Co-operatives UK - Governance

Governance

Co-operatives UK is a co-operative enterprise, and hence controlled by its 470+ members through an elected board of directors. The membership is made up predominantly of other co-operative enterprises – making Co-operatives UK a co-operative federation – but also includes other co-operative federations, such as the ABCUL, the Plunkett Foundation and Supporters Direct. It also has Co-operative Development Body (CDB) members, and associated and affiliated groups who are not themselves co-operatives but are supportive of the Co-operative Movement and its principles, such as the Woodcraft Folk or the Building Societies Association. A number of individuals who were members of ICOM before its merger continue to subscribe but are not recognised by the Rules. The membership is diverse, reaching from the world's largest consumer co-operative to Oxted School Young Co-operative, a co-operative set up by pupils to sell Fairtrade goods at the school. Its board has 18 members, with places divided through the membership as follows:

• 9 seats for the Co-operative Group
• 1 seat for Midlands Co-operative Society
• 4 seats elected by Consumer Co-operative societies (one from each of four geographic regions: Scotland, the North, the Midlands and the South)
• 2 seats elected by Worker Co-operatives and Employee Owned Businesses
• 1 seat elected by the Co-operative Development Bodies
• 1 seat elected by the remaining membership

The current Chair is Ben Reid of Midcounties Co-operative.

As well as its federal members, Co-operatives UK maintains links with other co-operative organisations: it is a member of the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) and the trustee of the Co-operative College, and retains a nominated seat on the National Executive Committee of the Co-operative Party.