News and Events

From Farm to Fork is an exciting outdoor learning experience for primary schoolchildren provided by The Co-operative Farms, one of the UK’s biggest farmers. The Co-operative Farms works with over 50,000 acres of land in England and Scotland, and over 65,000 children have now experienced the world beyond the classroom through a supervised farm visit.

A simple but effective short film produced by the ILO (International Labour Office) for 2012 IYC (International Year of Co-operatives) shows the diversity and scale of co-operative enterprises around the world, providing a succinct introduction to what co-operatives are and how they work.

Congratulations to young co-operators at Kelvin Hall School, Hull, who made about £60 selling beaded earrings, bracelets and necklaces made by South African veterans at their school’s official launch as a co-operative Trust last week.

Fundraising activities by students from Haydon Bridge High School, a co-operative school in Northumberland, are paying for internet facilities in a school in Uganda – meaning students in the UK and Africa can communicate collaboratively through emails, Skype, videoconferencing and webcam.

A Young Co-operatives co-ordinator from Sittingbourne, Kent has written about the links her school is making with young people in Lesotho for the Fairtrade school uniform company Koolskools’ blog.

A student from Lipson Community College, a co-operative school in Plymouth, Devon, has written an insightful essay on how Robert Owen’s progressive educational reforms still shape education today, and demonstrates how the values and ideas of Owen and the co-operative movement are manifested in her school.

Speaking at the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA)’s General Assembly in Cancun, Mexico in Novemer, Barack Obama’s Blogger-in-chief Sam Graham-Felson recognised the opportunity for the co-operative movement to harness the potential of young people calling for change and looking for a different way, as exemplified by the recent Occupy movement demonstrations around the world. He told co-operators: “This is your moment – go with it and make the most of it.”

Environmentalist, journalist and filmmaker Philippe Cousteau urged the co-operative movement to “focus on young people”, saying: “Young people have the power to change consumer behaviour.”

Speaking at the International Co-operative Alliance’s General Assembly in Cancun, Mexico, Cousteau told delegates from the international co-operative movement: “You need to do everything you can to channel the passion of young people.”

The Fair Traders Co-operative has produced a number of Fair Trade resource packs for schools, colleges, academies and Young Co-operatives, which can be used to support enterprise projects, Fair Trade teaching or fund raising events.
The latest addition to the range of schools packs, which also includes stationery, pamper, fun stuff and fashion kits, is the Recycled Pack, a collection of recycled treasure!

Two Young Co-operators from Fulston Manor School in Sittingbourne, Kent, were awarded joint Young Volunteer of the Year 2011 at the Co-operative Group’s Volunteer of the Year awards.