Co-op members to have their say and help towards raising £5mln for Barnardo’s

LONDON – Members of the UK’s largest co-operative business are being encouraged to participate in voting as part of Co-op’s 2023 AGM and help towards raising £5 million for Barnardo’s – the UK’s biggest children’s charity.

A new initiative, announced on Tuesday in a press release, is intended to encourage members to use their vote to shape the way Co-op does business and help create a fairer world.

Members who are eligible to vote will generate £1 for voting on representatives within Co-op’s National Members’ Council, directors on the Co-op Board or on AGM motions, including bringing more young people into Co-op.

Voting packs are already being issued to eligible members, via post and by email, with a voting deadline of May 15, 2023, or to vote in person at the AGM event, to be held at the Manchester Central venue in the city centre on May 20, 2023.

Barnardo’s Chief Executive Lynn Perry MBE said: “In March, we announced a new partnership with Co-op and are aiming to raise £5mln. We’re so grateful to its members for coming together like this and creating this opportunity to raise awareness so early into the partnership.

“With Co-op’s support and the money raised, we can give 750,000 young people access to basic needs like food, help improve their mental wellbeing and create better opportunities for the future.”

Opportunities for members to vote

More than 100 candidates are standing to represent 4.4mln active members across the UK within Co-op’s National Members’ Council. The Council meets throughout the year to hold the Board to account and input into key business decisions.

Those four motions open to vote include:

For Co-op to be even more inclusive of young people, working with the wider co-operative movement to ensure young co-operators are heard, understand co-operation and have more opportunities open to them.

Creating greater access to knowledge around Co-op’s ethnical and sustainable credentials, while making related products more available and affordable. Work to further engage existing members and recruit new members, as Co-op’s owners, to drive collective action.

An opportunity for Co-op Food to further build on its chicken sourcing standards.

Lord Victor Adebowale, Shirine Khoury-Haq and Stevie Spring will be offering themselves for re-election to the Co-op Group Board by members.

Group CEO Shirine Khoury-Haq said: “Our members are strongest when we come together and drive the direction our Co-op takes on our vision.

“We hope that by making this donation available to voting members, they can get even more value for their vote, including building on a brilliant start to our fundraising for Barnardo’s, with whom we are all so delighted to partner.”

The new partnership between Co-op and Barnardo’s is intended to support 750,000 young people aged 10-25 years old to help improve their mental wellbeing, confidence and self-esteem, as well as helping young people and their families to meet basic needs, including access to food, improve mental wellbeing and create opportunities for the future, at a time when the lasting effects of the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis are exacerbating underlying challenges.

Co-op is one of the world’s largest consumer co-operatives with interests across food, funerals, insurance and legal services. Owned by millions of UK consumers, the Co-op operates over 2,400 food stores, over 800 funeral homes and provides products to thousands of other stores, including those run by independent co-operative societies and through its wholesale business, Nisa Retail Limited. Employing more than 57,000 people, the Co-op has an annual turnover of £11.5 billion and is a recognised leader for its social goals and community-led programmes. The Co-op exists to meet members’ needs and stand up for the things they believe in.

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