why are we involved?
As a democratically run business, The Co-operative’s Votes at 16 campaign is part of our member-led commitment to support the positive contribution that children and young people can make in their communities.
We now have more than 6 million members and for over a century we have operated a democratic structure that is fully open to people aged 16 and above. The co-operative movement has a tradition of embracing the call for suffrage, be it votes for working class men in the 19th century or votes for women in the twentieth century.
We're inspiring young people
Our commitment towards Inspiring young people is set to benefit 250,000 young people across the UK, but our vision is far higher – we want to help bring about a cultural shift in the way that young people are viewed and treated in this country.
When our young people are provided with supported opportunities they can be truly inspiring.
Peter Marks,
The Co-operative
Through our Truth About Youth grants scheme, we're helping to support organisations around the UK who are focused on enabling young people to make a positive contribution.
Our work on community partnerships such as the British Youth Film Academy and StreetGames have shown us that when our young people are provided with supported opportunities they can be truly inspiring.
Peter Marks, Chief Executive of The Co-operative, says: “The Co-operative has always encouraged the widest possible participation in its own democracy and in the country generally."
"Our support for the campaign to lower the voting age to 16 continues that tradition and seeks to empower young people to play their full part in helping shape the future of the UK, at local and national level."
More about the campaign...