News
Celebrating International Workers’ Day, celebrating workers.coop
Today, May 1st, is International Workers Day – a global celebration of workers and the working classes. Who better to talk about today than workers.coop? With the stated aim of ‘Liberating Work’, and a belief ‘in a world where everyone has access to rewarding, meaningful and sustainable work’, workers.coop was conceived two years ago, at […]
We’re on Co-operative Development Scotland’s Reset and Rebuild podcast!
Co-operative Development Scotland (CDS) has launched new episodes of its Reset and Rebuild podcast highlighting the benefits of inclusive business models. Hosted by Co-operative Development Scotland team leader, Darah Zahran, and featuring experts from Greencity Wholefoods, Co-operate Scotland LLP, Worker Co-op Federation, us and ground-breaking new booking co-operative Kooble, the podcasts have been produced to […]
World Health Day
Today, the 7th of April, is World Health Day. The theme for World Health Day 2024 is ‘My health, my right’. To mark this day, we’re profiling a co-operative that is working towards more accessible healthcare. Signalise is a platform co-operative run by its members to provide interpreting services for people who need to book BSL […]
Celebrating Neurodiversity in 2024
This week, from the 18th to the 24th March, is Neurodiversity Week. Conversations about diversity and inclusion are increasingly including neurodiversity and this week aims to challenge stereotypes and misconceptions about, and celebrate, neurological differences, as part of the infinite variety of ways to be human. How familiar are you with the concept? The term […]
Students and investor-supporters come together to secure sustainable and affordable student housing in Birmingham
A multi-stakeholder co-operative has secured a financial package enabling the purchase of a property that will provide affordable tenancies and access to democratically owned accommodation for students in the Birmingham area. Founded in March 2018, Student Co-operative Homes (SCH) aims to bring together existing and start up student housing co-operatives across the UK and build […]
Happy International Women’s Day!
Today is International Women’s Day. The UN theme this year is Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress and that’s one we can really get behind. As a social investor, we see – daily – the power of investment to drive real change, at a local and national scale. We know that only when all members of […]
Join Stir to Action in Bristol for the ABC’s Festival 10-11 July 2024
After many years of supporting Stir To Action, we’re delighted to announce that once again we’re one of the sponsors of this years Festival, with our sister organisation, the Co-op Loan Fund The ABCs Festival will be a two-day interactive event at Bristol’s Arts Mansion at Ashton Court from 10-11 July 2024. Always an inspiring […]
World Social Justice Day
Today, February 20th, is the World Day of Social Justice an international day recognising the need to promote social justice. Adopted by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on 10 June 2008, approved by the UN on 26 November 2007 and starting in 2009, this day seeks to raise awareness about the importance of creating a […]
10 Years a Co-op – congratulations to The Globe
As we reported back in October, music co-op The Globe is reaching a milestone this year. 10 YEARS A CO-OP is a five-day, multi-genre music festival that celebrates the tenth anniversary of The Globe being community owned. On 30 April 2014 it became the first pub/venue in the UK to be owned and run by […]
Enrolling now for April – the next barefoot Co-op Development Training
Are you ready to join a new generation of co-operative advisors who are committed to democracy in the workplace and local communities? Through Stir To Action, the Co-op Culture barefoot training programme is enrolling now, for an April start. Also available is standalone Finance training on January 30th. Could you apply the skills and experience you […]
Fifty years of friendship and finance – Business Development Manager Tim looks back over our 50th year
What a year it’s been! We’re closing our fiftieth year with a final interview, this one is with our Business Development Manager Tim who looks back on his connection with ICOF and this fantastic 50th year that we’ve all shared. “I’ve been here for almost eight years – eight years in January. I first learned […]
Celebrating ICOF 50th birthday – looking back at our loans – Co-op Web
This is the last of our series of articles exploring the loans we’ve made over the first fifty years of trading. We started with Little Women and have met printers and pubs, recyclers and retrofitters, welders and nurseries, shops selling eggs, auto spares, libraries and so much more. The landscape has changed – when we […]