Vicky Green

I became a conscious co-operator in 2015 as a member representing a community organisation and benefitting from localised co-op grant models. I say conscious co-operator, as I realised that I had found a movement that mirrored my own values, and unknowingly I had been a natural co-operator my whole life. I quickly learnt all that I could by volunteering as an active member before being elected to Midcounties Member Engagement Committee and then as a board director in 2019. More recently, I became a board member for Co-op News, taking up the position in 2021.

My career has always involved communities. I have worked in the Housing Sector all of my adult life, both operationally and strategically. Starting as a housing officer in the late 90s, through to senior leadership in the Black Country at one of the UK’s largest housing associations. Most recently, I am leading community engagement and inclusion for a large housing association in the West Midlands. I develop strategies and partnerships that engage with diverse and, most often, the hardest to reach members of communities: creating programmes that understand what matters to people who live in our homes and supporting the changing needs and ambitions of communities. Much of my work involves seeking out partners and establishing great networks to be able to collaborate and develop solutions in neighbourhoods.

I am particularly interested in the impact of all co-operatives in the communities they serve as anchor stakeholders, and a constant part of people’s lives. Co-operatives are trusted and serve a broad range of stages of every member’s lifetime. I believe that by combining the voice of independent co-operatives, we have a strong network of members within our reach.