Co-op bonanza: Membership soars to 13.6 MILLION after a 700,000 jump in just one year

There are now more than 6,800 independent co-operatives, with the membership surge driven by the Co-op Group as well as community-owned businesses and credit unions.

There has also been a new trend for co-ops among young people working in digital and creative industries, trade body of Co-ops said. 

“Underlying the political shocks the country has experienced over the last year is a call from many parts of the UK population for an economy over which they have more of a say and from which they get a fair share,” Ed Mayo, the secretary-general of Co-operatives UK, said.

Mr Mayo explained the change with the need of people to have more influence on their local areas, the use of profits and also with the fact that the co-ops give a chance for young professionals to collaborate. 

He said: “As organisations owned by 13.6 million people, the UK’s 7,000 co-ops give people a say in what they do and how their profits are used.

“They offer a practical way to reimagine an economy in which people have more control over their homes, work and local areas.”

“It’s no surprise we’re seeing a spike in interest in co-ops, whether it’s social care providers finding that a co-operative approach can give its users and workers a voice, or young designers and web developers seeing co-ops as a natural way to collaborate at work.”