Co-operative College

The Co-operative College was established in 1919 by the co-operative movement to meet the educational needs of co-operatives across Britain, and over more than a century it became a centre of learning, research and leadership development promoting co-operative values nationally and internationally. It became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) in 2015. Its website states that it is working towards the creation of the Co-operative College legacy and the dissolution of the charity, that it no longer provides direct learning provision, and that it plans to continue advancing co-operative learning through a grant giving programme. The College will cease to be a membership organisation as of 1 August 2026.

The Co-operative College was founded in 1919 by the co-operative movement and spent more than a century championing education as the foundation of a stronger co-operative movement. Established to meet the educational needs of co-operatives across Britain, it became a centre of learning, research and leadership development, promoting the values and principles of co-operation both nationally and internationally, and equipping thousands of members, employees, trustees, leaders and communities with knowledge and skills. Over the decades it adapted to changing social, economic and educational landscapes, from residential education at Stanford Hall to schools' programmes, higher education partnerships, research and digital learning. In 2015 the College became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). Beyond the UK, it earned an international reputation for advancing co-operative education, supporting the creation of sister colleges and pioneering international co-operative development, and it played a leading role in the development and launch of the independent Fund for International Co-operative Development in 2024. Its website states that it is working towards the creation of the Co-operative College legacy and the dissolution of the charity, that it no longer provides direct learning provision, and that it plans to continue to advance co-operative learning and education through a grant giving programme. The College will cease to be a membership organisation as of 1 August 2026.

1. 1Home - The Co-operative Collegeco-op.ac.uk
2. 2About us - The Co-operative Collegeco-op.ac.uk
3. 3Membership - The Co-operative Collegeco-op.ac.uk
4. 4Annual reports - The Co-operative Collegeco-op.ac.uk