The Co-operative – Join The Revolution
March 29th, 2011 | Posted by Paul |
The Co-operative -Join The Revolution! The Co-operative Group has launched a high profile, multi-media campaign which shows the massive impact the original co-operators, (The Rochdale Pioneers*), had on the world and urges consumers to join the revolution.
The Co-operative are searching for the best revolutions up and down the country. Go to here: Join The Revolution! and submit your plan with a brief description of what it’s all about. The most popular revolution from each region will receive a £5,000 cash injection. And with over 11,000 people "liking" it already (!) – you might want to pop over to Facebook and join the Co-op there: The Co-operative on Facebook.
"But what is all this revolution stuff all about, Paul?" I hear you ask (I've got very good hearing y'know! 
). Well, it's like this…… Each year The Co-operative supports 1,000's of initiatives/projects etc both in the UK and in the developing world abroad. They help people to change their world around them. It's as simple as that.
Take the case of Jamie Mitcheson from Northumberland. Jamie started off as a volunteer for The Co-operative StreetGames Young Volunteers. By partnering with the national charity Street Games, the Co-operative helps to enable the training of young volunteers and to help to open up sporting opportunities for young people in disadvantaged areas. Jamie now teaches urban dance 5 times a week to younger children at her local dance academy – Factory Dance Academy. Here's a little bit about the Factory Dance Academy, Street Games, the Co-operative and Jamie ….
And because of the Co-operative Street Games revolution, Jamie’s is about to start a BTEC in Dance, Health and Social Care and Business, with the aim of pursuing a career in community dance. Nice.
What I like about the Co-operative and this campaign is that it involves real people like Jamie – and 1,000's of others like her. And, of course, the Co-operative is very open with it's charitable desires to help others directly themselves, or by getting involved with other organisations such as Street Games.
*It all started back in 1844 in Rochdale….. The Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers was a group of 28 weavers and other artisans that was formed in 1844. These tradesmen decided to band together to open their own store selling food items which would be well within their budgets. On 21 December 1844, they opened their first store with a very meager selection of butter, sugar, flour, oatmeal and a few candles. Within three months, they expanded their selection to include tea and tobacco, and they were soon known for providing high quality, unadulterated goods. Ten years later, the British co-operative movement had grown to nearly 1,000 co-operatives.
Today, the Co-operative is the largest organisation of this type in the world, with over 5.5 million members, who all have a say in how the business is run and how its social goals are achieved. It has over 123,000 employees across the UK.
So, what are you waiting for? Join The Revolution! Even if you haven't got a project – go and vote and donate some money towards a worthwhile project – there's plenty of them out there!
