Towards a national network

Mervyn Wilson Chief Executive & Principal

the Co-operative College

Co-operativeTrust

Schools

Robert Owen

• “Society may be formed so as to exist without crime, without poverty, with health greatly improved, with little, if any misery, and with intelligence and happiness increased a hundredfold”

Shared values

Co-operatives are based on the values of self-help, self-

responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity.

In the tradition of their founders, co-operative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others.

Young Co-operatives

“I want to congratulate Young Co-operatives for bringing together young people who want to make a difference and help lift people out of poverty”

Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP, Secretary of State for International Development

The global dimension

• Over 600 Co-operative schools in Spain

• Wide range of support structures• Over 100 co-operative schools in Sweden• Co-operative schools in

Tanzania – supported by producer co-operatives

Co-operative trust schools

“Reddish Vale is leading the way by pioneering a co-operative approach to education. It’s about embedding a co-operative culture into the school, building on existing strong local relationships and providing a platform for all those interested in the school's success to work together”.

Rt Hon Ed Balls MP, Secretary of State, Department for Children Schools and Families

Co-operative trust schools

“As the first co-operative trust is now successfully up and running, I want to see this model rolled out across the country, cultivating co-operative schools and the democratic innovative opportunity they represent.”Rt Hon Ed Balls MP, Secretary of State for Children Schools and Families, September 2008

A national network of co-operative trusts

• Sharing the co-operative ethos, developing joint services • 100 co-operative trusts with over 200 schools in the next two years

• Using the new DCSF initiative to embed the co-operative difference

• Building links with co-operative schools globally

Co-operation – inspiring young people