Tamworth Co-operative Society
Many people imagine that the co-operative movement is a single national organisation - this is far from the reality. The movement is in fact made up of many separate and independent societies united in their common belief in certain values and principles and with the shared aim of serving their members.
The co-operative movement has its roots in the 19th Century when the industrial revolution resulted in widespread exploitation and misery for many working people. One particular form of exploitation that was common was the way that many people found it difficult to obtain good quality food at a fair price. The development of shops had not kept pace with the growth of the new industrial communities and often families had no choice but to buy from unscrupulous local shopkeepers who had a monopoly on trade and therefore were able to charge high prices or adulterate their goods.
The formation of nonconformist churches and the development of political movements, such as the Chartists, gave ordinary people suffering similar injusticesthe opportunity and the ability to organise aspects of their lives. This, coupled with the increasingly popular ideas of social reformers such as Robert Owen and Dr. William King led people to realise that they could achieve far more by acting collectively than they ever would do working separately. They formed trade unions to overcome exploitation at work and improve their terms and conditions of employment and they set up their own shops to avoid exploitation of consumers.
The Rochdale Pioneers are accredited with starting the first successful retail co-operative society in 1844, although there had been earlier attempts. The Pioneers opened a shop in Toad Lane, Rochdale selling unadulterated goods at reasonable prices. They also introduced a dividend that meant that all its customers became members of the Society and received a return in accordance with their expenditure.
In 1860 the Rochdale Society drafted what have become known as 'The Rochdale Principles' - the values by which they would trade:
- Open and voluntary membership
- Democratic control (one member one vote)
- Fixed and limited interest on share capital
- Surplus allocated in proportion to members' purchases
- Provision for education
- Co-operation amongst co-operatives
- Political neutrality
- No credit
- Quality goods and service
Many of these principles still form the basis of co-operatives, of all types, throughout the world today.
By 1900 the efforts of ordinary men and women had forged a movement of some 1,400 societies right across the length and breadth of the country, with even more in Europe and elsewhere throughout the world
During the last century however, the co-operative movement has undergone many changes in order to meet the challenge posed by multiple retailers, including combining to create larger and more efficient organisations. Today, there are about 40 retail co-operative societies in the United Kingdom ranging in size from small 'one shop' societies to giants with sales of over £3 billion.
The movement still retains its principles by being owned and democratically controlled by its members. It still uses its profits for the mutual and individual benefit of members and seeks to give its customers a fair deal. Societies also continue to provide a wide range of educational, social and cultural activities and are widely involved in the communities they serve. visit www.tamworth.coop
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Tamworth Coop | Buying A Conservatory |
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