Membership and co-operation
We’re owned by our millions of members who have a say on the work we do and how we’re run.
Download the 'Membership and co-operation' section of the Co-operate Report 2021 (PDF, 1.3 MB)
Democratic member control
Democratic member control is achieved both in our governance structure and in other, less formal, ways.
From our 4 Member Nominated Directors to our National Members’ Council and AGM, members are encouraged to have a say in how their Co-op is run.
Member participation
Members own our Co-op, and can shape our business activity through formal, democratic channels – like the Annual General Meeting – and by getting involved in ‘everyday’ participation opportunities.
Through ‘Join In’, members shape our approach and influence our decision making on all matters of Co-op business, including policy development and implementation, product development, campaigning, community involvement and strategy.
831 Members joined the AGM online
During 2021, members participated a total of 662,000 times across a total of 83 separate opportunities
Over 16,000 members have helped us shape our community missions through participating in Join In activity
Co-operation among co-operatives
We’re working to build partnerships that push the principles of co-operation forward and work together to help co-operatives and social businesses survive and thrive.
It’s our ambition to be at the forefront of this movement, using our scale and influence to help others. We continue to be by far the largest funder of the Co-operative Movement and its institutions, providing over £1.6m of funding to a diverse range of organisations.