2012 Year of the Cooperative

Published by Graham Tomlin for Credit Union Solutions Ltd in Local Government and also in Central Government, Education, Health, Housing

At a time when there are protests against the greed of capitalism globally 2012 the International Year of the Cooperative cannot come too quickly for me.

Across the globe November 5^th,  in the UK associated with Guy Fawkes attempt to blow up the King and Parliament, has been hailed as Bank Switch day. Interestingly in the USA Guy Fawkes is described as a patriot whereas we burn his effigy each year to remember a plot by dissident Catholic noblemen.

Bank Switch day seeks to persuade people to move away from using banks to using local credit unions. This is as much a protest about bank charges as it is a recognition that credit unions are more ethical and customer focussed.

The fact is that being member owned credit unions do not operate at the whim of shareholders or bonus seeking Directors but in response to their member’s needs. Savings and loans from credit unions get spent locally boosting the local economy and employment, but, best of all credit union Directors are unpaid volunteers with not a trace of a bonus anywhere.

In Totnes and other “Transition Towns” they have developed their own currencies to enable them to become more sustainable and stop their hard earned cash leaking away.

But 2012 is not just about credit unions. It is a challenge to us to look at what we do more closely and to see whether a cooperative solution might not be a better solution.

Think of the public services that might be delivered better with a not for profit cooperative provider.

ü  Residential care for our aging population.

ü  Home care for those keen to stay at home but need a little support.

ü  Parts of the National Health Service.

ü  Bus services.

ü  Rail operators.

ü  Even energy suppliers.

The problem I see is that cooperation seems to occupy a place in our consciousness that is a bit of a backwater yet cooperatives work and work exceptionally well the following are just some examples.

Cooperative Bank is a Which best buy.

Smile the Coop Bank’s internet banking solution is a Which best buy.

Care & Share Associates lauded as the ideal home Care provider.

CDS

Cooperative Childcare formerly Buffer Bear.

Community Power Cornwall

Darlington Supporters Society

FC United of Manchester

First Honey Coop

Greenwich Leisure

Letterbox library

North Wales Fishermen’s Coop

Norwich Community Agriculture

There are 650 cooperatives that are members of Coop UK and another 600 credit unions add to that Coop Retail Societies and Loch Fyne and Several County Cricket Clubs and it becomes obvious that cooperatives are part of the fabric of the UK.

My reluctance to leave the Nat West Bank was finally overcome last month as I changed all of my banking to Smile. Why did it take so long you might ask and the answer is simple, having committed to memory both account number and sort code of my Nat West Account I was frightened by the challenge of learning a new number. Guess what it took me just two weeks before my Smile account details were embedded into my gradually less active brain.

Cooperation works it does not play ducks and drakes with your cash so move your account to the Coop Bank, your phone service to the Phone Coop, shop at the Coop or Waitrose aka John Lewis and JOIN YOUR LOCAL CREDIT UNION you will sleep much more soundly at night.