Inspiring co-operative enterprise through education |
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Types of Co-ops
- Consumer Example
- Housing Example
- Energy Example
- Care Example
- Agricultural Example
- Credit Union Example
- Community Example
- Employee Example
- Why not try...
- With your class, make a list of current co-operatives in my surrounding area and in Scotland.
- As a group, design a Survey Questionnaire aimed at your local community to see what they think need improving in the local area. Can these issues be solved co-operatively?
- Visit the local council and ask them what they main issues for your area are.
- Share learning with school/parents/community using a range of different media and deciding on the most appropriate content for the audience.
- Have a refresher geography session on the countries mentioned, and see what is may be like to go to school there Vs your school at home.
- With the class, pick a developing nation and see in which way a co-operative may be able to meet their needs.
Activities
| Did you know...? There are 800 million co-operative member households and about 3 billion people are estimated to benefit directly or indirectly from co-operatives! |
Did you know...? There are 100,000,000 cooperative employees – this is 14 million more than the total number of workers employed by multinational companies worldwide |
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Co-operatives in Action - Scotland and the UK
| The largest co-operative in the UK is the Co-operative Group. They provide wide variety of services to the public and their members from Food to Cars. They also run lots of activities in your communities such as Plan B, which is a program being run to help save the poor honey bees' from extinction. |
The Co-operative are also supporting young people to become active citizens - opening up ways for them to change their world for the better, through Co-operative education, opportunities and campaigning. Here you will find lots of information on how The Co-operative are helping young people around the UK:
Inspiring Young People
GreenCity Wholefoods is a Glasgow based workers co-operative supplying retailers and restaurants throughout Scotland with over 4000 different products, all of which are vegetarian and GM -free, with a large proportion also being Vegan, Fair-Trade, Gluten Free and Organic GreenCity Wholefoods workers' co-operative aims to create a non-exploitative workplace which takes into consideration the interests of the workers, the community and the environment as a whole. |
The Graphics Company is an Edinburgh-based worker' co-operative specialising in affordable and accessible print and web-design to the voluntary, public and social enterprise sectors. The co-operative was started in 1989 by three young designers who had previously worked together in a community-based printshop. |
| Hillpark Secondary in Glasgow are running their own co-operative enterprise to promote ethical trading and anti-poverty strategies and engaging the entire school with days of action. Play the video to watch the Hillpark young co-operative in action. Click Here for More Info |
| The Boyndie Wind Farm Co-operative provides a solution to issues such as the rising cost and insecurity of energy supplies, as well as the impact of climate change. There is an incredible demand for dwindling stock of traditional fuels, meaning that the development of sustainable energy sources is no longer a distant ideal but a real and urgent need. The wind represents an inexhaustible supply of 'free' energy and nobody actually owns the wind. Whoever owns the wind turbines receives the benefits from the sale of electricity that is produced. Commnunity ownership of wind turbines helps to maximise the regional economic benefits from the harnessing of an endless natural resource. Owning shares in a wind project can also improve peoples understanding and appreciation of energy production in general. |
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Co-operatives in Action - Around the Globe
| The ICA
Founded in 1895, the International Co-operative Alliance is an independent organisation which unites, represents and serves co-operatives worldwide. It is the largest non-governmental organisation in the world. Click on the image below for more info. |
The Aguadas Coffee Co-operative Listen to the story of the Aguadas Columbian coffee farmers high practising co-operation, high up in the Andes mountains. |
Green Worker Cooperatives – Bronx, NY The Green Worker Cooperatives prove that co-operation can change peoples lives in the heart of the city as well. |
Gumutindo Coffee Co-operative - East Uganda The cooperative is a farmer-owned business Located on and around Mount Elgon, a large volcanic mountain that spans several kilometers along the border of Uganda and Kenya. |
