Published: Wednesday, 28th June 2023
Co-op Fortnight is in full swing – running until 2 July.
To celebrate, the Royal Borough of Greenwich is showcasing local co-operatives and the role they play in creating a fairer, more inclusive economy.
Co-op Fortnight is an annual celebration of the co-operative movement, promoting organisations that are owned, run and meet the needs of their members – whether that’s customers, employees or the wider community.
We took the opportunity to catch up with local co-operatives to see how they are making a difference to individuals and communities.
Councillor Mariam Lolavar, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Economy, Business and Skills, said: “Co-operatives offer an altogether different way to do business, working together to support communities and people.
"They embody a more sustainable approach to inclusive economic growth, which, as a Council, we want to support. It’s great to work so closely with organisations at the heart of work to create a borough where everyone can thrive. You can read more about this in our community wealth building strategy.
“We’re incredibly proud of Royal Greenwich’s long and rich history of growing co-operatives and social enterprises. We’re home to London’s oldest co-operative development agencies, Greenwich Co-operative Development Agency (GDCA), which has been instrumental in the development of some of our most iconic co-ops".
GCDA has helped develop many successful co-ops, including, most recently, South East London Community Energy.
We’re delighted to shine a spotlight on the amazing work of local co-ops this Co-op Fortnight. We caught up with:
Greenwich Co-operative Development Agency (GDCA), Claire Pritchard, CEO
Read the interview
Greenwich and Bexley Credit Union, Alexis Lazarou, CEO
Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL), Tony Brown, Area Community Manager
South East London Community Energy (SELCE), Flavia Bertram, Outreach Officer
Join the conversation on social media #CoopFortnight