UK Society for Co-operative Studies

11/06/2026

Report on the recent conference of the UK Society for Co-operative Studies, which included a look at ways to drive co-op growth

11/06/2026

Join us for the next UKSCS Co-operative Conversation on Monday 15 June 2026 at 7:00pm UK time.

The event is online and free to attend. Book your place here: https://www.ukscs.coop/events/co-operative-conversation-with-pal-vik

Mike Wistow will be in conversation with Pål Vik, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Salford Business School, whose work focuses on financial inclusion, community finance, and the role of credit unions in building resilience and widening access to finance.

This promises to be a timely and engaging discussion, especially in the context of ongoing debates around the cost-of-living crisis, community lenders, and the future of inclusive finance.

15 June 2026, from 7:00pm

27/05/2026

One week left to register for our free online 2026 Annual Lecture on 4 June, 2pm UK time.

Co-operatives and their ecosystems: The ‘why’, ‘who’ and ‘how’ in supporting the sector to grow

Our guest speakers, Frédéric Dufays and Stefanie Friedel from KCO KU Leuven, will explore how an ecosystems approach can help us understand the networks of members, policymakers, educators, advisors, public services and other actors that support co-operatives to flourish.

Join us for a discussion on what co-operative entrepreneurial ecosystems can mean for the sector, for local and national movements, and for your own co-operative practice.

Book your place here: https://www.ukscs.coop/events/ukscs-2026-annual-lecture

16/05/2026

Upcoming webinar: Jason Spicer (CUNY) on co-operative enterprise

The Society for Co-operative Studies in Ireland (SCSI) and the UK Society for Co-operative Studies (UKSCS) are hosting an online talk by Professor Jason Spicer (CUNY) on his book:

"Co-operative Enterprise in Comparative Perspective: Exceptionally Un-American?"

📅 Monday 18 May
🕕 6pm (GMT+1)
📍 Online

Jason is a compelling speaker and his is an important book that places a historical lens on the ways in which co-operative movements develop, and shows how the nature of co-op development in the USA has been hindered by the legacies of racism and slavery.

The webinar will be of interest to anyone working on or interested in co-operation, economic democracy, co-operative history, and the possibilities for building more democratic economies today.

You can register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jason-spicer-talk-co-operative-enterprise-in-co-operative-perspective-tickets-1988303593572?aff=oddtdtcreator

Please share in your networks.

Prof Spicer draws lessons from a range of international co-operative case-studies for co-op practitioners, researchers and developers

16/05/2026

What a wonderful two days at the 57th UK Society for Co-operative Studies Conference, hosted by Birmingham Business School.
https://www.ukscs.coop/pages/conference-2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us, presented, chaired sessions, supported the organisation and contributed to such thoughtful and lively conversations.

Together with rich research and practitioner perspectives, the conference featured powerful contributions on co-operative policy, growth, legal reform, finance and public understanding, including keynote and policy sessions from Giuseppe Guerini, James Wright and Dominic Kendal-Ward.

We left with many new conversations started and with renewed energy around the role of co-operation in addressing the challenges of our time.

We hope you enjoyed the event as much as we did.

Thanks to Candice Hipkiss from Birmingham University we have some wonderful photos from the event. You can access these by clicking on the link below: https://www.ukscs.coop/pages/conference-2026-a-wonderful-2-days

We are also grateful to our sponsors: Heart of England Co-operative Society, Revolver Co-operative, Co-op Group and the University of Birmingham.

If you're not already a member of UKSCS, we'd love you to consider joining us.

03/10/2025

Join us at our Annual General Meeting on 25 November.

There are two items with deadlines of 21 October. 1) We’re consulting with members on a proposed change to our governance. 2) We’ve shared details on nominating yourself for our board.

Full details on our website.

22/09/2025

Join us for our annual lecture on: The dual nature of co-operatives – finding a balance between member-community and business role.

Wednesday 5 November 2025 - 2pm - 3pm (GMT) - online

With Anu Puusa a Professor in Management in the faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies at the University of Eastern Finland.

Register to join us here:

Anu Puusa is Professor in Management in the faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies at the University of Eastern Finland. She is a Docent of Management and Co-operatives at LUT School of Business and Management, Lappeenranta University of Technology. Her current research interest areas are ...

18/09/2025

📣 Call for papers -2026 Special Issue: Co-operatives and co-operative principles in sport. Guest editors: Dr Mark Middling Middling, Assistant Professor of Accounting at Northumbria University, John Wilson, Professor of Business History at Northumbria University, and Pau López-Gaitán, PhD Candidate at the University of Bristol.

This timely special issue seeks to investigate the role of the co-operative movement and its associated principles in sport at all levels, assessing the extent to which there needs to be a much closer link between sporting activities and the people who support it so enthusiastically.

For more information on the call for papers, key dates, and how to submit see

Guest editors: Dr Mark Middling, Assistant Professor of Accounting at Northumbria University, Professor John Wilson, Professor of Business History at Northumbria University, and Pau López-Gaitán, PhD Candidate at the University of Bristol.

03/08/2025

As part of our celebrations for the centenary of Woodcraft Folk we are pleased to be hosting a Co-operative Conversation with Debs McCahon.

Debs is stepping down as the CEO of
Woodcraft Folk later this year and was a guest editor on our special issue of the journal.

With 30 years experience of empowering young people to make a difference in their communities, Debs McCahon is passionate about increasing and widening participation, and developing opportunities for a greater diversity of young people to benefit from Woodcraft Folk’s values-led education. Her r...

25/06/2025

Out now!! The latest issue of the Journal of Co-operative Studies celebrating 100 years of Woodcraft Folk.

Make sure you check it out.

Summer, 2025 - Special issue: Celebrating the centenary of the Woodcraft Folk