In 1844 an innovative group of 28 weavers in Rochdale came together and set up a shop setting basic foodstuffs, this was the start of the co-operative movement as we know it in the UK. This movement had a massive effect on society and shops as we know them, there will be a new television advertisement telling us a bit more soon. Suffice to say, today in the UK, as well as The Co-operative Group with its six million members and 5,000 outlets across its family of businesses including food, financial services, travel, pharmacy and funerals, there are thousands of other co-operators who share the same heritage.The Co-operative doesn't just run businesses though, its busy quietly helping communities across the country to undertake the most amazing projects.
I remember seeing a television programme about how Urban Bees can produce the most amazing honey, it's because they harvest such a wide variety of plants and flowers many of which are non-native. This can produce some of the most amazing honey you will taste. Perhaps more importantly than this though, these projects help to protect the dwindling honeybee populations. Take for example Urban Bees which was set up by bee-lovers Brian McCallum and Alison Benjamin. They wanted to help protect dwindling honeybee populations in urban areas by educating city-dwellers in beekeeping.
Having already invested £500,000 into Plan Bee, The Co-operative bee protection and education programme, funding from The Co-operative helped Urban Bees to run training courses for beginners, give talks and work in partnership with other organisations and companies.Brian and Alison have now established 20 new hives on rooftops and in community gardens and allotments across London, and they will have given training and start-up equipment to approximately 300 people by the end of 2011. I think this is a really exciting project.
Urban Bees is just one example of the many projects that The Co-operative support. Its easy to Join the revolution why not Get involved.
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