Ethos Public Relations Manchester

Leading light of the co-operative and social enterprise sector celebrates 25th anniversary

by Ethos public relations

Tower Hamlets Co-operative Development Agency (CDA) - which helped found Social Enterprise London, the Social Enterprise Coalition and Co-operatives London - last week celebrated a quarter of a century at the forefront of co-operative and social enterprise.

The CDA, which put the 'social enterprise agenda' on the map, has been providing business support to co-operatives, community owned businesses and social enterprises in East London for 25 years since 1984.

Gregory Cohn, Chief Executive of Tower Hamlets Co-operative Development Agency, said that when the agency started, the Co-operative food stores were well known but worker co-operatives, housing co-operatives and the social enterprise sector were almost hidden away.

"Whereas today," he said, "25 years on, we have a dynamic co-operative and social enterprise sector in East London and London wide, there are nearly 600 established housing and worker co-operatives."

The CDA's commitment to support and expand the London co-operative sector remains strong.

"Over the last couple of years, we have been working with Co-operatives^UK and the many London co-operatives to launch Co-operatives London. It's an umbrella body to shout about the successes of the 600 London co-operatives," he said.

Ed Mayo, Secretary General of Co-operatives^UK, said: "Tower Hamlets CDA been a leading light and the CDA is testament to the importance of providing a specialist and locally based agency to promote the co-operative sector. Amongst the many businesses it has helped to establish are some of London?s most successful co-operatives."

Account 3, a not for profit women's co-operative, whose formation was assisted by the CDA in the 1990's, has, for almost 20 years, supported women, primarily from black, Asian and ethnic minority communities in East London in eliminating barriers when accessing the job market.

Paperback co-operative pioneered recycled paper long before it became popular and this is another successful market leader supported by the CDA.

Tower Hamlets CDA, noting the high level of poor diet related ill health in East London, launched a food co-operative programme in 2000 and this led to the establishment of 18 successful community based Food Co-operatives, primarily by Bangladeshi women. More recently the CDA has supported the launch of co-operative-based fruit tuck shops in 25 local primary schools.

"At the CDA, we are always on the look out for new opportunities so have just launched a new co-operative called Fruit 4 Work which delivers fruit to office workers in the City of London and we have plans to expand nationwide to an office near you," Gregory said.

Speaking from a UK-wide perspective, Ed Mayo, said: "The CDA's huge positive impact in East London demonstrates the difference that a local community led agency can make to enterprises, the local area and to the wider co-operative and social enterprise sectors. We congratulate Tower Hamlets CDA and wish them a vibrant next 25 years."

To find out more about Tower Hamlets Co-operative Development Agency, please visit the website at www.co-operation.coop.

Posted at 14^th December 2009