Anglia Regional Co-operative Society - Membership

Membership

Co-operative societies are owned and controlled by their members on the principle of one member one vote and the Anglia Society has always operated on that basis, giving all members equal voting rights. Each member is required to hold at least one share of £1 which is paid in full on entering the Society. Organisations are also eligible to join. Agreed by the membership, the Society's rules provide for a board of ten, three of whom may be employees of the Society, to be elected by the annual general meeting. The full board meets monthly and sub-committees meet quarterly or less frequently.

Dividend is a share of the profits made by the Society. The rate of dividend is recommended to members by the board of directors and put to a vote. Members have an opportunity at the point of sale to donate their dividend to the Anglia Co-operative Community Fund, formerly known as Share 600, the proceeds of which are presented each year to three or four charities nominated by the board. It is paid annually and a warrant placed in the share account wallet on receipt.

The Co-operative Group relaunched its own membership scheme in 2006. In 2008, the Anglia Society joined the new scheme under a reciprocal arrangement. The Society will in future allocate dividend through the card scheme and members will also be able to accrue dividend at participating societies nationally. This will include food purchases, on which the Society had not previously paid dividend. A new rule book based on Co-operativesUK 12th edition model rules was approved by the membership and registered with the Financial Services Authority in 2009.

Anglia Regional Co-operative Party operates in Peterborough and west Norfolk.