Cooperatives NorthWest

Job opportunity: Unicorn Grocery

We are now recruiting for full (37 hrs) and part time (20+ hrs) co-op members. We are especially (although not exclusively) interested to hear from people with experience/skills in finance, ordering and buying, fresh food preparation & chilled goods handling.

As a workers’ co-operative, Unicorn is owned and managed by its members - the workforce. Co-op membership involves working at all levels of the business, and includes significant amounts of shop floor work (serving, cleaning, re-stocking) as well as taking on specialist responsibilities such as IT, finance, or human resources. Unicorn operates with a pretty 'flat' management structure, and all co-op members are managers of the business, taking on equal responsibility for equal pay.

£8.50 per hour plus potential for regular profit-related bonuses. 5% pension and a range of benefits (including healthcare and a 20% shop discount).

Please read the co-op member background pack and application form on the website here, then print and complete the application form and post it back to us. Deadline for applications 5pm Friday 23 July. www.unicorn-grocery.co.uk

Conference: Futures North – setting new directions
11 September 9.00-16.30, Bodington Hall, Leeds LS16 5PT

Futures North looks beyond the “Big Society”, bringing together some of the key people and the ideas that offer practical solutions enabling communities to tackle today’s problems, and create a greener, fairer and happier future. Join us for an inspiring day of interactive workshops, insightful speakers, and practical learning. Speakers include Michael Fairclough (Head of Community & Campaigns at the Co operative) and Peter Couchman (CEO, Plunkett Foundation).

Booking information: £50 per person for the full day event including lunch and refreshments. B&B Friday night only £30 plus a free comedy night with Just Fair Laughs. Thanks to support from our funders and sponsors we are able to offer a number of places free of charge. Register from July 1 2010 at www.futures-north.coop

Trade fair: Social Enterprise North West
18 November

SENW would be delighted if you could join them for what will be a bigger and better event building on last year's Trade Fair, with more opportunities to trade and inter-trade, up-to- date workshops on contracting with Social Landlords, Franchising, and Personalisation Agenda to name but a few. Register your interest now on admin@senw.org.uk

Funding: £1,000 match for training
Business Link Northwest’s leadership and management service has achieved much success over the last financial year and has developed the skills of more than 7,400 senior managers and company owners. North West businesses continue to view the leadership and management service as one that adds great value to their companies, equipping them with new skills to drive their operations forward.

For businesses employing between five and 249 full-time employees, the funding is available for three senior leaders, up to a maximum of £3,000. The grant funding is available from the Skills Funding Agency and the Northwest Regional Development Agency and can be used to access a wide variety of development activities including coaching, mentoring, qualifications, non-qualifications based training. A financial contribution to supplement the funding may also be required from the employer. For example, for a manager to receive the maximum £1,000 grant, their employer must contribute £500 towards the total of a £1,500 training cost. The grants can also be used to support HE provision, for example foundation degrees, MBAs, postgraduate certificates or diplomas and masters degrees. These courses are match-funded on a pound for pound basis up to a maximum of £1,000.

To access this funding, applicants should undertake an initial diagnostic assessment and complete a personal development plan with a Business Link Leadership and Management adviser. Call Business Link on 0845 00 66 888. www.businesslinknw.co.uk/Aboutus/Pressreleases/Pages/putting-business-le...

Community shares: Offer from One Planet
One Planet (Accrington) Limited is an exciting new co-operative, and an Industrial and Provident Society for the Benefit of the Community. One Planet will comprise a retail shop, training space and information point in central Accrington, East Lancashire. They want to offer people in Accrington, Hyndburn and east Lancashire the opportunity to shop more ethically and the opportunity to buy everyday products that are less damaging to our planet. In addition they also want to offer training and information.

One Planet are offering a ‘time bound’ share issue to raise the initial capital investment of £15,000 necessary to start the business and to cover working capital during the first two years of trading. Minimum membership share capital starts at £25. Mike.Stapleford@prospectsfoundation.org.uk. 01254-380675

News: Co-operative sector nudges £34 billion
Latest figures from Co-operatives UK reveal that co-operative businesses in the UK have pushed up their combined turnover by some 15.8% to almost £34 billion – during the same period UK GDP decreased by 4.9%.

The figures - released during the first ever Co-operatives Fortnight - show that the UK has some 4,992 jointly owned, democratically controlled co operative businesses, which together reported a combined performance of £33.5 billion and the number of co-operative members (ie owners) surged by 14% to 12.9 million people (over one in five of the population). Co-operatives now sustain over 237,000 jobs in the UK.

The Co-operative Economy can be downloaded at www.uk.coop/economy/uk100.

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