Len Wardle

Worthing

I bring the Committee a wealth of Co-operative experience as I sit on the Committee and the Group Board. I was elected Group Board Chair in 2007.

There is no doubt that we live in challenging times and our members are finding it more difficult to make ends meet. It is important that your Co-operative provides a service which is geared to the needs of different local communities. Listening to the views of members is key to improving the services we offer.

Your Society continues to develop its services to members and recently became one of the first organisations to be granted a Legal Services licence. We already offer wills, probate and family law and hope soon to do conveyancing.

The Co-operative brand has been applied across all our businesses so that we can give a trusted coherent message to our customers. Trust is at the heart of everything we do, and is particularly important in our financial services business when others have been found wanting. Our Ethical Operating Plan and our support for Fairtrade are well embedded in our business plans. 

Openness, honesty and integrity are essential elements to understanding how to integrate Co-operative principles into a large and diverse business. We need to listen and respond to our members’ wishes and to be active in local communities.