Co-operatives supporting co-operatives is the message at the heart of this year’s Co-op Fortnight celebrations for the Co-operative Retail Society Network (CRSN), a partnership helping to strengthen and grow community-owned businesses across the UK.
Led by Plunkett UK, the CRSN was established in 2023 with the aim of growing the size and impact of the rural community-owned business sector and enabling the co-operative model to flourish.
Today, the network brings together Co-op Group, OurCoop, Southern Co-op, Radstock Co-operative Society and Co-operatives UK. Members are committed to supporting the community business sector through funding, sharing co-operative and retail expertise, raising the profile of community ownership and working together to explore practical and innovative ways to help community-owned businesses succeed.
The network is a powerful example of co-operation among co-operatives in action, reflecting this year’s Co-op Fortnight theme: Co-operate and we can change the world.
Through the CRSN, established co-operatives are helping communities create and sustain businesses that meet local needs, protect vital services and strengthen local economies. Inspired by the fifth and sixth co-operative principles, network members support Plunkett’s work through financial contributions, knowledge-sharing and practical collaboration.
Plunkett’s Partnership Manager, Hannah Barrett, at the Co-op Retail Conference in Glasgow
20 year anniversary celebrations at Bathford Community Shop (Somerset)
The importance of that support is highlighted in Plunkett’s recently launched Impact Report, which shows growing demand for community ownership across the UK. Today, Plunkett supports a network of almost 900 community-owned businesses, representing around 10% of all independent co-operatives trading in the UK. With 30 to 40 new community-owned businesses opening every year, the sector is one of the fastest-growing parts of the co-operative movement. They are resilient too, with a five-year survival rate of 98% and a long-term survival rate of 94%.
Community-owned businesses are helping local people tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing their areas, from protecting access to essential services and creating employment opportunities to reducing social isolation and building community resilience.
James Alcock, Chief Executive of Plunkett UK, said:
“Community-owned businesses are one of the most exciting and fastest-growing parts of the co-operative movement. They show how people can come together to create resilient businesses that meet local needs and strengthen their communities. The Co-operative Retail Society Network is a powerful example of co-operation in action. By working together, co-operatives can achieve more than they could alone and help ensure community ownership continues to grow and thrive across the UK.”
“As part of the CRSN, Radstock Co-operative Society is pleased to support community-owned businesses across the UK, showing how co-operation can build stronger, more resilient communities. This reflects our own values of supporting local communities and working together for long-term benefit.”
Don Morris, CEO, Radstock Co-operative Society
The impact of the network extends beyond financial support. Earlier this year, representatives from Plunkett UK and Southern Co-op visited community-owned businesses in Hampshire to see first-hand the difference community ownership is making in rural communities and to share learning between co-operatives and community businesses.
At Plunkett members, The Boundary Shop and Café in St Mary Bourne and The Plough Inn in Longparish, the visit highlighted how community-owned businesses can provide far more than goods and services. Both businesses have become valued community hubs, creating employment and volunteering opportunities, reducing loneliness and bringing people together while remaining financially sustainable.
The visit demonstrated how collaboration across the co-operative movement can help strengthen community-owned businesses, ensuring local communities benefit from the experience, expertise and support of established co-operative organisations.
As Co-op Fortnight begins, the Co-operative Retail Society Network is encouraging co-operators across the movement to recognise the growing contribution community-owned businesses make to the UK’s co-operative economy and the importance of collaboration in helping the sector continue to thrive.
The Boundary Shop Manager Vicky Pettit with Dave Burlison from their committee in conversation with Plunkett UK’s Hannah Barrett and Becky Longyear of Southern Co-op in the café seating area.
