Author: CDS Admin (Page 5 of 11)

One of the winners of the Collaboration Prize, ArchBlue Ltd aims to provide an integrated service that will support site managers with the stewardship of historic buildings, structures, landscapes and archaeological sites.

Founded by five organisations involved in providing complementary services to the heritage sector, the consortium provides a wide range of services including 3D measuring and modelling, archaeological recording and visualisation, conservation planning and 3D printing.

Combined, these services provide customers with a comprehensive approach to heritage site management as well as engaging methods of communicating a site’s story to the public.

 Here, founding member John McCreadie explains how they developed their idea, what the next steps are for the consortium and how they will benefit from winning the Collaboration Prize.

In our industry, changes in technology have altered and very much widened our clients’ expectations. None of us, as individual companies, could fulfil these changed expectations without expanding our skill sets.  It seemed an obvious solution to collaborate with companies who already had the necessary expertise.

The Collaboration Prize gave us the impetus to formalise what has been an informal, ad-hoc working relationship between a number of companies. These include my own 3D measuring and modelling business, Addyman Archaeology, Simpson and Brown consulting, Gilbert’s 3D printing services and freelance archaeological visualisation specialist, Dr Alice Watterson.

We knew we had a good story to tell.  We were convinced that by working together we could better meet our clients’ needs and felt that a formal collaboration, with a clear identity and well defined service offering would be the best vehicle for moving forward.

Winning the Collaboration Prize will help us to establish a brand identity for ArchBlue Ltd and market its services to potential customers. We believe the collaborative approach will add strength to tender submissions and allow us to bid for projects we wouldn’t necessarily have the ability to pursue as individual businesses.

Our offering is also well suited to the overseas market where heritage assets such as churches, castles and archaeological site play a major role in driving tourism, as they do here in Scotland.

Our next steps will be to work with Co-operative Development Scotland to formalise our collaboration and to develop our brand identity and marketing platforms to highlight our strengths and unique integrated approach.

For more information about the Scottish Enterprise Collaboration Prize visit the website.

Click here if you would like to find out more about collaborative business models, or if you would like to get in touch.

Kettle of Fish

One of the winners of the Collaboration Prize, Kettle of Fish aims to create ‘turn the page’ adventure stories for the digital age.

Here, chairman Jason Wagner outlines plans for the consortium, how the Collaboration Prize will benefit them and what to expect from their first story.

“Kettle of Fish consists of three members – Ping, a digital agency based in Dunblane which I founded; Ko Lik Films, an Edinburgh animation studio which specialises in script writing; and Selina Wagner, an award-winning illustrator and animator.

“Together, we aim to create engaging interactive stories for young children which will inspire storytelling, encourage creativity, teach problem solving and help them learn about technology. Our first story is called Crocodile on the Roof, with Ko Lik taking the lead as script writers and Selina creating illustrations of the characters and designing the backgrounds. Ping will then package this together as an app, with the aim of publishing it in the fourth quarter of this year. In the meantime, we’ll be engaging with our audience on social media and building anticipation!

“Our plans are ambitious and the Collaboration Prize was the perfect opportunity for us – we were thrilled when we were told. It’s a real compliment to have our proposal recognised for its potential. With the support of Co-operative Development Scotland, we’re in the process of setting up the consortium. Their support is excellent and means we can focus on the initial business plan, promotion and a schedule for creative development.

“Ultimately, we will only be as good as the sum of our parts – and our parts are very strong! In Scotland we have a fantastic and diverse range of creative talent across multiple disciplines, from illustrators to animators, coders to musicians. By embracing that talent and collaborating we can be even stronger, and we hope Kettle of Fish can make a major impact.”

For more information about the Scottish Enterprise Collaboration Prize visit the website.

Click here if you would like to find out more about collaborative business models, or if you would like to get in touch.

Ecosse From Above

One of the winners of the Collaboration Prize, Ecosse from Above aims to create a central resource for selling stock aerial photography of Scotland.

Founded by pilots from three established drone and aerial imaging businesses, a fourth member completes the collaboration – a web developer who will create the online infrastructure required to host the archive.

Here, one of the founding members, Craig Jump of Sky View Video, explains how they developed their idea, what the next steps are for the consortium and how they will benefit from winning the Collaboration Prize.

As independent photographers we have found ourselves visiting the same locations time and time again, which means we each have a huge collection of Scottish photography spanning the length and breadth of the country.

Through our work we’ve found there is considerable demand for affordable and easy to access images of Scottish landscapes, landmarks and destinations. For some businesses the cost of commissioning new photography is beyond their budget, so our idea offers the perfect solution for a wide range of users including national and international film makers and tourism providers.

However, to make our collaboration a reality we knew we needed to bring in additional web design and management skills in order to create our online sales and marketing platform. We sourced Keith Turnbull, a system designer and developer, who as an essential contributor to Ecosse from Above, has joined as a fourth member.

By establishing a consortium, we can all benefit from sharing Ecosse from Above as a united brand and sales platform, helping us to generate revenue from material that otherwise could have lain dormant in storage for decades. In the future we would like to invite other photographers to join the consortium and grow Ecosse from Above’s offering to customers.

Winning the Collaboration Prize will help us in many ways. This will include accessing support on how to market our services internationally, in particular Europe, Asia and the USA. The prize funding will also support our launch campaign as we build the profile of Ecosse from Above.

For more information about the Scottish Enterprise Collaboration Prize visit the website.

Click here if you would like to find out more about collaborative business models, or if you would like to get in touch.

Edinburgh’s Netherbow

Four new Scottish consortia are celebrating after winning a share of the Collaboration Prize, which encourages Scotland’s creative businesses to work together and grow.

Launched in November 2015 by Scottish Enterprise (SE) in partnership with Creative Scotland, Cultural Enterprise Office, Interactive Scotland and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), the Collaboration Prize is delivered by Co-operative Development Scotland (CDS).

Each prize-winning collaboration will receive £5,000 cash, up to £5,000 specialist support to set their idea in motion alongside support from CDS to form their consortium.

Below is a brief introduction to each of our winners and a summary of their collaborative idea.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll be taking a closer look at each winner and learning more about their plans for the future.

ArchBlue Ltd

Founded by five organisations involved in providing complementary services to heritage sites and buildings, ArchBlue Ltd’s aim is to provide an integrated service that will support site managers with the stewardship of historical assets such as castles and archaeological sites.

Services the consortium can provide include 3D measuring and modelling, archaeological recording and visualisation, conservation planning and 3D printing. Combined, these services provide customers with a comprehensive approach to heritage site management. Winning the Collaboration Prize will help them establish a brand identity for ArchBlue Ltd and market its services to potential customers…

Ecosse From Above

An idea developed by pilots from three established drone and aerial imaging businesses, Ecosse from Above’s aim is to create a central resource for stock aerial photography of Scotland. A fourth member completes the collaboration – a web developer who will create the online infrastructure required to host the archive.

This will make members’ stock material more affordable and easier to access for a wide range of businesses including tourism providers and film makers, nationally and internationally.

It will also create a revenue stream for member photographers by creating a platform for marketing and selling archive material. The consortium hopes to open membership to other aerial photographers in the future…

An alliance of six literature organisations led by the City of Literature Trust and Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh’s Netherbow’s aim is to create a literature hub for Scotland on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.

Kettle of Fish

It will achieve this by developing the existing honeycomb of buildings, gardens, closes and streetscapes in and around the Scottish Storytelling Centre and John Knox House to create a physical presence for Edinburgh’s literature and Scotland’s culture.

Its role will be to increase the promotion of literature, support collaboration between literary and cultural organisations and improve Edinburgh’s international profile…

Kettle of Fish, which aims to create inspiring interactive storytelling apps for children, plans to use the Prize to formalise its collaboration and finance the development of its first story idea – ‘Crocodile on the Roof’.

Founded by Ping, BAFTA award-winning KO LIK Film and accomplished animation director Selina Wagner, the consortium will pool skills and resources to take each new story idea from start to finish. It will also create a platform for collaboration with other writers and artists as it develops new stories…

You can find out more about the Collaboration Prize here.

If you would like to find out more about collaborative business models, or if you would like to get in touch, visit here.

Earlier this month, the Scottish Government’s Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee hosted an evidence session on employee-owned businesses and co-operatives. I felt privileged to attend and provide evidence to the committee, alongside our Employee Ownership (EO) Ambassador Nick Kuenssberg and two of our Consortium Champions; Nathalie Agnew and Joanna Dewar-Gibb.

The session covered the different models, the support available to those looking to adopt such ways of working and the different ways in which many businesses have already benefited.

Overall, the committee hearing has cast a spotlight on inclusive business models and demonstrated their value to Scotland’s policy-makers, which will do a great deal to nurture new thinking and action. I look forward to hearing further outcomes from the review in the coming months.

‘© Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body – 2016’

For more detail you can read the committee papers here and watch the video here.

Also this month, I attended the fourth annual Robert Oakeshott lecture, which commemorates the founder of the Employee Ownership Association. Delivered by political economist Will Hutton, the presentation reflected on the need to reconsider how we think about ownership and purpose when it comes to doing business.

He argued that purposeful companies should have a moral core, seeking profit but not for the benefit of external stakeholders and no one else. This, Will explained, would be enhanced by ‘anchor owners’ – shareholders who have a long-term, vested interest in the business, its people and its future.

On this, he highlighted the role EO can play in driving the growth of such businesses in the UK. And given the established link between EO companies and increased productivity, innovation and long-term sustainability, this is a salient point.

You can read more about the lecture here.

Finally, I’d also like to recommend reading SocialValueLab’s Better Business Better Scotland report published last month. Delivered with support from Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, CGI and Caledonian MacBrayne, the research included a nationwide survey of over 1,000 businesses of all shapes and sizes across Scotland.

The report discusses the current position of corporate responsibility in Scotland, and makes recommendations on what needs to be done to promote ethical leadership in Scottish businesses.

You can read the report in full here.

From the  events, discussions and reports described above, it’s clear that Scotland’s entrepreneurs, employees and policy makers have an appetite for exploring new ways of working which make a greater contribution to the communities they serve.

This has brought inclusive models, particularly EO and consortium working, into focus.

To find out more about the various models and how we can help, visit our website.

While applications for the 2015 Collaboration Prize have now closed, CDS offers year-round support to businesses interested in joining forces with like-minded companies.

One successful collaboration which formed with CDS’ support is Screen Facilities Scotland (SFS), a membership co-operative representing facility and service companies in the screen and media production industry. Formed as a consortium in 2012, it promotes Scotland’s filming facilities, industry services and infrastructure, at home and abroad. It has become a focal point for member companies and a strong voice in the wider industry.

Here, Director Joanna Dewar Gibb explains the origins of SFS and how CDS support has helped it grow to become a major industry player.

Facilities and service companies are vital to Scotland’s production infrastructure, but many such companies in the creative sector felt under-represented. A few of these businesses came together to discuss a way forward, but the path wasn’t clear.

We decided to enter the Collaboration Prize in 2012 and were delighted to win. Thanks to the support of CDS, we were able to find that way forward. The process helped us focus our efforts and establish a formal body – Screen Facilities Scotland – quickly and appropriately.

We also received vital advice on strategy, marketing and IT, which helped us define our consortium structure and draft SFS members’ agreement.

One of the main concerns we wanted to tackle by forming SFS is the issue of Scottish contracts within our sector being won by businesses outside the country. By coming together we have tackled this issue with a stronger voice, allowing members to grow their businesses, build reputations and secure jobs and growth for the sector.

As a unified voice, we can also market our industry with greater impact, lobby for improvements to industry practices and policy, and pitch for projects as a larger group or series of sub-groups. As a central point of contact for potential clients, government, public agencies and other organisations, SFS is now a visible and influential entity.

The success of our collaboration has also earned SFS invitations to participate in a number of landmark events including the Edinburgh International Film Festival, Xpo North, IBC in Amsterdam and BVE in London. SFS members have also been asked formally to submit their views to several parliamentary committees, including the initial session of the Screen Sector Leadership Group.

We know first-hand the unpredictable environment in which creative businesses operate. Working with other like-minded companies in a formal consortium co-operative affords each company a number of advantages – the ability to grow their business, network more often, share common challenges and build a higher profile.

A consortium co-operative can help your company grow with shared resources, reduced risk, and access to new markets. It’s an organisation run in a shared and equal way by, and for the benefit of its members. Members are businesses and the co-operative can be for any purpose which supports them – such as marketing, tendering, innovating or exporting.

CDS can help you to explore the options, structure your consortium, and get more members involved.

If you would like to find out more about collaborative business models, or if you would like to get in touch, visit here.

Graeme Nuttall OBE is a partner at law firm Fieldfisher and author of the Nuttall Review of Employee Ownership.

Here, Graeme delves into new research which highlights the numerous benefits employee ownership can help to deliver for companies.

Research has shown conclusively that employee-owned companies outperform conventionally structured firms on a range of metrics including productivity, sustainability, innovation, customer satisfaction and employee wellbeing.

My report for the UK Government “Sharing Success; the Nuttall review of employee ownership” examined the barriers to employee ownership, and how these could be overcome. The new tax reliefs that came into force in 2014 were a result of this. Awareness of employee ownership is higher than ever before, and the business benefits are recognised.

There is no doubt there is something about employee ownership that makes a difference and I was keen to look more closely at why it works. The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) has been undertaking research into the nature of leadership and employee engagement using the MoralDNA diagnostic tool that measures thinking preferences when making moral decisions.

I was delighted to collaborate with the CMI and the report’s authors, Professor Roger Steare, Pavlos Stampoulidis and Peter Neville Lewis, in examining how employee-owned companies compare to other business models.

This is the first piece of research to look exclusively at employee trust owned companies; the predominant model of employee ownership in the UK. Sponsored by Fieldfisher and the eaga Trust, the report, “The MoralDNA of employee owned companies”, gathered evidence from more than a thousand employees across 15 employee-owned (EO) firms.

The results were compared with those from employees from other sectors, and with the sample of managers used in other CMI research. We found that employee ownership has a positive impact on business ethics, and there is an established link between higher ethical scores and better business performance.

Some of the results are quite extraordinary.  90% of employee owners report that they experience high-performing visionary, democratic and coaching leadership styles. Only 58% of employees in the control sample said this, with 42% of this control sample saying they experience poor-performing, command and control leadership styles.  The working environment is more collaborative and collegiate in employee-owned companies compared with the coercive and demanding styles of other forms of ownership.

The values in employee-owned organisations are seen to be stronger than in other businesses.  People working in employee-owned companies demonstrated significantly higher scores in the values of fairness, trust, excellence, humility and courage. 95% of respondents said employee ownership enhanced commitment to the company, and 91% said it contributed to performance. 87% believed the company’s ownership model was an attraction for new staff. The report contains 15 case studies from employee-owned companies with inspiring stories of how their employee ownership impacts on their ways of working.

This is remarkable research that gives a fascinating insight into why companies owned by their employees are better businesses in every sense of the word. The report provides a broader message about the importance of inclusive leadership, and the importance of ethics in business. It reinforces the strong case for more employee ownership and sends out a call to business owners to consider giving their employees a stake in the company in which they work.

As part of our role in supporting the growth of collaborative working across Scotland’s business community, we are pleased to introduce our Consortium Champions.

Spanning a wide range of industries and specialisms, the Consortium Champions will play an important role in promoting collaboration by hosting or presenting at events, providing guidance and influencing others within their networks.

Here, we describe each of the Champions and the organisations they work with.

Highland-based Nathalie Agnew, PR director at The Wee Agency, has significant experience in the marketing and media sector. The Wee Agency brings together experts from the PR, marketing and digital design industries to offer customers a comprehensive consultancy service.

Food From Argyll is a consortium formed in 2007 by a group of food and drink producers in Argyll. Its aim is to market and promote produce that is farmed, made or harvested throughout the region. Virginia Sumsion is marketing and events manager at member business, Loch Fyne Oysters Ltd.

The Heart of Argyll Tourism Alliance is a membership co-operative set up to boost tourism in mid-Argyll. It is also a member of the Argyll & the Isles Tourism Cooperative, an umbrella organisation covering all the marketing groups across the region. Carron Tobin, a rural development practitioner based in Callander, supported the establishment of the alliance in 2010 and then AITC in 2012, and is interested in consortia working in the travel and tourism sector.

Nathalie, Virginia and Carron have collaborated on a special project which will bring ‘Taste for Tourism’ to Oban on November 4. The three champions have joined forces to organise, promote and host the event, which aims to bring industry leaders and businesses from tourism and food and drink together to forge new and profitable alliances and support the development of food and drink tourism in Scotland.

Speaking of the project, Virginia said: “Carron and I had the idea to arrange the event and were delighted when a fellow champion was appointed to support us with the event management and marketing. By working collaboratively we have been able to maximise our knowledge, skills and networks to host what we believe will be a hugely valuable event with Scotland’s future at its heart.”

For more information about Taste for Tourism, visit: www.tastefortourism.scot/home.aspx

Our other Champions

Joanna Dewar Gibb, business manager at Glasgow-based special effects firm, Artem Ltd, works in the film and advertising sector. Artem Ltd is a member of Screen Facilities Scotland, a collaborative venture affiliated to the UK Screen Association which represents facilities and service providers working in the screen, media production and creative industries.

Some of our Champions: Carron Tobin, Virginia Sumsion, Joanna Dewar Gibb, Dougal Perman, Richard Simmons

Bruce Hamilton manages the Tayforth Machinery Ring, a non-profit-making member-owned consortium which encourages joint use of agricultural equipment and labour between its farming and non-farming members. Contracts and supplies are arranged between members in Fife, Tayside and central regions of Scotland.

InnerEar Ltd’s Dougal Perman is a director at Yellow Brick House Media Ltd, a consortium of four businesses specialising in new media content and marketing, television production, web development and graphic design.

Richard Simmons is a lecturer in social policy in the department of applied social science at the University of Stirling. He has a developing national and international reputation in the governance and delivery of public services and the role of co-operative and mutual organisations. As such, he is the Consortium Champion for governance, best practice and international.

Over the coming months we will be profiling each of our Champions in more detail, providing a valuable insight into their models and the many benefits collaboration has brought to their businesses.

For more information about consortia working and the support CDS can provide to businesses interested in this model, visit: http://bit.ly/1OkNE0I

Around 150 delegates gathered in Edinburgh yesterday for the first Inspire EO Scotland conference.

Here, some of the event’s keynote speakers discuss the benefits of employee ownership and how it can help to boost the Scottish economy.

Inspire EO Scotland, organised in collaboration between John Lewis, RBS and Scottish Enterprise, was designed for new and existing businesses keen to learn more about employee ownership.

It took place as new research from the University of Stirling shows that there are 71 employee-owned businesses operating in Scotland, with approximately 6,500 employee-owners generating a combined turnover of around £900million.

Sir Charlie Mayfield, chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, believes the figures show the Scottish employee ownership sector is performing strongly. He said: “It is encouraging to see the growth of employee ownership in Scotland and the recognition of the benefits it can offer – including higher levels of employee engagement and productivity, higher profitability and greater levels of innovation. At the John Lewis Partnership, we take pride in the fact that as owners, our Partners are highly engaged and are involved in the future of the business.”

Dr Lena Wilson CBE, Chief Executive, Scottish Enterprise, said: “These latest figures reinforce that employee ownership is a growing phenomenon with more and more businesses recognising the importance of succession planning and the benefits this innovative business model offers.  This is good news for Scotland because wider collaboration and co-ownership is proven to create jobs faster and boost productivity and performance. We would encourage owners to consider succession at the earliest possible opportunity and find out more about employee ownership.”

Deputy First Minister John Swinney, said: “Employee ownership can have powerful positive effects – not only on employee motivation and wellbeing but ultimately on the bottom-line. I am encouraged that an increasing number of Scottish companies are benefitting from this business model. I would encourage interested companies to engage with Co-operative Development Scotland and learn what employee ownership could do for them.”

Alison Rose, CEO, Commercial & Private Banking, RBS, said: “RBS supports more UK small businesses than any other bank so we were delighted to host the Inspire EO conference. Employee ownership can be a highly effective way to engage staff and run a successful business.”

Read Sir Charlie Mayfield’s article on employee ownership from this week’s Scotland on Sunday.

Next month, Scotland will play host to the inaugural Inspire EO Scotland conference, with influential business leaders and politicians coming together to discuss thebenefits of employee ownership.

 Here, SarahDeas of Co-operative Development Scotland gives a snapshot of theday and explains why Scottish business owners should mark October 26 in their diaries.

Throughout Scotland’s business community, the benefits of Employee Ownership (EO) as a driver for growth are becoming increasingly recognised. From higher productivity and profitability to greater resilience, EO offers an effective succession solution and is suited to companies of all sizes across a multitude of sectors.

And with figures showing that around 16,000 SME owners in Scotland will consider an exit strategy from their business over the next five years, it is essential that owners are aware of all the potential succession options – especially EO.

Given the growing appetite for deeper insight into this business model, next month will see around 150 delegates come together for the first Inspire EO Scotland conference. This half-day event in Edinburgh is being run in collaboration with the John Lewis Partnership, RBS and Scottish Enterprise (SE). Delegates will hear from an impressive programme of keynote speakers, including:

• Sir Charlie Mayfield, Chairman, John Lewis Partnership
• Deputy First Minister John Swinney MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth
• Dr Lena Wilson CBE, Chief Executive, Scottish Enterprise
• Alison Rose, Chief Executive, Commercial and Private Banking, RBS

Each will bring a different perspective to the table. Sir Charlie will explain the John Lewis model and its contribution to driving innovation and engagement, whilst Mr Swinney will offer his insight into the role EO can play in boosting the Scottish economy. In addition, Dr Wilson will reference the model in the global context and describe the support available from Scottish Enterprise and Ms Rose’s presentation will focus on the assistance available for entrepreneurs from the financial sector.

Attendees will also gain an invaluable inside perspective by hearing from Scottish businesses which are already reaping the benefits of EO on a day-to-day basis. EO Ambassadors Dennis Overton of Aquascot and Dick Philbrick of Clansman Dynamics, for example, will lead presentations about their transition to EO and how the model works for their companies.

They will demonstrate how EO can be implemented not just as a succession solution for long-term stability, but as a catalyst for sustainable business growth.

I do hope that you will be able to join us on the day for what will be a truly insightful and inspiring event.

Inspire EO Scotland is being held at the RBS Conference Centre in Gogarburn, Edinburgh on October 26 from 8.30am until 2pm.

To register for this FREE event, visit the Inspire EO Scotland website.

Dan and Mary Knowles

It’s almost a year since Mary Knowles Homecare Partnership won the Rising Star Award, just one of the categories in this year’s UK Employee Ownership Awards. 

With the deadline for the 2015 awards under a week away, the EOA asked founder and managing director Dan Knowles how it’s affected the business.

“I cannot believe a year has gone by since we were nominated for the Rising Star Award. Last September we were barely into our second year as an employee-owned partnership in the home care sector and were firmly focused in on running the business.

We were thrilled to be nominated, so you can imagine how we felt in November, when we actually won.

While we celebrated we knew that the benefits of this award to our business would be long-lasting. It is particularly valuable in the business of home care: being recognised as an employee-owned ‘centre of excellence’ speaks volumes about our high standards, teamwork and professionalism.

When I first had the idea to create this business, I felt that an employee partnership would set us apart as a care company.  After all, what can be better than the carers themselves sharing in the success of their hard work and professionalism?

This award not only proves I was right to trust my instinct, it is a vote of confidence from the employee-ownership community that we are very much on the right track.

Since winning we have continued to grow, and have enjoyed some landmark achievements along the way.

In June we awarded our first employee bonus, distributing £5,500 among our 40+ employees.  There aren’t many care companies who do this and it was an exciting moment for us.  Our Employee Trust’s share of the business increased from 10% to 20%, and my own share dropped to 80%, as part of our strategic plan.

All of this happened around Employee Ownership Day, which we celebrated with a big summer tea party for our clients and carers.

Mary Knowles Carers Summer Party July 15

Also this year we have moved to a new – and smaller – head office in Kidlington, Oxford. Moving has reduced our costs on unnecessary office space as most of our team work in the field, and made us more efficient.

We continue to strive to attract the best people to join us as experienced carers or to be trained by us to build a career in care.  As such we offer training to all our employees and have made several improvements to our programme.

As we grow we see the need to build a professional HR function and our first HR manager, Sue Woolley, has just joined us to implement this.

Looking ahead we have big plans for the next few years. We will be opening another office in Oxfordshire and more will follow as we expand our area of coverage.

While our achievements are, as in most businesses, down to hard work and dedication, with a little luck thrown in, I have no doubt that the Rising Star Award is having a positive effect and is helping us to reach a bigger audience. In particular we have benefitted from mentorship from the John Lewis Partnership which has been impactful and far-reaching.

And you can imagine how good it feels when we describe Mary Knowles as the award-winning Homecare Partnership.”

More about Mary Knowles

The Mary Knowles Homecare Partnership is owned by its employees, so everyone in the company shares in the decision-making process and, unusually in the care sector, the company has an annual bonus scheme. By putting the carers in charge, listening to them and rewarding them, the company delivers a consistently high standard of care.

Mary Knowles Homecare Partnership was founded by Dan Knowles, a former director of John Lewis Partnership.  He was inspired to set up the company after seeing that the quality of care given to people like his grandmother (Mary Knowles) is not as high as it could be.  He knew from his experience at John Lewis that the employee partnership model would work well.

In 2014 Mary Knowles Homecare Partnership won The Philip Baxendale Rising Star Award. The company is based in Oxford.  Find out more at www.maryknowles.co.uk.

The deadline for Employee Ownership Award nominations is Monday 14^th September. Find out more here: http://bit.ly/1dYVe1b

Last year CDS specialist advisor Jaye Martin reported on her successful visit to Birmingham for the Co-operatives UK-organised Congress, which focused on the theme ‘Co-operation: How?’ 

Twelve months on, Gillian Kirton made the same trip to the Midlands for Congress 2015. With the theme this year being ‘Co-operation: Now’, there were plenty of fascinating ideas up for discussion.

At last year’s Congress, delegates were urged to pitch their ideas on how to grow the co-operative sector. As you may expect, many innovative ideas were forthcoming and an action plan was born. I was therefore excited to attend this year and hear of the progress made by co-operators to deliver the plan.

Congress 2015 followed the same format as last year with five passionate pitches made in response to two topical questions:

• How can co-operatives access more capital without members losing control?
• What can co-operatives do to ensure they remain world leaders in addressing social and environmental challenges?

As delegates, we were given the opportunity to vote for our favourite pitches on each topic – real democracy in action! The pitches were all well thought out and potentially impactful – I’ve summarised two below.

One pitch called for the UK’s 6,000 co-operatives to donate a percentage of their surplus to kick start the Enterprise Hub programme, which once provided advice and guidance to over 1600 co-operators. Mondragon co-operatives donate 3% of surplus while fellow co-operators in Emilia Romagna donate 10%.

There was a further suggestion that money raised by co-operative societies via the plastic bag levy should go towards this programme too. I suspect this approach would generate far more income than the fund had previously – which would be great news for the co-operative sector.

The second pitch looked to address the UK’s environmental challenges. While many co-operatives are already playing their part, some find it hard to implement changes or know what needs done.

The pitch called for the forging of alliances where expertise and knowledge could be shared, enabling the sector to collectively work on specific actions. An effective approach which could spark action from those co-operatives in need of a helping hand.

The resounding message from Congress 2015 was that both co-operation amongst co-operators and self-help are vital if we want to see these actions delivered successfully and the co-operative economy continue to thrive.