Annual Conference has been confirmed for 13-14 October in the Bristol Grand Hotel.

Delegate registration will launch next week.

Save the date now and look out for a special Conference mailing and more information on the website next week.

Think about how you can use the conference to help attendance at meetings. Look at good dates to make an event of the meeting, discuss and plan a motion, engage members with a facilitator to run a policy session. Put a bit of food on and plenty of notice.

The deadline for organisational motions will be 30 April, but you still have until the end of June to make policy submissions.

In 2018 we will be working to improve the recruitment of women and to change the ways we work to make it easier for women to engage with, and have a much higher profile in, all aspects of our work – as activists, campaigners, officers and elected representatives.

Meanwhile, we have noticed that some local Co-operative Party events and activities still have panels that feature a majority of men.  Please ensure that women have equal representation on all panels and delegations – contact us if you need help or advice to do this.

We know that there was a lot of activity to celebrate Faitrade Fortnight.  Please tell us what you did and please send photos that we can share with our subscribing Societies.

Co-operatives Fortnight is 23rd June to 7th July.  Plan at least one event and tell us well in advance so that we can help, promote and share.

The Officer Hub is the one stop shop for Party Officers for advice and guidance.  Have a look and tell us what more we could include, and please ensure that the other officers in your party or branch are aware of it.

Officer Hub

This is a busy few months in our subscribing Societies. Most will be electing members of their Boards and other democratic bodies, and holding their AGMs.

Members of the Party are all members of at least one Co-operative Society and should be encouraged to play an active part – trading, attending meetings, voting or standing for election.

Please inform and encourage members to get involved. If you need any information get in touch with me – as Principle Six Officer it’s my job to know about Co-operatives. 

Please note, however, the Party cannot and must not recommend or promote individual candidates.

The Party’s new Membership Hub has everything members need to get active, update their details or amend their subscription level.

Don’t forget to mention this at your meetings and to include the link – party.coop/members – in your mailings.

These are exciting times for our Party, and there are a couple of items of news that I particularly wanted to remind you of.

Last April we published Six Steps to Building Community Wealth as a practical guide and we have been working with partner organisations and local councils to promote the model.

Last month, we commissioned an independent report to examine what needs to be done to make our vision to expand the co-operative economy a reality

You might want to use one or both as excellent subjects for a discussion in your Branch or Party Council.

You can read much more on these and other topics on the Party’s blog.

Co-operative Women’s Voices – Lichfield – 27 March 2018

This is one of a series of events for women in co-operatives to meet up and share experiences. It promises interesting and inspirational speakers alongside opportunities for informal networking. More details to follow. The nearest railaway station is Lichfield Trent Valley – approximately half a mile from Central House.

https://www.uk.coop/uniting-co-ops/events-calendar/co-operative-womens-voices-lichfield

 Welsh Labour Party conference – Llandudno –  20 – 22 April

The Co-operative Party will have a stall and a fringe with the Wales Co-operative Centre and the Co-operative Councils Innovation Network on the Saturday lunchtime.

Co-operative Party Annual Conference – Bristol – 13-14 October

Date for your diary

It will be at the newly refurbished Mercury Bristol Grand Hotel, Broad Street, BS1 2EL