Co-operatives West Midlands is the regional body promoting the co-operative model of business, representing co-operative enterprises, facilitating networking between co‑operatives and helping to support existing and new co-operatives.

There are over 200 co-operatives in the West Midlands, employing over 12,000 people with a combined turnover of £1.7 billion. One of our guiding principles is co-operation among co-operatives. The recent upsurge in public interest in co-operatives gives us more opportunities to highlight a better way of doing business with concern for the community at its core.

In this region we are fortunate in having a number of multi million pound turnover co-operatives. These are owned by thousands of local people with an open democratic membership who provide capital and share profits equitably. Strong co-operatives create opportunities to encourage and support the formation of new co-operatives to serve market needs. That is why Co-operatives West Midlands has come together, not only to encourage intertrading but to create more co-operative enterprises.

The upsurge in public interest in co-operatives as a better way of doing business creates more opportunities for enterprising people to start up new business ventures on the model of co-operative enterprise. And what better way to create new jobs than in an environment of mutual gain. Research shows that co-operative enterprises show significantly higher rates of survival than the average for all VAT registered firms.

A measure of our success will be the number of new co-operatives that are set up and the growth in existing co-operatives across our region as we realise the opportunities of a better way of doing business. The co-operative way.