Future Co-ops 2025: The Trouble with Double

The government has announced an ambitious target to double the size of the co-operative and mutual sector and to work with the movement to address the barriers we face, such as accessing finance.

But what does doubling even mean? Doubling the number of co-ops? The turnover? The number of people that are members of a co-op? Are we being asked to do the impossible?What is the commitment from the government? Will they be putting their money where their mouth is?

Throughout ‘The Trouble with Double’ we’ll consider the challenges of doubling the sector. Measuring the impact of this growth is crucial. Should we focus on financial metrics or should we be aiming for social impact over simple quantity, staying true to the values and principles of the co-operative movement? Who should be driving the agenda? Can we create a legacy that outlasts a change in government?

Amongst others, Co-operatives UK are working on a response to the doubling opportunity in their Co-operative Growth Strategy – planned for a January release. So, this timely conference will build on that and bring delegates with experience and expertise together to push things forward.

Join us at Future Co-ops 2025 for two days of lively discussion and debate as we get to grips with this challenge.

Agenda:

Friday - 17.00 - 23.00: Friday night will be spent setting the scene with a panel discussion with guests from across the Co-operative Party.

Saturday - 09.00 - 16.00: Saturday will be a day of interactive workshops to provide a platform for attendees to discuss strategies for scaling co-operatives including:

• Lessons from the past - We’ve had opportunities like this before, but what worked, and what didn’t? Alternative models like CICs, employee ownership, and the mutualisation agenda were an opportunity for co-ops, but we missed the boat. Why? The sector has also had some success over the years such as the Co-op Enterprise Hub, the More than a Pub campaign, and the growth of community shares. This opening session will explore this.
• More, bigger or better? There’s the danger that this whole conversation becomes a numbers game. While we’re busy focusing on creating lots of new start co-ops, what's happening to the existing 9,350? We will explore the impact we want from a bigger co-op movement.
• Making co-ops cool - How do we bring co-ops up to date, make them relevant to young people, and successfully embed them back into our culture and economy? This session will look at what we can learn from current social movements and focus on our challenge of putting co-operatives at the front and centre of solutions for tackling issues in our society today.
• Political Levers - The commitment has been made to double the size of the co-operative and mutual economy. But what does this mean, and how does the Government intend to go about it? This workshop will explore potential political and economic levers that could be utilised to successfully increase the sector.
• Resourcing the Doubling - Do we have the resources we need to deliver on this ambitious goal, or are we dreaming without a plan? This workshop will confront the tough questions about resourcing this ambitious goal.