to local communities to purchase assets of community value and making reforms to commercial leases”.
Co-ops gather for the International Year
“We are here to set out new objectives,” International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) president Ariel Guarco told the organisation’s General Assembly, held in Manchester, UK, on 2 July. A few days later, delegates from the ICA attended the UK Co-op Congress, held in Rochdale to celebrate how “co-ops build a better world”.
Co-op Group launches cyber crime prevention scheme
In response to its recent cyber attack, the Co-op Group has partnered with social impact business Hacking Games to help prevent cybercrime by identifying young cyber talent and channelling it into positive, ethical careers. The move comes as the retailer admitted the cyber attack saw data on all 6.5 million of its members stolen. Only contact details were taken, it added, and not any credit or debit card details, or transaction data.
UN marks International Year of Cooperatives
The Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (Copac) held a high-level event on 8 July in collaboration with the United Nations Federal Credit Union and the New York City Department of Small Business Services to mark the International Day of Cooperatives. Held at the UN headquarters in New York, the event gathered co-op leaders to highlight the sector’s role in tackling global crises and working towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
New law poses a threat to finance co-ops in Ecuador
Ecuador’s national assembly adopted an Organic Law on Public Integrity which includes a requirement for the conversion of certain savings and credit co-operatives into companies.The country’s saving and credit co-ops have condemned the law, arguing it endangers their very existence as democratic financial institutions; a month later, a court will suspend the law.
Lobbying success as US credit unions hang on to tax exemption
Donald Trump signed his ‘One Big Beautiful Act’ into law on 4 July, setting out his tax and spend plans – and while controversial, the package contains no change to the much-contested tax exemption for the credit union sector. Credit union leaders have been furiously lobbying over recent months in favour of the exemption, which has long seen opposition from the private banking sector.
India launches co-op taxi service to take on Uber and Ola
India’s government has launched a co-op taxi app in a bid to take on the market domination of private players like Uber and Ola. Registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, Sahkar Taxi Cooperative says it offers “safe, affordable, and reliable transport while supporting local drivers who earn 100% of their fare – no middlemen, no hidden charges”.
August
Chelmsford Star to merge with Central Co-op
Members of Chelmsford Star Co-op have voted in favour of a transfer of engagements to Central Co-op, following two special members’ meetings. The combined society will operate over 500 trading sites across 23 counties, with a turnover of nearly £1bn. Chelmsford Star’s trading name and heritage will be retained locally, with members and colleagues joining Central.
UK credit unions trial green lending to power home retrofits
Credit unions have been working on a government pilot to improve energy efficiency in homes through affordable green finance. Working with organisations such as People Powered Retrofit and Carbon Co-op, credit unions are helping to test and deliver retrofit loan products.
REI reaches deal with workers for a path to union contracts
US outdoor retail co-op REI reached an agreement with its unionised workers that “outlines a new path forward for contract negotiations”, according to a joint statement released last month by REI, the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) and the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), following a long dispute.
Montreal Welcomes the Global Co-op Research Conference
Nearly 350 people gathered in Montreal from 7-11 July for the ICA CCR Global Research Conference – Intercooperation for our common futures. The fifth global research conference was hosted by the Alphonse and Dorimène Desjardins International Institute of Cooperatives (IICADD), which is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
September
Labour’s £5bn community renewal plan includes co-op development unit
Keir Starmer’s government announced a £5bn scheme, Pride in Place, to support community-led regeneration in 339 poorer or “overlooked” parts of the country.Coming alongside a beefed-up right to buy for community assets, the project includes a Co-operative Development Unit.
Record-breaking year for UK co-operatives and mutuals
The Co-operative and Mutual Economy Report, produced by Co-operatives UK, reveals that more than 10,000 co-ops and mutuals have generated a record combined income of £179.2bn and employ over 1.5 million people.
Australia’s housing co-ops hold national summit in Melbourne
The second Australian Co-operative Housing Alliance Summit gathered more than 130 delegates including co-op members, government representatives, international guests and housing professionals. Federal special envoy for social housing and homelessness, Josh Burns, told the audience the housing crisis needs bold, community-led solutions.
October
Central Co-op and Midcounties in discussions around merger
The UK’s two largest independent retail co-ops – Midcounties and Central – held talks about a merger that would create a society with over one million members, 13,000 colleagues and annual sales of £1.8bn. Members of both co-ops back the move the following month, with Debbie Robinson subsequently confirmed as CEO.
Trump’s funding axe falls on co-op and credit union projects
Donald Trump’s war on climate and diversity initiatives has cut off funds for a number of co-op projects. High-profile casualties include the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund and green energy funding for a number of electric co-ops. Meanwhile, Cooperation Jackson appeals for support as its operating environment becomes more difficult.
Number of credit unions drops 10% as consolidations continue
The World Council of Credit Unions has released its latest Statistical Report, which shows a decrease in the overall number of credit unions as the trend of mergers and acquisitions continues. Growth in membership and assets is slower than previous years, which Woccu attributes to improvements in its data collection.
Singapore co-ops mark centenary with new 10-year roadmap
The Singapore National Co-operative Federation marked the centenary of the country’s co-op movement by announcing steps to revitalise the sector. Minister for community, culture and youth Dinesh Vasu Dash announced a 10-year transformation roadmap for the movement.
November
IYC2025 closes at World Summit for Social Development
The International Year of Cooperatives saw its closing ceremony at the UN World Summit for Social Development in Doha, Qatar. The summit saw co-ops recognised as leaders of the social and solidarity economy; and the UN is considering a recurring IYC every 10 years. Doha also saw the launch of the CM50 Manifesto and the ICA’s 2026-2030 strategy.
Co-ops gather to look at AI
The Global Innovation Coop Summit (GICS), held in Portugal, and Platform Cooperativism Consortium (PCC) Conference, held in Turkey, looked at co-op responses to the growth in AI. GICS called for more collaboration across the movement to drive innovation, while the PCC looked at co-op led initiatives to challenge the dominance of big tech.
Co-ops get historic mention in UK government budget
Rachel Reeves budget includes a call for evidence from the Department for Business and Trade on “how we can better support co-ops for growth.” A Co-op Party spokesperson said: “This is the first time in a generation that co-operatives have been mentioned in a chancellor’s budget speech. It’s a historic moment for our movement.”
BCCM launches global women’s leadership network
Australia’s Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals launched Eliza’s Project, to champion women’s leadership at the highest levels of the movement. The network, which brings together current and former women chief executives from co-ops and mutuals, is named for Rochdale Pioneer Eliza Brierley.
December
UK regulators promise reforms to help grow financial mutuals sector
The Bank of England, in partnership with the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), has issued a report on the country’s finance mutuals, with recommendations for ways to ease the start-up process and reduce admin costs. Proposals include a review of credit union law, the launch of a Mutual Societies Development Unit by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and continued efforts to deliver more proportionate regulation.
Channel Islands Co-op told to pay £3.5m to former CEO in bullying case
The Royal Court of Jersey has awarded £3.5m in compensation and damages against Channel Islands Coop after ruling that it breached its duty of care to its former CEO, Colin MacLeod. MacLeod told the court a group of board directors had “bullied and undermined” him in an attempt to force him out of his post, leaving him with a psychiatric injury.
Australia’s top 100 co-ops post $47.7bn in revenue
The Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals has released its inaugural Impact Report, “highlighting a year of progress and renewed ambition for Australia’s co-operative and mutual sector”. The study, for the year to 30 June, found that the country’s top 100 co-ops and mutuals posted $47.7bn in revenue and managed $235.8bn in assets.
