Why coops? How cooperatives can care for people and planet
Many businesses and organisations are choosing the coop model over other types of business or organisational structure. But what are the benefits of being a coop? How can coops have a positive impact on workers, consumers, the wider economy, communities and the environment?
In this session – run by training provider Economy – we’ll explore these questions, and help you to build your knowledge and confidence to make the case for coops.
No prior knowledge is necessary – if you feel like economics isn’t for you, then these workshops are!
Why economics and the economy?
The economy connects so many issues that concern our communities- from good homes and neighbourhoods to better work, improving living standards and navigating the soaring cost of living.
Yet most people feel alienated from economics- unable to influence the economy around them.
During the pandemic, communities across London have taken more responsibility for addressing the economic fall-out, but they aren’t being given opportunities, knowledge or power to tackle the root causes, understand potential solutions, and be able to talk about all of this.
This is particularly concerning because those who are making decisions about the economy don’t usually represent the diversity of our communities – for example, you are twice as likely to have studied economics if you went to private school.
That’s why Economy is running this session, aiming to empower participants with knowledge and confidence to make the case for how coops can help to create a better economy.
Economy is a charity with an aim to make the economy less confusing, show how it relates to all of our lives everyday, and above all empower people to take active roles in their economies.
At the end of this session you will:
Know:
- What makes coops different from other types of company/organisational structures in the UK.
- How alternative organisational/business structures- particularly coops – support workers and consumers, and how they can have a wider positive impact on the environment and the economy.
Feel:
- More confident and knowledgeable about the difference that coops can make.
Do:
- Be able to evaluate the pros and cons of different types of organisations/businesses in terms of how they affect different stakeholders and the wider economy.
- Be able to have conversations about all of this.
Accessibility
The session will take place at SPACE4.
It will last for two hours at with short breaks according to attendees’ needs. There are slides with bullet points and images, and a presenter peaking, as well as time in small groups.
Due to the interactive nature of the event, and to encourage engagement, the event will not be recorded.
As standard we provide a copy of the slides in advance, and can change the format of these on request if needed, for example large print or high contrast.
Please let us know if you have any specific access needs or adaptations we can make, to ensure you can attend. Adaptations might include – a chat beforehand to answer any questions, materials in different formats, fonts, or font sizes, auto-captioning the event.
We want to make sure all of our workshops meet your needs, so if you have any questions about accessibility, please email [email protected].
By attending, what are you agreeing to?
At Economy we encourage learning with and from each other, so by attending you are committing to engaging in interactive sessions, and learning as part of a community. Please come to the session open to hearing others’ views and ideas.
People of all walks of life attend our workshops, with different identities and experiences, and experiencing oppressions in different ways. If any participant deliberately and repeatedly causes harm in the space, they will be asked to leave.
Our newsletter: http://eepurl.com/dF6nKn
Facebook: facebook.com/economyasks
Instagram: instagram.com/economyasks
If you can’t make this event, don’t worry. Sign up to Cooperate Islington newsletter to stay up to date with new workshops, funding opportunities and news about the Cooperate Islington programme.
This workshop is part of the Cooperate Islington project & funded by Islington Council.
