UK Society for Co-operative Studies

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

20/06/2025

Join an online and in-person discussion on the challenges of co-operative accounting.

Happening on 3 July 12:30pm in Manchester, details and booking below.

This is the question at a hybrid (in-person and online) event organised by the  UK Co-operative SORP Stakeholder Panel to be held on Thursday, July 3 - 12:30 - 2pm GMT+1

05/06/2025

Rebecca Harvey Executive Editor of Co-operative News will be joining us for the next episode of Co-operative Conversations on 14 July at 7pm.

👇 Register to attend

Rebecca Harvey has worked in education and communication for over 20 years. Since 2018, she has been executive editor of Co-op News, a magazine and news website about and for the global co-operative movement, which also provides communication support to co-op organisations around the world. 

18/05/2025

As a reminder: tomorrow we have a Co-operative Conversation with Giovanna Speciale

South East London Community Energy (Selce) is an award-winning kick-arse community energy group. Dr Giovanna Speciale is one of its founders and its CEO. She and her fellow residents started Selce with nothing but big ideas; she aimed to transform the energy system in SE London from the grassroots ....

15/05/2025

Our friends in Japan are hosting a International Co-operative Research Symposium in October and have launched a call for papers.

All the information can be found here:

Exploring the Eastern and Western co-operative models for a sustainable future

10/05/2025

As well as the online launch on Monday (12 May), we have an in-person launch on 20 May of Co-operatives: Linking Practice and Theory, by Ian Adderley Co-operative News

Join author, Ian Adderley, for a talk, Q&A session and book-signing at the in-person launch of Co-operatives: Linking Practice and Theory (published by Co-operative Press & UKSCS).

04/05/2025

Our Winter 2024 issue of the Journal of Co-operative Studies featured extracts from a forthcoming primer on co-operatives. Its author - Ian Adderley- will launch its publication on 12 May. It's online. Join us for conversation and Q&A. Book a free place via our website

Join us as Mike Wistow interviews Ian Adderley, author of the newly published book, Co-operatives: Linking practice and theory.

30/04/2025

Join us on 19 May for a Co-operative Conversation with Giovanna Speciale. Book via our website.

South East London Community Energy (Selce) is an award-winning kick-arse community energy group. Dr Giovanna Speciale is one of its founders and its CEO. She and her fellow residents started Selce with nothing but big ideas; she aimed to transform the energy system in SE London from the grassroots ....