Students for Cooperation (SFC) is a
co-operative federation A co-operative federation or secondary co-operative is a co-operative in which all members are, in turn, co-operatives.
Historically, co-operative federations have predominantly come in the form of co-operative wholesale societies and co-operative ...
of student
co-operatives across the UK, which exists to "develop and support the growing student co-operative movement". As a
secondary co-op, the organization is owned and controlled by its constituent member co-operatives.
The membership includes 24
food co-ops, four
housing co-ops, one
bike co-op , and one
swap/re-use co-op.
Conferences
Students for Cooperation hosts between 2-3 conferences a year. These conferences move between different locations - generally in different university cities in which student cooperatives are based. These conferences feature forums for debate and discussion about the direction of Students for Cooperation, workshops to train individuals in member cooperatives, and sessions provided by guest speakers from the wider
Co-operative Movement
The history of the cooperative movement concerns the origins and history of cooperatives across the world. Although cooperative arrangements, such as mutual insurance, and principles of cooperation existed long before, the cooperative movement bega ...
.
The conferences also facilitate General Meetings in which policy proposals can be submitted by member cooperatives for Students for Cooperation to adopt.
The founding conference was held at the University of Birmingham and featured a guest speaker from
North American Students of Cooperation
The North American Students of Cooperation (NASCO) is a federation of housing cooperatives in Canada and the United States, started in 1968. Traditionally, NASCO has been associated with student housing cooperatives, though non-student cooperative ...
.
National Body of Student Housing Cooperatives (NBSHC)
Students for Cooperation through funding obtained from the
East of England Co-operative Society
The East of England Co-operative Society is the fourth largest consumer co-operative in the United Kingdom after The Co-operative Group, The Midcounties Co-operative and Central England Co-operative. It is a registered society with its headqua ...
contracted Acorn Co-operative Support to undertake a primary report
Feasibility Study for a National Body of Student Housing Co-ops
/ref> into the establishment of a National Body of Student Housing Cooperatives to address issues holding back the growth of existing student housing cooperatives and establishment of new ones across the UK. The report in part was inspired by the successes seen in the US and Canada by the work of North American Students of Cooperation
The North American Students of Cooperation (NASCO) is a federation of housing cooperatives in Canada and the United States, started in 1968. Traditionally, NASCO has been associated with student housing cooperatives, though non-student cooperative ...
.
See also
* Birmingham Student Housing Co-operative
* Edinburgh Student Housing Co-operative
* Sheffield Student Housing Co-operative
References
External links
students. coop
– The Students for Cooperation
{{Co-operatives
Cooperative federations
Co-operatives in the United Kingdom
Student organizations established in 2013