CoRE helps farmers turn muck into energy

A renewable energy co-operative has announced plans to make energy from farm muck and help boost Cumbria’s farming economy.

Community Renewable Energy North West (CoRE NW), a co-operative based in Workington, plans to set up a number of farmers’ co-operatives, each of which will produce electricity and heat from manure and silage using anaerobic digestion. The first, at Middle Farm in Silloth, North West Cumbria, is expected to get planning permission next spring, with a view to commissioning a ‘digester’ by the end of 2010.

As well as providing income to farmers, the co-operatives will rid farmers of the problem of slurry, which is both smelly and toxic when applied to soils. Instead, farmers will get back liquid fertiliser from the digester, which will replace almost all their need for chemicals. This will save them money and improve the condition of their soil as well as being relatively odourless.

“We think this a great way forward for Cumbrian farmers,” says Mike Pearson who owns the farm where the first digester is proposed. “As well as increasing our income, it also means we reduce our usage of chemicals and produce renewable energy.”

Co-operatives 2009 for small & medium sized co-operatives

Co-operatives 2009 - the annual conference for the whole co-operative movement - will feature a day of training and networking for small and medium sized co-operatives on the Friday. Sessions at the specialist day will cover essentials for co-operative businesses such as decision-making and consensus, marketing and human resources. There will be networking sessions, opportunities to meet fellow co-operators and for those booking for the full weekend, free exhibition space.

Co-operatives 2009 runs from Friday 26 June to Sunday 28 and takes place in Windsor. Prices for the day are between £80 and £100.

Click here for more details or contact John Atherton for more information on 0161 246 2961 or john.atherton@cooperatives-uk.coop.

Co-operatives North East showcasing co-operatives

Co-operatives North East is to showcase the work of co-operatives in the region at an event on 28 April in Durham - Insight: Demonstrating Diversity in the Co-operative Economy.

Speakers will include Ruth Taylor of Shared Interest, Mervyn Wilson of the Co-operative College and John Goodman of Co-operativesUK. There will be a range of co-operative enterprises exhibiting and trading - Comunity Campus 87, Jack Drum Arts (pictured), Alpha Communications and North East Organic Growers amongst others.

For more information click here

Farmers' market co-operative keeps on growing

Thames Valley Farmers' Market Co-operative has officially taken over the running of a farmers' market from Bicester Town Council after managing it on behalf of the council for the past six months.

Thames Valley Farmers' Market Co-operative was founded by producers in 1999 to enable farmers and small producers to sell their produce directly to customers. It now runs farmers' markets in 14 towns.

All products sold at Bicester farmers' market are grown and produced within 50 miles of the town. Jane Bowler, chairn of the co-operative, says: "We wouldn't be here if is wasn't for our customers. More and more people are discovering that local food is tasty, fresh and not expensive. People want to know where their food comes from and want to reconnect with farming."

New stalls have been introduced at the Bicester market, including Wychwood Forest Venison, Bensons apple juices, Fosseway Honey, UGM Nursery from Banbury, the Garlic Farm, Alre Watercress, a vegetable stall, several cheese stalls and Pippin Doughnuts.

www.tvfm.org.uk

New website dedicated to food co-operatives!

A new website has been launched to provide information about food co-operatives - what they are, how you go about setting one up, how you can find your nearest and so on.

This great new resource has been created by Sustain - the national alliance for better food and farming.

www.foodcoops.org

See the Phone Co-op on film

See the film of the Phone Co-op produced for the Enterprising Solutions Awards. The UK's only national telecommunications co-operative was the overall winner of the awards in 2008.

Film available here

www.thephone.coop

Housing co-operative's zero-carbon scheme

Tenants First Housing Co-operative, Britain’s largest fully mutual housing co-operative, is to develop high-quality, carbon-neutral housing.

The three-year programme will be run as a Knowledge Transfer Partnership between Tenants First and the Mackintosh School of Architecture in Glasgow and will employ an architect working full-time at Tenants First.

The aim is to develop a house construction system that will meet the highest-level in the Government’s code for sustainable homes. The code sets a national standard for houses and uses a rating system from one to six. The Tenants First programme is aimed at a six-star rating, indicating the lowest levels of carbon emissions and the highest standard of sustainability.

Commenting on the initiative Euan Barr, Project Manager with Tenants First, said: “Tenants First has a record of innovation in construction techniques aimed at improving the efficiency and quality of the homes we build for our members. Most notable are our award-winning projects at Ballater where we utilised a Dutch construction system never seen in this country before, and Peterhead where we piloted offsite timber frame technology.

www.tenantsfirst.com

SEL awarded Inspire Mark for Olympic impact

Social Enterprise London is celebrating being awarded the much coveted and prestigious Olympic Inspire Mark.

The Mark, awarded by the London 2012 Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, (LOCOG) is given to a small number of exceptional projects and events to celebrate their contribution to the spirit of London 2012 and its legacy.

The award is recognition of the impact of SEL’s ‘Winning with 2012’ programme, built to get the maximum number of social enterprises delivering Olympic contracts before, during and after the Games.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson congratulated SEL, which works to promote and develop co-operatives and other kinds of social enterprises. He said: "I want all Londoners to be able to benefit from the 2012 Games and the opportunities they will provide in sustaining or creating new jobs and helping people to develop valuable new skills. Social Enterprise London will be crucial in ensuring that the capital's diverse communities have their chance to get involved."

Chief Executive Allison Ogden-Newton said: “To be awarded the Inspire Mark is a real achievement. Social enterprises like GLL, Divine, HCT, ECT and Catering2Order are delivering the meaningful, long lasting legacy the Olympic organisers are looking for. SEL will use the Mark as a springboard to raise the profile of social enterprise, ensuring they play a key role in the economic and social renewal brought about through the Games.”

www.sel.org.uk

C&CF and Triodos to hold seminar for housing co-operatives

Co-operative and Community Finance and Triodos Bank are to hold a free seminar on housing co-operatives at the Community Base in Brighton on April 22.

The seminar, Homes for Housing Co-operatives, will provide practical guidance for existing and new housing co-operatives on how to go about buying a property. It will look at planning, dealing with professionals, applying for finance and how to make the process as smooth as possible.

For housing co-operatives who are looking to buy a property, Co-operative and Community Finance and Triodos will together be launching a unique loan package specifically for housing co-operatives to enable them to make the most of the lull in the housing market and help provide affordable, tenant controlled homes for your members.

Speakers will include Carl Taylor of Redditch Co-operative Homes, Cris Szczerba of Bug Housing Co-operative, Louise Davey of Triodos Bank and Ian Rothwell of Co operative and Community Finance.

For more information or to book your free place email events@triodos.co.uk

Ethical Consumer's ethics ratings for easter eggs

Ethical Consumer, a worker co-operative and the UK's leading alternative consumer organisation that has been tracking corporate ethics for over 20 years, has published ratings into the 'ethicscore' of different easter eggs on ther market.

Its conclusions? Ethical Consumer recommends bypassing the traditional easter egg and buying a bar of Fairtrade chocolate instead. “Even though many brands have pledged to reduce the amount of packaging on their eggs, we still think it’s still excessive” says Dan Welch from Ethical
Consumer. “Of course, it’s positive that they’re making the effort, but you’ll still get much more chocolate for your money – and much less packaging too - by buying a large bar of chocolate instead”.

If, however, there will be too many tantrums without a real easter egg, then Ethical Consumer recommends buying fairtrade eggs where possible, ensuring that the farmers receive more money for their cocoa. Ethical Consumer also recommends eggs packaged using recycled materials and those avoiding plastic altogether.

Of the many eggs reviewed, the top three all scored 15.5 out of 20: Divine Dark Chocolate Mini Eggs, Divine Chocolate Ltd, Montezuma Dark chocolate organic free range easter egg and Montezuma's Chocolate.

www.ethicalconsumer.org

Can values make a difference? Co-operatives - moving from the Rochdale Pioneers to the 21st century

From its origins in the 19th century the co-operative movement has developed a global presence and reach. In 1995 an international statement of identity together with a set of core co-operative values and principles was agreed. Since then, the movement has entered a period of renewal and growth leading many to identify the 21st century as a period of co-operative renaissance.

Taking the theme of co-operative renewal, the conference will explore turning points and explore the ways in which co-operative values have been central to the emergence of co-operative enterprises across the world.

Organised by the Co-operative College, Liverpool John Moores University, Leeds Metropolitan University, Edge Hill University and the University of Central Lancashire, this international conference should be of interest to academics and everyone interested in all aspects the co-operative movement, including its history, both in the UK and internationally.

More information here

Cycle Training UK celebrates 10 years!

Cycle Training UK - a worker co-operative and the biggest independent provider of on-road cycle training and cycle maintenance training in London - has celebrated its tenth birthday. With bikes!

www.cycletraining.co.uk

Sundance takes over struggling bio-diesel plant

Sundance Renewables, a Camarthenshire based worker co-operative, is celebrating after taking over a bio-diesel production plant in Tredegar, South Wales.

The factory was previously a privately owned bio-diesel production plant, but a combination of management difficulties and the unpredictable regulation of the biofuels market led it to closure last year. However, Sundance Renewables – the UK’s longest established biodiesel manufacturer and the business that set up the first community bio-diesel plant in the country – has taken on the plant to scale up its operations.

With its strong reputation, good management practice, experience of surviving in a turbulent market and established networks for collecting used cooking oil from the local community, members of Sundance are confident that the co-operative can make the plant profitable and sustainable.

Jan Cliff, a founder and director of the co-operative, is aware that co-operatives are not a panacea for a failing business, but explains why the plant can work. Because Sundance is a co-operative, community-based, ethical business that uses 100% recycled vegetable oil to manufacture bio-diesel, it has strong local support and enjoys a market advantage that many other businesses operating in this sector do not.

“We find that many of our customers don't want the tokenistic 5% blends available on some forecourts, but prefer to buy 100% recycled biodiesel” she says. “We have to follow the market, but our customers’ willingness to support our co-operative business model does give us the edge.”

Sundance is financing the venture with support from Good Fuel Co-operative, a UK-wide co-operative of bio-diesel manufacturers and suppliers that recently undertook a share issue.

www.sundancerenewables.org.uk

www.goodfuel.coop

Shared Interest to open Peru Office

The world’s only 100% fair trade lender has laid out plans to expand into South America.

Shared Interest - which already has offices on Costa Rica and Kenya - has appointed 30-year old Paul Sablich to head up its new Peru office in central Lima.

His first task will be meeting potential customers in need of credit when he returns to his home town from the UK this week.

Established in 1990, Shared Interest lends over £30 million from UK investors each year to businesses in 41 countries developing countries, helping them sell their local produce and goods in the fair trade market.

The Shared Interest Foundation, meanwhile, delivers vital training to sustain their growth and survival in an increasingly commercial world.

Paul sees “fair trade as a tool to generate equity in the world. It is important to be part of the solution; to create the right environment for fair trade to take place.

www.shared-interest.com

Read more about Shared Interest here