Cooperatives NorthWest

CNW Workshop: Financial Skills for Co-operative and Social Enterprise
Thursday 25 January 2011, 2-4pm, at The Peace Centre, Peace Drive, off Cromwell Avenue, Great Sankey, Warrington, WA5 1HQ
This workshop aims to make new co-operators and social entrepreneurs aware of the main financial issues they need to look at in setting up and running their enterprise. Areas covered include: VAT, PAYE, Corporation Tax, accounting systems, budgeting, cashflow and business plans. It is not intended to be in-depth in any of these areas but will indicate where further knowledge would be required. Presented by Paul Cowham and Patrick Browne of Slade and Cooper, a Manchester based firm of accountants and auditors that specialises in working with the not-for-profit sector.

Fee includes refreshments and information sheets, and excludes lunch which is available at the venue's cafe. CNW Members £22.00, Non-members £33.00, Late Booking fee after 18/1/11 +£10. To book http://cnwfinancialskillsworkshop.eventbrite.com . To take advantage of our members’ discount join CNW at www.cooperatives-nw.coop/documents/cnw-ltd-membership-form . Free bursary places are available if your organization is not able to pay, fully funded by SENW & NWDA – contact: barbara@cooperatives-nw.coop 01706 812699.

Community Shares: FC United of Manchester extends pioneering community shares offer to the end of February
The scheme – which aims to raise £1.5 million towards the club’s own ground in Newton Heath – has already generated £700,000 of investment with another £200,000 pledged.
Now the club hopes that by extending the offer, a further wave of investors will come forward and push the total towards the target.
“We’re the first football club to try this approach and we’re breaking new ground on what is possible for a supporter-owned club to achieve,” said FC United board member Adam Brown.
“We’ve had a fantastic response so far but we believe the appetite is still there for further investment – particularly now we’ve been granted full planning permission for our own ground, and due to the additional interest in the club off the back of our FA Cup run.”
In November, HM Revenue & Customs gave advance assurance that those who buy £500 of shares can claim 20% back against tax under the Enterprise Investment Scheme.
The main aim of the community shares scheme is to enable people to participate as shareholders in funding the community facilities that will be built as part of the stadium development. This will deliver new sports, social and function facilities to Newton Heath, an area which faces significant social and economic challenges. Although shareholders will not receive interest payments or be able to withdraw their investments for the first three years after the club moves into the new stadium, the tax breaks together with the potential to pay interest after that make this an attractive offer for those who care about the future of football, and social investors in general.
The scheme is unique in football as it allows capital investment without affecting FC United’s one member one vote co-operative ownership structure. Investors can purchase £1 shares to a value ranging from £200 up to £20,000. www.fc-utd.co.uk/communityshares 

Free workshops: Masterclasses from Social Enterprise NW

The popular series of fully-funded one-day courses organised by Social Enterprise North West is continuing in December and January with masterclasses in Manchester and North Lancashire. Topics include: Business Planning SOAR, Investment Readiness, Impact Assessment, Skills Audit, Workplace Learning, PR & Marketing, Franchising, Strategic Alliance Consortia, Governance, Contracting and Procurement. To book your place http://senwevents.eventbrite.com  . This site is updated regularly with details of new classes. For enquiries call 0151 237 3986.

Member Profile: Sunshine Care
Sunshine Care is a co-operative community interest company set up by former local authority care workers in Rochdale to support people with short and long term needs, enabling them to have control of their wellbeing and enhancing their quality of life. Its services include personal care, domestic services, support for socialising and palliative care.
The co-operative was set up in 2009 following the council’s reorganisation of the provision of domiciliary care, which resulted in more outsourcing to private contractors. Sunshine Care has set out to be the best provider of support for adults in Rochdale. Manager Chris Bailey strongly believes that the combination of skilled staff and co-operative values will benefit customers and their families and friends. “What we are doing is new and different,” said Chris. “We are really up to date with the new personalisation agenda. Once people realise they can choose who they get support from, they’ll choose us because having well trained staff makes all the difference.” chris@sunshinecarecoop.com 01706 881631

Member Profile: HHH Credit Union
Since 1993 HHH Credit Union in Rossendale has been providing people who live or work in the common bond area of Haslingden and Hyndburn with a local, convenient and fair means of saving and borrowing. As with all credit unions it is owned and contolled by its members and it uses income generated from interest on loans to support the running costs of the business. Any surplus after this is paid back in dividends to its members. There are currently 1,464 accounts holders, including juniors (under 16). HHH Credit Union believes it is vital to encourage saving and sensible money management at a young age and so operates collection points in several local schools. It has five regular collection points and offices across the common bond, including one in the recently refurbished Accrington market. 01706 215 082, hhhcreditunion@btconnect.com , www.hhhcreditunion.co.uk 

Member Profile: North West Housing Services
North West Housing Services is one of the largest providers in England of professional services to housing co-operatives, small housing associations, leaseholders and social enterprises. The services range from total housing management, finance and day to day maintenance, to property investment services. It also provides financial services to non-housing social enterprises and mutual organisations through a separate trading arm North West Financial Solutions.
NWHS was formed in 2006 by a consortium of organisations with a collective goal to take control of their own services. It is a mutual, not for-profit company which is totally owned and controlled by its customers. There are currently 46 members. NWHS has clients in: Liverpool, Manchester, Sefton, Salford, Wirral, Bolton and Knowsley. 0151 726 2200 www.nwhousing.org.uk 

If you would like your organisation to be profiled in this newsletter please email news@cooperatives-nw.coop. This opportunity is only available to members of Co-operatives North West so if you haven’t already done so please download and complete the membership form at www.cooperatives-nw.coop/documents/cnw-ltd-membership-form

Co-operatives Fortnight 2011: Yours to Share
Co-operatives Fortnight 2011 will take place from 25 June to 9 July with the theme of yours to share.
The national campaign, which unites the co-operative sector, will highlight how sharing ownership and profits makes co-operative businesses more relevant than ever.
Ed Mayo, Secretary General of Co-operatives UK, says: “The success of last year’s Co-operatives Fortnight, which involved 2.3million people, came from the enthusiasm and activism of co-operatives across the country.
“This year, Co-operatives UK and the Fortnight’s sponsors want to step it up a gear. Concerns about wealth and fairness are on everyone’s lips. We have a unique opportunity to demonstrate – to customers, employees, members, business leaders and government – that co-operatives are different because they are ‘yours to share.’
“The key to this is co-operatives everywhere getting involved, using the Yours to Share branding and materials to promote how they share ownership and profits.”
www.uk.coop/yourstoshare

Co-operatives North West is funded by trading income, the Co-operative Enterprise Hub and Social Enterprise North West.