Cooperative, Collectivism, Community
So I thought it would be appropriate to start this blog with the question, what is a cooperative (co-op)?
If you live in the UK, amongst the general population, a co-op is synonymous with coop meal deals, grabbing a pint of milk on your way home from work and something about workers being involved in a group? Actually I am not really sure what people think when they hear the word co-op, particularly amongst 20 year olds…
What are the origins of the word, and where did co-op’s first begin?
The Cambridge dictionary definition of cooperative, as a noun/thing, is an organisation that is owned and controlled by a group of members who each have a share in it, by its employees or customers. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/cooperative
As an adjective/describing word, cooperative is showing a willingness to act or work together for a shared purpose. I.e ‘It was a cooperative effort’, being helpful and acting in conjunction with others’. It certainly sounds lovely doesn’t it?
The first modern day history of a coop is quoted to have begun in England in 1884 when a group of men pooled their resources together to open a shop, in the face of declining wages, exploitative shopkeepers and to avoid food that had been messed about with by sellers for economic gain. This group of men paved their own way as a collective. It is inspiring and shows such an amazing act of activism in the face of unfair, harsh conditions. But the truth is, cooperative ways of living and working have been around since the beginning of man. Isn’t it in our fundamental nature of how humans exist and should interact with each other? Working together, pooling resources, sharing food, looking out for each other. Communities in many parts of the world still exist like this, as this is the only way to exist when you can’t rely on the economic systems around you. Early man and tribes wouldn’t have existed without these principles. I like to think cooperative principles are the essence of human existence, and they are beautiful at that.
Cooperatives – Fundamental Principles
I am a relatively new member of the Creative Coop team, I started my Project Manager role at the start of April 2026. It is my first time ever working in a cooperative, and well the question is, is it different to working in the public sector or other private, corporate style organisations? YES, it is. Did I understand fully what a cooperative was before working for one? NO, I didn’t. I reflect back on how little knowledge I had of co-ops in a working context, and perhaps many others do. There can be another way, and a better way to work.
So what are the fundamental principles and defining characteristics which make a cooperative a co-op? What does a cooperative effort mean? And what does it mean to work in conjunction with others? In other words, how do you know when you come across one – what is the feeling it gives you?
In my own personal experience of working at Creative Coop for 5 months, which have been the most fulfilling working months of my 20 years career, it has involved a high level of:
- Trust and team voice: Everyone has a voice, we listen to each other and are trusted to make changes to improve ourselves professionally and the environment around us
- Hierarchy – Power imbalances and negative use of power do not exist here. Democratic rules and this trickles down to how everyone talks to each other, with respect
- Belonging, Community and openness – Akin to tribes and collectivism, we are here to achieve the same thing, and people that work for Creative Coop really really care about people. This shows in their body language, openness to talk and willingness to want to be around people. As the expression in South/Latin American goes, buena onda! Good Vibes.
How can you incorporate more co-op principles into your everyday life?
It feels to me that the co-op way is more important than ever. Not just in work but in day to day life too. And isn’t it what so many people are craving more of in this modern, crazy, hectic world of greed, inequity, individualism, division and segregation?
Lets champion more of the co-op spirit in our lives – in our working lives, and in our personal relationships, and that’s to say – we want and need more community, collectiveness, shared resources and assets, and if the co-op principles feel so good to be part of, and on the receiving end of, shouldn’t more people know about them?
What you can do to be more ‘co-op’:
- Create your own co-op or be part of one
- Visit a co-op cafe such as this one in our hometown of Colchester: https://www.commongroundcolchester.co.uk/
- Show greater care to those in your community – help, volunteer, assist
- Be an honest human being, actually listen to those around you and treat people with fairness
- Be open and curious about the world
- Look in the mirror – what can you do to be accountable for yourself and your actions? Are they positive actions?
- Share resources and share assets – food, clothing, equipment, skills with your neighbours, work colleagues, friends and family
Trust me, do it. It feels great.
For more extensive information about Co-ops, visit: https://www.uk.coop/