The Co-operative College - a different kind of College for a different kind of business

congress education forum logoCo-operative Congress - Education Forum 2008

Co-operatives 2008 took place at the Blackpool Hilton from Friday 27 to Sunday 29 June 2008. It offered an unparalleled range of inspirational debates and thought provoking workshops developed around the theme of Going for Growth - growing a sustainable co-operative sector.

An overview of the workshops, including links to download any relevant resources, follows. The resources are in pdf format.

A New Co-operative Sector - Co-operative Trusts and Academies

Trust schools and academies are key aspects of the Governments educational reforms in England. Whilst many have viewed these reforms with sceptism the Co-operative Group and Co-operative College have engaged with the reforms and developed a distinct co-operative approach and model now being taken up throughout the country. This workshop looked at how Co-operative Trust’s or Academy’s are different?

Led by: Mervyn Wilson, Chief Executive & Principal, Co-operative College

Contributions from:

  • Phil Arnold, Reddish Vale Co-operative Trust
  • Carl Ward, The Sutherland School, Shropshire
  • Dave Boston, Sir Thomas Boughey High School
  • Mags Bradbury, The Co-operative Group

Resources:

International Development and Co-operation

The role of co-operatives in development and progressing towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals is increasingly being recognised by policy makers and the donor community, but there remains demands for a greater evidence base. This session featured the new DFID funded Co-operative for an International Development research programme and the growing research collaboration with Africa.

Led by: Dr Linda Shaw, Head of Research, Co-operative College

Contributions from:

  • Dr Johnston Birchall, Stirling University

Resources:

Ethics and Values in Business

Embedding ethics and values is a challenge for all organisations. Co-operatives across the globe strive to do this for the benefit of their members, employees and communities. This workshop explored examples of how this is done in different countries.

Led by: Chris Cooper, Director of Learning & Development, Co-operative College

Contributions from:

  • Trent Bartlett, CEO, Capricorn Co-operative Society, Western Australia
  • Richard O’Leary, CEO, MacLeay Regional Co-operative Society, NSW, Australia

Resources:

Healthcare and the Democratic Deficit

Public sector reform has driven change in many areas of public and community services. Healthcare has seen the emergence of Foundation Hospital Trusts, Community Partnerships and Strategic Health Authorities and Primary Care Trusts seeking to address the democratic deficit. Speakers for this workshop included professionals with co-operative and health experience.

Led by: Chris Cooper, Director of Learning & Development, Co-operative College

Contributions from:

  • Mike Lunn, Co-operative College Learning & Development Business Manager
  • Chris Dabbs, Chief Executive, Community Health Partnership

Resources:

Rochdale: Renewing Our Co-operative Heritage, Developing the Archive and Learning Experiences

The recently formed Co-operative Heritage Trust’s mission is “To inspire people within and beyond the co-operative movement about the origins, development and contemporary relevance of co-operation…” This workshop gave an overview of work to date along with plans for the future, including the bid recently submitted to the Heritage Lottery Fund and growing collaboration with Museums, Libraries and Archive Council programme.

Led by: Gillian Lonergan, Learning Resources Manager & Archivist, Co-operative College and Mervyn Wilson, Chief Executive & Principal, Co-operative College

Resources:

Fair and Square

How can co-operators support farmers and producers in the developing world through their food choices? This workshop explored the difficult moral choices facing UK consumers and ways in which the movement can help its retail customers to make ethical decisions about what they put in their shopping baskets.

Led by: Julie Thorpe, Project Manager - Food and Development, Co-operative College

Resources:

Learning Together – Members and Managers

The two aspects of leadership have often been seen as separate in terms of learning and practice. To develop a greater understanding of their complimentary roles managers and members debated the benefits of learning together.

Led by: Chris Cooper, Director of Learning & Development, Co-operative College

Contributions from:

  • John Boyle, Midlands Co-operative Society
  • Liaquat Lal, The Co-operative Group

Resources:

Beyond Fair Trade

Fair Trade has been one of the greatest ethical success stories of the last decade, but it is now at a crossroad - the dilemma of satisfying demand for an ever widening range and volume of Fair Trade products whilst ensuring that its original objective of empowering small producers is maintained. How can the Co-operative movement not only maintain a leading role – but also enhance producer support through co-operation.

Led by: Dr Linda Shaw, Head of Research, Co-operative College

Contribution from:

  • Louise Taplin, College Associate

Resources:

Values Makes a Difference – in the curriculum

In the four years since the Co-operative Group and Co-operative College commenced work with a network of specialist Business and Enterprise Colleges, a wide range of resources and approaches to co-operation in the curriculum have been developed. One of the first schools in the network and the most recent will be at Congress, demonstrating the impact co-operation and co-operative values has made in their schools – this was a chance to see and share activities.

Led by: Pupils from Sir Thomas Boughey High School and Co-operative Business and Enterprise College

Plenary Session - Learning from a Global Movement

The UK has a strong co-operative tradition and this plenary provided the opportunity to experience different international approaches to co-operation. Speakers representing international co-operatives shared their own experiences.

Chaired by: Dame Pauline Green, Chief Executive, Co-operativesUK

Contributions from:

  • Trent Bartlett, CEO, Capricorn Co-operative Society, Western Australia
  • Richard O’Leary, CEO, MacLeay Regional Co-operative Society, NSW, Australia
  • Terry Geib, Director, Calgary Co-operative Association Ltd, Canada.

Damian's Challenge

Damien Fowell

"Hello, I am Damien Fowell from Sir Thomas Boughey Co-operative Business and Enterprise College, in Staffordshire. We have used co-operative values and principles throughout the school since we became a specialist school four years ago.

I think having a co-operative dimension to our school has not only enriched the curriculum but has also allowed us to develop and grow as individuals. The school’s results have dramatically improved but co-operative values have also helped the wider community we serve.

We would like to share the benefits that the co-operative ethos has brought to our school.

In today’s throw away society – co-operation in the curriculum is one thing that must not be discarded.

So let’s all aim for a national network of co-operative schools by the time I leave school – that gives you two years!"

Congress Newsletter & Radio

Young people from Sutherland School, Telford, Shropshire, and Sir Thomas Boughey High School and Co-operative Business and Enterprise College in Staffordshire were at the Co-operative Congress and Education Forum in Blackpool interviewing delegates for a Congress newsletter and a Congress radio station.

Five editions of the newsletter - Congress Chronicle - were published during the three day event. Click the links to view the young peoples' work.

Congress radio presented interviews with a number of leading figures at this year’s Congress and Education Forum. The interviews, in mp3 format, are available for you to listen to - just click the links.

Sutherland School and Sir Thomas Boughey School are Business and Enterprise colleges sponsored by the Co-operative Movement, working with the Co-operative College on a wide range of curriculum programmes.