Co-operatives UK

Co-operatives UK Limited

Formerly called	Co-operative Central Board Co-operative Union Industrial Common Ownership Movement (ICOM)
Type	Co-operative Federation
Founded	Manchester (1889 (1889))
Headquarters	Holyoake House, Hanover Street, Manchester
Area served	United Kingdom
Key people	Ed Mayo (Secretary General)
Members	505
Number of employees	31
Website	uk.coop

Co-operatives UK is "the central membership organisation for co-operative enterprise throughout the UK". The co-operative federation was founded in 1870 as the Co-operative Central Board, before changing its name to the Co-operative Union before finally becoming Co-operatives UK following its merger with the Industrial Common Ownership Movement (ICOM) in 2001. Historically associated with the consumer co-operatives, the merger broadened its scope to include worker co-operatives and it now exists to support and promote the values of the entire co-operative movement throughout the UK.

During its history, it has been responsible for the organisation of the Co-operative Congresses, the establishment of both Co-operative Commissions and the creation of the Co-operative College and the Co-operative Party. The head office, Holyoake House in Manchester, is a Grade II listed building, and was built in 1911 in memory of the co-operative activist George Jacob Holyoake.

Membership of Co-operatives UK includes organisations as diverse as the Woodcraft Folk, Suma Wholefoods and the Co-operative Group. It is controlled by a board elected by its membership, is a member of the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA), the trustee of the Co-operative College, and retains a nominated seat on the National Executive Committee of the Co-operative Party.

The modern organisation began to take shape when Dame Pauline Green became the first female chief executive of the Co-operative Union on New Year's Day 2000. Her first action in the position was to write a letter – co-signed by Lord Graham of Edmonton, Graham Melmoth, and Len Fyfe – to then Prime Minister Tony Blair for his help in creating a second Co-operative Commission, to help revitalise the Movement for the next century. Green served on the Commission, chaired by John Monks, and then took the job of coordinating the Union's response to the final report. The Union began a "deliberate attempt to secure and celebrate [the] co-operative advantage", forming closer ties with other organisations across the Movement in an attempt to create the "first ever 'all movement' Co-ordination Movement".