Empowering Mutual Enterprise: Co-operatives UK Overview
Discover the essence of mutuals and co-operatives in the UK economy, exploring their diverse forms and societal impact, from building societies to community trusts. Learn about democratic governance and the vitality of mutual enterprises.
Empowering Mutual Enterprise: Co-operatives UK Overview
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Presentation Transcript
Making Mutualisation Work 7th April 2011
Co-operatives UK • The national trade body that campaigns for co-operation and works to promote, develop and unite co-operative enterprises. • We work to promote the co-operative alternative across many sectors of the economy from high street consumer-owned co-operatives to pubs and football clubs, healthcare to agriculture, credit unions to community owned shops. • The co-operative economy is worth some £33.5 billion and has 12.9 million members. • Largest membership movement in the country.
What is a mutual? • Several definitions • Mutuals are organisations that are owned by, and run for the benefit of, their current and future members. Mutuals take many forms and operate in a wide range of business and social environments.– Mutuo • Mutual organisations exist for the principal purpose of delivering a benefit to their members. Those members can be employees, customers, other key stakeholders, or some combination of all three. - Baxi Partnership Limited • Mutuals are organisations that are owned by, and run for the benefit of their members on a fair and equitable basis. Mutuals take many forms including: building societies, co-operatives, financial mutuals, employee owned businesses and smaller community owned shops. – Co-operatives UK (working definition)
Characteristics of a Mutual • Not a legal form but an “organisation type.” • Owned and run by and for the benefit of their members. • Varied membership criteria defined by the relationship with the mutual. • Usually separated into 2 camps – “traditional” and “new.” • Democratic governance – usually one member one vote.
Co-operatives are one type of mutual • Not a legal form, but an organisation type. • Take many legal forms, but traditionally IPSs as the structure enshrines democratic participation. • Unlike a mutual, co-operatives are defined as: “an autonomous association of persons united voluntary to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically controlled enterprise.” • A set of values and principles are applied to support this definition. • All co-operatives are mutuals but not all mutuals are co-operatives – no requirement for a mutual to comply with the co-op v&ps.
Traditional Mutuals • Building Societies • Credit Unions - • Financial Mutuals – NFU Mutual, Benenden Healthcare Society • Co-operatives – The Co-operative Group
New Mutuals • Community Mutuals • Supporters’ Trusts • Energy • Pubs/Shops
New Mutuals • Public Sector • Leisure Trusts • GP Consortia • Spin Outs for LA
