Currently, membership of Co-operatives South West is free.
The most important reason for becoming a member of Co-operatives SW is to support our work on behalf of all co-operatives, including your own. We provide a voice for the sector, as distinct from other forms of social enterprise, to local policymakers and to the general public.
There are also tangible benefits for members such as:
- information on your organisation held on our website, with links to your own site;
- keeping you informed of news which might be of interest to you, as a co-operative in the south west;
- publicising your organisation at our Annual Meeting and other events.
- the right to vote at our AGM;
- putting you in touch with other members with whom you can share different ways of doing things within a shared ideology – in keeping with that 6th principle ‘co-operation among co-operatives’.
Why do we need you?
Our members can help shape our policy, rather than relying soleley on our steering group for direction.
Recently, Co-operatives SW has achieved the following and needs to expand its work further:
- Raised the profile of co-operatives through regular dissemination of information and contact with its members and policy-makers in the region
- Produced a leaflet called ‘the co-operative economy in the south west’ which demonstrates the size, shape and potential of the sector, which was circulated to local government and other policy-makers and opinion formers as well as all known co-operatives in the region.
- Encouraged mutual support, sharing of best practice, training and development opportunities between co-operatives and mutuals within the region, through its newsletters, Annual Meeting and other communications.
- Gathered an extensive database of its members and supporters in the region, and worked with Co-operatives UK to ensure the information is up to date.
- Improved its website and produced an electronic ‘introduction to Co-operatives SW’ to inform new members and others of its work.