Co-ops are 180 today - From Rochdale Pioneers to Global Impact
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Published 21 Dec 2024 in Raising Awareness
Today marks the day the first co-op opened its doors 180 years ago. We take a look back at why that first store in Rochdale was established and how the co-operative movement has blossomed since then and continues to make a sustainable difference on a local, regional and global scale.
The first co-op
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The first successful co-op store was at 31 Toad Lane, Rochdale
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It opened on 21 December 1844
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Set up by 28 working class men: the Rochdale Pioneers
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It sold unadulterated staple goods, such as sugar, flour and candles for a fair price
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Members paid to join the co-op and get access to these high-quality goods
The Rochdale Pioneers also created the Co-operative Principles that co-ops worldwide still follow today.
Chipping Norton circa 1937
How co-ops developed
The co-operative movement is now global, operating in sectors as broad as farming, housing, creative industries and finance.
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3 million co-ops worldwide
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Serving 1.2 billion members
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280 million people employed by co-ops
A Gloucester Co-op truck - circa the early 1900s
A record year for UK co-ops
In 2024, the UK was home to 9,342 co-ops employing 1.3 million people and generating a record £165.7 billion in combined income.
Did you know?
Co-operative start-ups are more than twice as likely to survive beyond the first five years as those using more traditional business models.
The future is co-ops
We know co-operation is a better way of doing business and the new Labour government is aware of the benefits too, pledging to double the size of the co-operative and mutual sector and offering co-ops first refusal on the purchase of local assets such as pubs and football clubs.
To help build a brighter co-operative future we’ve pledged to help create 50 new co-ops and community-run businesses, supporting the creation of 13 in the first year of this pledge.
For example, Amberley Shop on the Common.
When the village shop in Amberley, Gloucestershire closed, the community started searching for alternative locations to create a new community-run store, providing essential goods for local people. They have now created a café and a retail space in the nave of the village church providing good quality local produce, services and opportunities to all interest and age groups.
Supporting Amberley Shop on the Common
From Rochdale Pioneers to Global Impact with the launch of a new Development Fund
180 years ago, the Rochdale Pioneers united to create a solution to the unfair prices and poor-quality food they faced. Today, as communities grapple with similar challenges in food security and supply chains, co-operatives continue to play a crucial role in fostering trust, integrity, and resilience.
Today, to mark 180 years of co-operation a new Fund for International Co-operative Development, the first of its kind, launches to support communities worldwide in rebuilding after crises and fostering peace.
The Fund for International Co-operative Development seeks to build on this legacy, addressing these issues through co-operative collaboration and support.
From responding to humanitarian crises to creating long-term, inclusive economies, the Fund for International Co-operative Development reflects the principles of the Rochdale Pioneers and their legacy of working together to create opportunities for all.
The fund will focus on three key areas:
- Crisis response: Delivering immediate humanitarian assistance to areas affected by conflict and natural disasters.
- Medium-term rebuilding: Strengthening and developing co-operatives in post-crisis recovery.
- Long-term mutual aid: Promoting social justice by building resilient and inclusive economies through Co-op to Co-op trade.
The Fund for International Co-operative Development has been developed through collaboration between leading UK co-operatives, including Co-op Group, Central Co-op, The Midcounties Co-operative, Lincolnshire Co-op, and Co-operatives UK.
(L-R) Paul Gerrard (Co-op Group), Rose Marley (Co-operatives UK), Debbie Robinson (Central England Co-operative) & Peter Westall (The Midcounties Co-operative)
Hear more about the Fund for International Development here
Find out more about the 50 new co-ops pledge here and read more about the thriving co-operative economy on Co-operatives UK’s website here.