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Making Mutualisation Work. 7 th April 2011. Co-operatives UK. The national trade body that campaigns for co-operation and works to promote, develop and unite co-operative enterprises.
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Making Mutualisation Work 7th April 2011
Co-operatives UK • The national trade body that campaigns for co-operation and works to promote, develop and unite co-operative enterprises. • We work to promote the co-operative alternative across many sectors of the economy from high street consumer-owned co-operatives to pubs and football clubs, healthcare to agriculture, credit unions to community owned shops. • The co-operative economy is worth some £33.5 billion and has 12.9 million members. • Largest membership movement in the country.
What is a mutual? • Several definitions • Mutuals are organisations that are owned by, and run for the benefit of, their current and future members. Mutuals take many forms and operate in a wide range of business and social environments.– Mutuo • Mutual organisations exist for the principal purpose of delivering a benefit to their members. Those members can be employees, customers, other key stakeholders, or some combination of all three. - Baxi Partnership Limited • Mutuals are organisations that are owned by, and run for the benefit of their members on a fair and equitable basis. Mutuals take many forms including: building societies, co-operatives, financial mutuals, employee owned businesses and smaller community owned shops. – Co-operatives UK (working definition)
Characteristics of a Mutual • Not a legal form but an “organisation type.” • Owned and run by and for the benefit of their members. • Varied membership criteria defined by the relationship with the mutual. • Usually separated into 2 camps – “traditional” and “new.” • Democratic governance – usually one member one vote.
Co-operatives are one type of mutual • Not a legal form, but an organisation type. • Take many legal forms, but traditionally IPSs as the structure enshrines democratic participation. • Unlike a mutual, co-operatives are defined as: “an autonomous association of persons united voluntary to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically controlled enterprise.” • A set of values and principles are applied to support this definition. • All co-operatives are mutuals but not all mutuals are co-operatives – no requirement for a mutual to comply with the co-op v&ps.
Traditional Mutuals • Building Societies • Credit Unions - • Financial Mutuals – NFU Mutual, Benenden Healthcare Society • Co-operatives – The Co-operative Group
New Mutuals • Community Mutuals • Supporters’ Trusts • Energy • Pubs/Shops
New Mutuals • Public Sector • Leisure Trusts • GP Consortia • Spin Outs for LA