Tom Searle

Occupation: Director Children’s Charity

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

Skills and experience

I believe in Co-operative democracy and its Values and Principles in being open, honest and show concern for the community and to have an international outlook on life. We have a great opportunity to improve how we operate as a Co-operative for its members, staff and the general public who use our services. I was Deputy Group Production Manager for a publishing company. I am currently Director of a children’s charity.

Additional information

In seeking your support for election to the National Members’ Council, I must first declare that I was not in favour of the new structures, although I did see the need for us to change and modernise, which would allow both members and staff greater involvement in the running of the Society. I am now committed to the new procedures and the Council. I believe we now have to fight for the heart and soul of the Co-operative Group, to ensure that its Values and Principles are at the centre of all decision making. We have a great opportunity to improve how we operate as a Co-operative for its members, staff and the general public who use our services.

As a Council we will need to hold the Board and the Executive to account:

• To improve the financial performance of our stores, • Introduce the London Living Wage, • Improve our offer to our customers, both in terms of co-operative goods and price. • Improve and modernise our stores • Invest in our staff and offer our customers an effective and enjoyable service. • Continue to support the Co-operative Community i.e. Co-operative Schools, the Woodcraft Folk and the Co-operative Party • Continue with our Ethical Policies on what we offer to our customers i.e. Fairtrade, low carbon footprint and fair prices to UK farm producers.

We need to continue to support the new substructures and not lose the value and contribution made by our Area Committees.

The first 25 years of my working life was with a multinational publishing company rising to the position of Deputy Group Production Manager. I was responsible for a number of titles which included, New Musical Express, Melody Maker, New Scientist, New Society, Shoot, Fab 208, 2000 A.D., and the Disney franchise which included a number of titles with joint ventures in Denmark, France and Israel.

Although publishing was a great career, I wanted a challenge that was personally more rewarding than just the financial aspect of my earlier career. I decided to leave the publishing world and enter into a new phase of my career, working with children’s charities, which included being the Organiser for the Woodcraft Folks International Camp. I then became the Director of a children’s charity specialising in After School Clubs, Holiday Play Schemes and transitional work from Primary to Secondary School for children who may be vulnerable to exclusion.

In my private life I have always believed in co-operative principles and spent a lot of my time in community work. I was Chair of the Lambeth’s Children Fund for 10 years, where I was responsible for the appointment of staff and the annual budget of over £2 million. I am Treasurer of the London Co-operative Party, a Woodcraft Folk Leader and Honorary Secretary of the Colliers Wood Community Association.