This year Congress returns to Birmingham. Congress is organised by Co-operatives UK

Under the theme of Empowering Co-operation,  Co-op Congress 2022 aims to empower members of Co-ops and Co-ops themselves to build a better world through co-operation.

The Party as a member of Co-ops UK encourages our members to attend the Congress. But for those that may not be able to attend the whole weekend, Co-ops UK have made a special offer to Party members

Co-op Party members have been offered free entry for the following sessions :

Friday 17th 11.40-12.40: Making membership meaningful. Speakers: Joe Fortune, Co-op Party; Denise Scott-McDonald, The Co-op Group

Saturday 18th  9.55-10.45: Care co-ops: What are the regional opportunities. Speaker: Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester

Saturday 18th 11-12: How are local leaders using co-op to generate local wealth? Speakers: Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire; Andy Burnham Mayor of Greater Manchester

To attend one or more of these sessions please complete this online form. The full Co-op Congress programme can be explored here.

Members of the Party may wish to book on for a full day and Co-ops UK have arranged for our members to access Co-op Congress at the bursary ticket rate  price £30+VAT).

And to attend both days is just £50 (plus VAT).

If you wish to attend for one or both full days please contact Leoni Bamford at Co-operatives UK (leoni.bamford@uk.coop). Please state that you are a Co-operative Party member.

If you attend the full days you will also hear from speakers below, as well as meet with Co-operators from across the UK and beyond.

• Jess Phillips, MP for Birmingham Yardley, in conversation with The Big Issue Editor Paul McNamee to debate the future of the democratic economy
• Tom Gray – Chair of the Ivors Academy, Founder #BrokenRecord, Gomez – and a number of music industry experts join music journalist Paul Stokes to explore how co‑operative working and action can help the the music industry change for the better
• The Co‑operative Bank’s Catherine Douglas, Central England CEO Debbie Robinson, Domains.coop’s Viloetta Nafpaktiti and Emma Howard from Open Data Services examine how can tech enable a stronger co-operative economy?
• as well as  Co-op Group Interim CEO Shirine Khoury-Haq;  Andy Street – former boss of employee-owned John Lewis, now Mayor of the West Midlands Combined Authority;