Jon Nott

Occupation: Charity Chief Executive

Co-operative Businesses traded with in last 12 months: Food, Insurance and Bank

Skills and experience

I am keen to bring my experience of engaging young people with Co-operative Values and Principles – gained both as General Secretary of Woodcraft Folk and as a Trustee of the Co-op College – to the National Members’ Council. I also have the privilege of serving as a Member Pioneer for my local area, working with colleagues and members to support our local causes. I want to use that experience to help shape our future activity.

Additional information

I’ve been an active co-operator for over 20 years and have spent my career in worker Co-ops, membership-led campaigning organisations and, since 2010, as General Secretary of Woodcraft Folk – the co-operative children and young people’s movement – I support thousands of volunteers to run grassroots co-operative educational activities for children and young people across the UK.

Our Co-op’s partnership with NUS and the new generation of convenience stores mean that we have large numbers of young customers. It must be a priority to bring those customers into membership and to engage this new generation of co-operators in the governance of our society.

I believe that my work with young people and in democratic, member-led organisations means that I have will bring a wide range of relevant experience to the National Members Council if you choose to elect me.

Since May last year I have had the privilege of serving as a Member Pioneer for my local area, working with colleagues, members and the wider community to support our local causes. The Member Pioneer programme and the 5% to you and 1% to local causes membership offer gives us the opportunity to develop a truly unique partnership with the local communities that our Society serves. It is early days, but I believe that we can build deep, long-lasting relationships with local communities that will give people a chance to see what Co-operative Values & Principles – our Co-op difference - mean in practice.

As the largest retail Society in the UK, our Co-op is the face of the Co-operative movement and I see the role of Council members not only as a vital link between members and the Board, but also as ambassadors to the rest of the Co-operative movement and to the wider public.

In addition to my day job – at the heart of the UK’s co-operative youth movement – I also serve as a Trustee of the Co-operative College, as a Director of Co-op & Community Finance and as Member Pioneer in my local community of Holloway & Camden Town. I believe that this combination of experiences would enable me to not only represent members and hold our Board to account, but also to play a role in telling the story of how our Co-op is successfully renewing its commitment to the communities we serve and to the wider co-operative movement. Co-operatives and co-operation have a long history and a bright future, I hope that you will elect me to play my small part in the story of our Co-op.