GMCA Co-operative Commission

• 27th Jan 2020
• Governance

A NEW report is calling for further support for co-operatives in Greater Manchester to ensure the city-region stays at the forefront of co-operative development and bring even greater economic benefits to the local community.

Greater Manchester is home of the co-operative movement, with The Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers being established in 1844. Greater Manchester remains home of the Co-operative Group, the world’s largest consumer owned business.

The A Co-operative Greater Manchester report has set out a number of recommendations to support the development of the co-operative sector in Greater Manchester and make the most of the social, environmental and economic benefits co-operatives bring.

The Commission has recommended Greater Manchester is designated as a Co-operative Zone with a dedicated resource to offer business advice and support for both existing co-operatives and those who wish to start or convert to a co-operative approach.

Other recommendations include:

• Partners from across all sectors in Greater Manchester should come together to enable an increase in community-led, placed based approaches to co-operation, community ownership and economic development
• Greater Manchester should lead on developing a city-region version of pioneering work in Europe, drawing together ‘freelancers’ and people in precarious employment into a powerful and functional economic unit.
• Greater Manchester should set up a Greater Manchester Community Housing Hub to address a gap in the housing market and enable the establishment of co-operative and community-led housing projects
• Greater Manchester should carry out a place-based pilot programme for the development of community-owned ‘total transport’ business models / community transport to link up with shared modes and mainstream network as part of the ongoing work around bus reform

Read the Commission’s Report here: GMCA Co-operative Commission Report FINAL