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40-571: On 19 September 2013, it was announced that the boards of Midlands Co-operative Society and Anglia Regional Co-operative Society had agreed merger terms. Approved by members on 4 and 18 November, legal completion of the merger took place on 1 December, with the Anglia Society transferring engagements to Midlands Co-operative. On 15 January 2014, members of the merged society approved a change of name to Central England Co-operative effective from 25 January 2014. The Society traced its origins to

80-613: A combination of the following: The second of the Rochdale Principles states that co-operative societies must have democratic member control. According to the ICA's Statement on the Co-operative Identity, "Co-operatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting their policies and making decisions. Men and women serving as elected representatives are accountable to

120-730: A director of the Society, was elected Labour Co-operative Member of Parliament for the Peterborough division of Northamptonshire at the 1945 general election . Waveney Co-operative Society was formed in 1982 by the merger of Lowestoft Co-operative Society, founded in 1890 and Beccles Working Men's Co-operative Association, founded in 1879. In 1983, the Waveney Society absorbed Diss Co-operative Society, which had been established in 1898; it became Anglia Co-operative Society in 1986, shortly before transferring engagements to

160-636: A focus of study in co-operative economics . The original Rochdale Principles were officially adopted by the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) in 1937 as the Rochdale Principles of Co-operation. Updated versions of the principles were adopted by the ICA in 1966 as the Co-operative Principles and in 1995 as part of the Statement on the Co-operative Identity . The Rochdale Principles, according to

200-551: A long running lease, although it was reported that management were "reviewing the format and pursuing any opportunities that give the stores and the staff the best prospects for the future". A buyer was eventually found for the Blyth store, but not as a going concern and it ceased trading in 2013. Central England Co-operative finally disposed of the Scunthorpe store to Oldrids & Co. in 2016. Later in 2011, AHF Home Furnishings

240-587: A member of the Co-operative Union , the Co-operative Retail Trading Group and a corporate member of The Co-operative Group (formerly Co-operative Wholesale Society), the largest consumer co-operative in the world. On 19 September 2013, it was announced that the boards of Anglia Co-operative Society and Midlands Co-operative Society had agreed merger terms. Approved by members on 4 and 18 November, legal completion of

280-504: Is a share of the profits made by the Society. The rate of dividend was recommended to members by the board of directors and put to a vote. Members had an opportunity at the point of sale to donate their dividend to the Anglia Co-operative Community Fund (Share 600), the proceeds of which were presented each year to three or four charities nominated by the board. It was paid annually and a warrant placed in

320-416: Is to make a distinction between people on the basis of class or category . Examples of social discrimination include racial , casteist , religious , sexual , sexual orientation , disability , and ethnic discrimination. To fulfill the first Rochdale Principle, a co-operative society should not prevent anyone willing to participate from doing so on any of these grounds. However, this does not prohibit

360-990: The Derby Co-operative Provident Society which, in 1854, was one of the first co-operatives in the Midlands. In 1969, a number of Leicestershire societies merged to form the Leicestershire Co-operative Society . Similar circumstances occurred in 1985 across Derbyshire , Staffordshire and Birmingham forming the Central Midlands Co-operative Society . In 1995, the boards of the Leicestershire and Central Midlands societies, which were financially sound and trading profitably, agreed to merge. Since 1854, 72 separate mergers between different societies were undertaken to form

400-713: The North West of England, announced that it no longer intended to include department stores in its primary strategy, leading to the sale of seven stores, mostly inherited from the Yorkshire Co-operative Society, to the Anglia Society. In 2005, the Co-operative Group also announced its decision to exit the department store sector and, in 2006, a further seven stores, this time located in the South East of England, were transferred to

440-487: The 1995 ICA revision, can be summarised as follows. The first of the Rochdale Principles states that co-operative societies must have an open and voluntary membership. According to the ICA's Statement on the Co-operative Identity, "Co-operatives are voluntary organisations, open to all persons able to use their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without gender, social, racial, political or religious discrimination." To discriminate socially

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480-504: The Anglia Buying Service, making its buying and logistics expertise available to other co-operatives. In 2008, it launched an electronic commerce venture, selling bedroom, living and dining room furniture, with free delivery throughout Great Britain. In 2011, the business of 19 Westgate Department Stores, including Contact Electrical and Comfortmaker Textile Superstores was divested to J E Beale for £7.5m. Ownership of

520-1057: The Anglia Co-operative Society. In 2011, adjacent petrol filling stations, previously supplied by Shell , moved across to Total , aligning buying with the Co-operative Retail Trading Group. The Co-operative Travel at Anglia Co-operative Society was a trading name of the Freedom Travel Group which, in 2012, became part of the Thomas Cook Group . The Anglia Co-operative Funeral group incorporates R J Scholes (Bourne, Deeping St. James and Stamford), Harvey Brothers (Bungay), J H Landin & Son (Chatteris), A Coley & Son (Crowland), George James & Son (March), Watkins & Stafford (Peterborough), Dennis Easton (St. Ives), Fishers (Southwald), H E Bull & Son (Whittlesey) and M J Claypole (Yaxley) funeral directors. At

560-500: The Anglia Society operated on that basis, giving all members equal voting rights. Each member was required to hold at least one share of £1 which was paid in full on entering the Society. Organisations were also eligible to join. Agreed by the membership, the Society's rules provided for a board of ten, three of whom may have been employees of the Society, to be elected by the annual general meeting . The full board met monthly and sub-committees met quarterly or less frequently. Dividend

600-465: The Anglia Society. The Group subsequently merged with United in 2007. Thus, through acquisition, many Westgate branches were situated further afield than the core Eastern region. The name was taken from the Society's late nineteenth century headquarters, home of the original Westgate House Department Store on Park Road, Peterborough. In 2007, the Society—by now the largest in the non-food sector—formed

640-475: The ICA's Statement on the Co-operative Identity, "Co-operatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies approved by their members." At the 1963 Bournemouth Congress of the ICA, attendees appointed a second commission on the Rochdale principles, composed of one representative each from Great Britain , Western Europe , Eastern Europe , United States , and India . D.G. Karve,

680-763: The Midlands Co-operative. More recently, the Chesterfield Co-operative Society was absorbed by the Society in 2001, Ilkeston Co-operative Society in 2006, Raunds Co-operative Society in 2007, Moulton Co-operative Society in 2009 and Shepley Industrial and Provident Society in 2013. On 1 December 2013, the Midlands Co-operative Society merged with Anglia Regional Co-operative Society . The combined Society began trading as Central England Co-operative with effect from 25 January 2014. Membership

720-617: The Peterborough Society the following year. Co-operative Principles The Rochdale Principles are a set of ideals for the operation of cooperatives . They were first set out in 1844 by the Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers in Rochdale , England, and have formed the basis for the principles on which co-operatives around the world continue to operate. The implications of the Rochdale Principles are

760-487: The Rochdale Principles states that co-operative societies must be autonomous and independent. According to the ICA's Statement on the Co-operative Identity, "Co-operatives are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by their members. If they enter into agreements with other organizations, including governments, or raise capital from external sources, they do so on terms that ensure democratic control by their members and maintain their co-operative autonomy." The fifth of

800-468: The Rochdale Principles states that co-operative societies must provide education and training to their members and the public. According to the ICA's Statement on the Co-operative Identity, "Co-operatives provide education and training for their members, elected representatives, managers and employees so they can contribute effectively to the development of their co-operatives. They inform the general public – particularly young people and opinion leaders – about

840-481: The Society directly or indirectly conducive to the interests or convenience of the Society's members or any section thereof". In addition, the aims stated, "The Society shall at all times conduct its business and affairs in accordance with the Rochdale Principles of Co-operation , as published from time to time by the International Co-operative Alliance , serving the needs of its customers, employees and

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880-415: The Society's trading area have been operated by National Co-operative Chemists, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Co-operative Group trading as The Co-operative Pharmacy . The business and assets of the former Anglia Dairies were transferred to Dairy Crest Group in 1997 for an aggregate consideration of £4.5m. The consumer co-operative movement has its roots in the early part of the nineteenth century and

920-460: The capital of their co-operative. At least part of that capital is usually the common property of the co-operative. Members usually receive limited compensation, if any, on capital subscribed as a condition of membership. Members allocate surpluses for any or all of the following purposes: developing their co-operative, possibly by setting up reserves, part of which at least would be indivisible; benefiting members in proportion to their transactions with

960-449: The co-operative from setting reasonable and relevant ground rules for membership, such as residing in a specific geographic area or paying a membership fee to join, so long as all persons meeting such criteria are able to participate if they so choose. Given the voluntary nature of co-operatives, members need reasons to participate. Each person's motivations will be unique and will vary from one co-operative to another, but they will often be

1000-410: The co-operative, and how its capital is used. The second part of the principle deals with how members are compensated for funds invested in a co-operative, and how surpluses should be used. Unlike for-profit corporations , co-operatives are a form of social enterprise . Given this, there are at least three purposes for which surplus funds can be used, or distributed, by a co-operative. The fourth of

1040-427: The co-operative; and supporting other activities approved by the membership." This principle, in turn, can be broken down into a number of constituent parts. The first part of this principle states that "Members contribute equitably to, and democratically control, the capital of their co-operative. At least part of that capital is usually the common property of the co-operative." This enshrines democratic control over

1080-490: The communities in which it trades". In practice, the Society's principal undertakings at the time of merger with the Midlands Society, besides food and fuel retail, comprised the provision of funeral, optical, travel and foreign exchange services. Its previous engagements include department and furniture stores, motor car dealerships, dispensing chemists, dairy and bakery. In 2004, United Co-operatives , based in

1120-496: The freehold properties remained with the Society, which continued to operate AHF furniture and carpets, Co-operative Travel, Westgate Optical and Stylistics hair and beauty concessions; Beales committed to maintain and honour the dividend at these branches, until replaced by their Love Rewards scheme the following year. The Co-operative Home store in Hartlepool and Westgate stores at Blyth, Scunthorpe and March were not included in

1160-487: The membership. In primary co-operatives members have equal voting rights (one member, one vote) and co-operatives at other levels are also organised in a democratic manner." Member economic participation is one of the defining features of co-operative societies, and constitutes the third Rochdale Principle in the ICA's Statement on the Co-operative Identity. According to the ICA, co-operatives are enterprises in which "Members contribute equitably to, and democratically control,

1200-658: The merger took place on 1 December, with the Society transferring engagements to Midlands Co-operative. On 15 January 2014, members of the merged society approved a change of name to Central England Co-operative effective from 25 January 2014. Under its rules, "The objects of the Society are to carry on the business of a store-keeper, general dealer and universal provider in all its branches, and in particular to buy, sell, manufacture, produce, grow, cultivate and deal in goods, stores, consumable articles, chattels and effects of all kinds, both wholesale and retail and generally to engage in any business, trade or industry which may seem to

1240-506: The nature and benefits of co-operation." The sixth of the Rochdale Principles states that co-operatives cooperate with each other. According to the ICA's Statement on the Co-operative Identity, "Co-operatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the co-operative movement by working together through local, national, regional and international structures." The seventh of the Rochdale Principles states that co-operative societies must have concern for their communities. According to

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1280-624: The principles of self-help and social equity that developed during the Victorian era. One of the first successful retail co-operatives was established in 1844 by the Rochdale Pioneers . The society was founded as Peterborough Equitable Industrial Co-operative Society in 1876 and incorporated in 1887. It later absorbed the following societies, becoming Peterborough and District Co-operative Society and finally Greater Peterborough Regional Co-operative Society in 1982: Stanley Tiffany ,

1320-676: The region. The Society no longer operates its department stores, having closed these in 2013. The Society operated light-commercial vehicle servicing garages and MoT testing stations in Leicester and Loughborough. It also had a single Suzuki car franchise in Kettering , operating as The Co-operative Motor Group in Lincoln with Mazda, Citroën, Renault, Jeep, Chrysler and Harley Davidson franchises. Anglia Regional Co-operative Society Anglia Regional Co-operative Society Limited

1360-531: The sale. The site of the March store was sold to Reef Estates and the premises leased to Boyes , although the Co-operative Travel branch previously based there was unaffected, relocating to its own premises. The Hartlepool store closed when the Society's 10-year lease expired later that year. The Blyth and Scunthorpe stores continued to trade as Westgate for the time being due to devalued freehold and

1400-473: The share account wallet on receipt. The Co-operative Group relaunched its own membership scheme in 2006. In 2008, the Anglia Society joined the new scheme under a reciprocal arrangement. The Society began allocating dividend through the card scheme, which members were able to use nationally at participating societies. This included food purchases, on which the Society had not previously paid dividend. A new rule book based on Co-operatives 12th edition model rules

1440-659: The time of merger, the way the Society marketed its funeral business and the prominence of the Anglia Co-operative brand on private name funeral homes was being reviewed. Anglia Motor Group previously sold Audi , Vauxhall , Honda and Fiat in King's Lynn, Vauxhall in Wisbech and Hunstanton and Proton in Beccles. It also operated a King's Lynn bodyshop trading as Bodyline. Since 1999, co-operative chemists in

1480-589: Was approved by the membership and registered with the Financial Services Authority in 2009. The Midlands Society also operated the membership scheme and similar arrangements continue with Central England Co-operative. Anglia Regional Co-operative Party organise in Peterborough and west Norfolk . In 2008, Rainbow supermarkets and Co-op Local stores began the process of re-branding as The Co-operative Food whilst remaining part of

1520-399: Was open to all residents of the Society's trading area, with members receiving a share of the profits in the form of dividend . The Society operated over 200 food stores and forecourts throughout its trading area. All had been rebranded as The Co-operative Food , mirroring branding from The Co-operative Group. Midlands Co-operative Funeral Services operated some 90 funeral homes throughout

1560-612: Was the fifth largest consumer co-operative in the United Kingdom. It was formed by the merger of the Greater Peterborough Regional and Anglia (formerly Waveney ) co-operative societies in 1987. The Society had over 80 stores, principally trading in East Anglia . Head office was located at Westgate House, Peterborough until 2011. The Society was a registered Industrial and Provident Society ,

1600-467: Was transferred to Anglia Home Furnishings Holdings as a going concern. A partner of the Society, Anglia Home Furnishings is the largest employee-owned co-operative in the UK. The sale included ARCS Internet, trading as Co-op Furniture, the online store of AHF and Westgate, which was renamed AHF Internet. Co-operative societies are owned and controlled by their members on the principle of one member one vote and

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