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Co‑operatives^UK and the G&P Project

"A co‑operative is an autonomous association of persons voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically controlled enterprise."

International Co‑operative Alliance Statement of Co‑operative Identity, September 1995

Co‑operatives around the world share this common identity, as organisations established to meet the needs of its members. In addition, the movement has developed a series of values and principles that underpin how a co‑operative undertakes its activities.

The central theme that runs through both this definition and the values and principles  is that they are member-based organisations. They are established to meet the members' needs, with members maintaining the democratic control and ownership of the co‑operative, and all members working together for mutual benefit.

Based on these guiding principles, the distinct nature of governance in the co‑operative sector is founded on an active and participative membership playing a full role in the decision-making within the organisation.

It is with this wealth of expertise of active member involvement, and the expereince of developing structures which maintain and encourage democratic member control, that Co‑operatives UK has been funded, by the Active Communities Directorate of the Home Office, to deliver the G&P Project.

The Active Communities Directorate of the Home Office has a remit for civil renewal. The civil renewal agenda has a vision of strong, active communities, increasingly capable of doing things for themselves, defining the problems they face, and then tackling them together.

The G&P Project is about encouraging approaches that enable local people to meet local needs through community-based organisations with robust, democratic governance structures. The project has produced a Development Toolkit, which enables development professionald to work through the range of legal forms and organisational types available for community-based activity that empowers, involves and supports the active participation of members.

Co‑operatives UK recognises sound governance and effective particicpation are fundamental to the sustainability and success of all people-centred organisations. The G&P Project intends to share the co‑operative sector's experience, and to broaden the knowledge and understanding of the range of legal forms available for communitites to effectively and democratcially meet their own needs.

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