Last week youth organisation Woodcraft Folk staff attended Coop Congress, a meeting of co-operatives from all over the world.
Woodcraft Folk CEO Debs Mccahon, Lloyd Russell-Moyle (the charity’s incoming General Secretary) and Grace Dobbie, Fundraiser, listened to a series of talks and panel discussions about the future of co-operatives across business, arts and local communities.
Debs and Lloyd also ran an engaging workshop entitled ‘How to engage the next generation of co-operators’, which began a discussion amongst a group of coop representatives about youth inclusion. Debs asked attendees to set a target over the next 12 months to make a step towards including young people in their co-op and giving them a voice – the charity are keen to see the impact of their session.
The event was a brilliant opportunity for Woodcraft Folk to network with co-op members from a range of sectors, including the Young Co-operators Network who want to encourage the charity’s DFs (members aged 16-20 years) to become members, find out more here.
In the United Nations International Year of Co-operation, the congress was a crucial moment to reflect on the power of co-operatives to make social change. Woodcraft Folk heard how co-operatives have the potential to address some of humanity’s greatest challenges in the coming decades with solutions including climate change, immigration crises and the threat of the far right. An incredible example is Middleton Co-operating, a “local community-led organisation focused on improving life for everyone in M24. We tackle what matters most to people, aiming to make our town a place where everyone thrives. Our vision: to become Greater Manchester’s first co-operative town, revitalising our local economy and community.” You can read more about this inspiring story here.
Woodcraft Folk Fundraiser Grace says:
“Woodcraft Folk teaches through co-operative education for social change. The charity shares key values with the co-operative movement, such as international friendship, democracy, honesty, social responsibility, equality, caring for others and self responsibility.
We’re excited to welcome members of Central Co-op, Co-op News and Co-op Northamptonshire to Camp 100! On Showcase Day we will be touring them around our centres – please come and say hi, it’ll be a great opportunity for everyone to learn more about co-operatives as well as to strengthen bonds between Woodcraft Folk and the co-op movement!”