Webinars
FREE 2023 Webinars 
Webinars 2023
Two-day event Banking & Ethics
Tuesday 25 April from 7.00pm to 8.30 & Tuesday 2 May from 7.00pm to 8.30
‘Banking and Ethics: why Should we concerned about the Financial Services we use?’
Facilitator: Tony Weekes.The financial sector of the economy claims that it provides financial services. But there is a question which is never asked: “To what extent do these services work for the common good?”
Recordings available here:
Banking and Ethics – Part 1: https://youtu.be/nBM-D9pka-M
Banking and Ethics – Part 2: https://youtu.be/4lZ-FMkC3lk
Good Practice Webinar : Open Food Networks
Webinar : Wed 8th March
Recording here https://youtu.be/odkz6UGGlkc
This best practice webinar is to introduce small retail community shops and co-operatives and anyone interested in alternative ways to grow and sell food in NI, to the Open Food Network (OFN), a community-owned software platform that is built for selling food.
It can be either a shopfront for individual enterprises or a community hub of farmers and other local producers working together. OFN is operating in 21 countries across the world, with 1000’s of local producers using it to reach markets to sell their products and support their local food economies in these difficult times.
The open source platform is a not for profit and builds more resilient local economies by creating and sustain food hubs and shops where ethical supply chains can develop and consumers and producers can meet.
Evonne Boland from the Open Food Network Ireland (https://openfoodnetwork.ie/) will illustrate how it works and the impact the network had on local shops and food enterprises in the South of Ireland. Evonne is the driver of the network in Ireland and plays a crucial role in developing and mantaining the relationships among a variety of food initiatives in teh region.
Jo da Silva from Open Food Network UK (https://openfoodnetwork.org.uk/). Jo has been a member of OFN UK since 2020 when the first Covid lockdown increased Open Food Network sales by 800%. As part of the UK network, she helps new enterprises set up on the platform and is leading the Resilient Green Spaces project; £1.27 m project piloting alternatives and relocalised food systems in Wales.
WEBINARS – October and December 2022
Please note registration is required in advance of events to receive Zoom link.
All the following webinars are funded by Belfast City Council, Economy Department to raise awareness of the co-operative model. They are free and part of the Belfast City Council Support programme for Co-ops. More info on the support is available here.
In 2022 we will run three series:
- Co-operative Skills 2022
- New Co-op on the Block
- Global Co-ops
CO-OP DISCOVERY: SHARE THE LEARNING
Webinar: Tue the 13th Dece 2022 at 6.00
Recording: https://youtu.be/DykWMTnk9ZI
Co-operatives are business enterprises that are democratically controlled and owned by their members and work in the interests of their members. The co-operative business model plays a significant role in the modern economy, primarily in building a strong local economy. Tebibu Salomon, an intern with Co-op Alternatives from University College of Cork and currently studying for the MSc Co-operatives, Agri-Food and Sustainable Development, has investigated the internal and external causes of co-operatives’ success in Northern Ireland. His paper has contributed to the research around the development of the co-operative business model in this region with potential strategies to tackle current challenges.
New CO-OP on the BLOCK – Northern Construction Co-operative
Webinar: Tue the 18th Oct 2022 at 12.00
Recording: https://youtu.be/KwpPCmiL3Y4
Let’s talk co-operatives and let’s do it with people who have done it. On ‘New Co-op on the Block’ will give the opportunity to meet up with co-operators who have recently embarked in this journey and set up a new co-operative in Northern Ireland.
On the 18th October 2022 we will meet the founder members of Northern Construction Co-op, a new workers co-op operating in Northern Ireland. Join us and find out what are their plans.
New CO-OP on the BLOCK – Belfast Students Housing Co-operative
Webinar: Wed 5th October 2022 at 12.00
Recording: https://youtu.be/3iBfJKkvuZw
Let’s talk co-operatives and let’s do it with people who have done it. On ‘New Co-op on the Block’ will give the opportunity to meet up with co-operators who have recently embarked in this journey and set up a new co-operative in Northern Ireland.
On the 5th October we will hear from the founder members of Belfast Students Housing Co-operative. Their objective is to develop and run a mutually owned housing co-operative. Run by students and for students in Belfast.
| ‘Learning to Disagree with Each Other and still Make Good Decisions’ – RECORDING
Facilitator: Abbie Kempson Webinar: Wednesday 22 June 2022 Recording available here: https://youtu.be/NCupbWA0YLg Co-operatives exist for the benefit of their members, placing people firmly at the centre of how they operate. In our co-ops we have an opportunity to create a co-operative working culture in which everyone’s needs are considered. In this participatory webinar we’ll explore collaborative tools and methods to address some of the common governance problems that can lead to conflict in co-ops of all sizes. Please join us to find out more – from decision-making methods that actively welcome diverging points of view (learning to disagree without falling out!) to creating space to talk about conflict. Bio: Abbie Kempson is a member of People Support Co-op, providing practical advice, training and support to nurture co-operative systems and relationships. With twenty years of involvement in community organising and worker co-operation, she has a long-held interest in participatory processes for collective decision making and action and a very experienced co-operator. ‘Managing your Finance Demystified’ – RECORDING Facilitator: Andy Cocktaildress Webinar: Wednesday 1 June 2022 Recording available here https://youtu.be/041WnDz1CQY This webinar is part of the Co-operative Skills Series 2022. Co-operative Skills 2022 is a series of webinars aimed to further our understanding of co-operatives in Northern Ireland. We have invited practitioners from around UK and far afield to share their knowledge and skills. They will help us to develop co-op skills locally during short, relevant and interesting webinars from April to June 2022. Andy is a financial management expert and will provide an overview of what your co-operative and community business will need to do to manage finance in efficient and effective way. A short but very insightful training for anyone who think spreadsheets are scary. They are actually not! They are beautiful indeed. Bio: Andy is a member of Co-op Culture and Acorn Co-op Support acorncoopsupport.org.uk and Radical Routes in Leeds. Andy is a very experienced co-op development worker, with a speciality in Small Housing Co-ops, and small worker co-ops that have an ecological/sustainability focus. ‘Raising Money the Co-operative Way’ – RECORDING Facilitator: Andy Cocktaildress Webinar: Wednesday 25 May 2022 Recording available here https://youtu.be/iNXpbeYaTo8 We have invited practitioners from around UK and far afield to share their knowledge and skills. They will help us to develop co-op skills locally during short, relevant and interesting webinars from April to June 2022. This webinar is all about money! Andy Cocktaildress will explore what co-ops can do to raise money when most they need it. If you are thinking to raise ‘community shares’ or launch a loanstock offer, you must join this interesting overview on what works and what does not. Bio: Andy is a member of Co-op Culture and Acorn Co-op Support acorncoopsupport.org.uk and Radical Routes in Leeds. Andy is a very experienced co-op development worker, with a speciality in Small Housing Co-ops, and small worker co-ops that have an ecological/sustainability focus. This includes: • Food Production; • Woodland Management; • Small Scale Craft Production; and • Community Small Scale Appropriate Technology. Andy’s expertise is in Finance Management, having co-operated to manage a peer to peer £500,000 loan fund for co-operative development. He helped develop business plans, set up financial systems and has a lot of experience in bookkeeping and end of year accounts. ______________________________________________________
‘Businesses in Community and Co-operative Ownership’ – RECORDING Facilitator: Mark Simmonds Webinar: Wednesday 27 April from 12.00pm – 1.30pm Recording now available on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/PhPxxL-hDFY Co-operative Skills 2022 is a series of webinars aimed to further our understanding of co-operatives in Northern Ireland.
We have invited practitioners from around UK and far afield to share their knowledge and skills. They will help us to develop co-op skills locally during short, relevant and interesting webinars from April to June 2022. This webinar was facilitated by Mark Simmonds and it is all about community and co-operative ownership. Watch this webinar if you want to understand more why co-ops are not ‘businesses as usual’. Mark will use a few examples to explain differences and similarities among co-op models. Bio: Mark is a member of Co-op Culture (www.culture.coop ) based in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire. Mark is a very experienced co-operative and community entrepreneur, delivering advice and support around all aspects of co-operative and other social enterprise development, management and governance. Mark is a founder member of the Fox and Goose Co-operative Pub, Pennine Community Power, Platform 6 Development Co-operative and currently occupies the co-operative development seat on the board of Co-operatives UK. Mark is also currently a member of the UK Co-operative Governance Expert Reference Panel.
Members engagement strategies for co-operatives: dos and don’ts Webinar: Date: Tuesday 15thMarch from 12.00pm – 1.30pm Co-operatives are member-driven and member-owned organisations. What does it mean in practice? This webinar is for anyone who wants to understand further the role of members in a co-operative and what to do to recruit, retain and continue to build a relationship with all. Co-operatives are made by people and are democratic enterprises. The relationship a co-op has with their members determine the type of co-op they are: worker, consumer, housing, community etc. The webinar will be useful to any co-op and co-operator who wants to learn some tools, dos and don’ts, to bring and keep members at the heart of their business. Facilitator: Tiziana O’Hara. Edenderry Village Energy – RECORDING Webinar: Tuesday, 8th March 2022 Let’s talk co-operatives and let’s do it with people who have done it. On ‘New Co-op on the Block’ will give the opportunity to meet up with co-operators who have recently embarked in this journey and set up a new co-operative in Northern Ireland. On the 8th March we invited the founder members of Edenderry Village Energy, a new community benefit society. Their objective is to develop, build and run decarbonized district heating system, providing affordable hot water and heating from a geothermal source in their own Edenderry Village. We heard about how the initiative started, what they do and why they decide to become a community co-operative. If you missed it the recording is below. Link to the recording: https://youtu.be/8dKGBI5D3PI
Co-operative Skills 2022: 6 Steps (maybe 7) to Make Co-ops happen Webinar: 22nd February 2022 A co-operative is a business owned and run by its members. Whether those members are the customers, employees or the local community, they share the profits and have an equal say in how the business is run. In Northern Ireland there are some interesting businesses emerging, form local food initiatives to energy to sports and even finance. This training webinar if for anyone who wants to know more about co-operatives and what are the areas they need to focus on if they want their co-operative idea to become reality. The journey to become a co-operative requires the ‘signing up’ to the co-operative principles as well as the ability to develop a viable business. During the webinar we will explore all the aspects that makes co-operatives so special and an alterative model to what you know. Co-operative Alternatives have been helping a variety of co-ops in many sectors: food, energy, sports etc. and have learnt quite a few lessons that we will share with the attendees to make their journey easier and enjoyable for all. Contact Co-op Alternatives if you are interested in this topic. Azora Community Farm – RECORDING Webinar: Thursday 17th February 2022 Let’s talk co-operatives and let’s do it with people who have done it. On ‘New Co-op on the Block’ will give the opportunity to meet up with co-operators who have recently embarked in this journey and set up a new co-operative in Northern Ireland. We invited the founder members of Azora Community Farm, a new community benefit society based in Hillsborough. Their objective is to operate a sustainable community farm, enable the community to grow their own food and reconnect communities through education, regenerative methods and rewilding practices to nature We are going to hear about how the initiative started, what they do and why they decide to become a community co-operative. Link to recording : https://youtu.be/I_OOeyFDplQ York Collective – RECORDING
Webinar: Tuesday the 23rd Nov 2021 This event is part of a new webinar series called Global Co-ops. Today we will meet with York Collective, a new Courier Co-op. Founder member Matt will tell us about this not-for-profit worker-owned cooperative of cycle couriers in York. They formed as a response to the gig-economy, and unaccountable multinational corporations. They do not see themselves as just another number, we want to develop valuable and long-term relationships with York businesses and customers. They are currently trading with an online platform that enables shops and restaurants to take orders with minimal fuss and expense. One thing it ‘s sure: they won’t compromise on their values and their service is an ‘ethical, environmentally friendly and convenient service’. As a member of a worldwide federation of couriers cooperatives, York Collective has forged links with many other couriers co-ops around Europe and beyond. Recording here: https://youtu.be/mzskJOMb3Pg Rabble Co-op – RECORDING Webinar on the 9th Nov 2021 If you missed this episode of the Discover Co-ops series, you can watch the full video here. Rabble Co-op founder members Dessie and Ruairi will discuss how their co-operative is providing specialised technological services to voluntary, public and private organisations fulfilling a social purpose. The co-operative also promotes the use of technology, which respects, protects and progresses fundamental human rights. Community Wealth Building and Co-operatives Wednesday 6thOctober 2021 – 12.00 – 13.30 The development of more democratic forms of ownership of the economy such as co-operatives is central to Community Wealth Building. Join this free event. Community Wealth Building is establishing itself as an alternative and fairer approach to local economic development that is showing good outcomes in terms of reducing poverty, income inequality, enhancing local economic resilience and creating a low carbon and more democratic economy. Contact Co-op Alternatives if you are interested in this topic. Good To Grow – RECORDING Thursday 21stOctober 2021 Come and meet Good To Grow, NI’s new horticultural co-op. Join us this lunch time to meet up with the founder members of a new co-operative: Good to Grow Co-op. This is a co-operative of horticulturalists who wants to make horticulture accessible and affordable to all. Recording here: https://youtu.be/wzqctP7BKSo Community Shares: what are they? Wednesday 22ndSeptember 2021 – 12:00 – 13:30 A free training webinar on community shares for anyone interested in raising capital via a community share offer in Northern Ireland. This online training is an essential for anyone who wants to understand what community shares are and how they can be used to involve your community, raise needed start-up of growth capital and leverage potential funding. Practical local examples will be provided and the steps to complete a successful community share offer will be clearly set out. Contact Co-op Alternatives if you are interested in this topic.
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WEBINARS IN June 2021
Sociocracy for CooperativesWednesday 16 June 2021 12 noon – 2pm This is a training webinar on participative decision making in co-operatives. The aim of this webinar is to equip participants with tools to support decision making processes in their co-operative and organisation. We will explore with Joanna McMinn from Co-housing Connections a participatory process for making decisions based on the principle of consent, as part of a systematic way of working called sociocracy. Register on Eventbrite: |
WEBINARS IN May 2021
Cooperation in ActionWednesday May 26 2021 6pm – 7.30pm Let’s talk about what make co-operatives tick.Co-operatives are first and foremost made of people. As well as developing your business ideas, co-operatives need to develop ‘co-operative skills’ to navigate the intricacy of democratic governance. Co-operative governance is the subject of this workshop with practical tools to confront the hurdles and make committees more efficient and effective. Register on Eventbrite: |
WEBINARS IN APRIL 2021
| CO-OPERATIVE SKILLS – SETTING UP WORKER CO-OPERATIVES: WHY AND HOW?
Wed. the 21st April from 12.00 to 14.00 Register on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/ |
| A CO-OPERATIVE JOURNEY: FROM IDEAS TO CO-OPERATIVES
Tuesday 27th of April from 12.00 – 1.30 Register for the event |
WEBINARS IN MARCH 2021
| Discover Co-ops: Venture Folks
held on Tuesday 16th March 2021 Watch the recording here |
| Discover Co-ops: Longlife Housing Cooperative
held on Thursday 4 March 2021 Watch the recording here |
| Co-op Connections in collaboration with Co-ops UK
held on 10th March 2021 |
| THE CO-OPERATIVE ADVANTAGE
held on Tuesday 23rd March Watch the recording soon |
| Discover Coops: Cooperation in Community Energy Initiatives
Roundtable held on 12th March 2021 |
WEBINARS IN FEBRUARY 2021
| Discover Coops: the Belfast Food Co-op.
Webinar was held on Wednesday 24th February 2021. Recording available here |
| Coop Skills: Co-operative Journey from Ideas to Coops
Webinar was held on Wednesday 17 February 2021. This webinar will be repeated during the course of 2021. Watch this space! |
Webinars Series in 2020.
Co-operatives are vehicles for transforming local economies. This series was for anyone interested in community energy, social care, housing, breadmaking and sports. All sessions recordings here:
The Transformational Power of Co-operatives
‘Co-operatives skills’ was a series for anyone involved in a co-op or anyone thinking to set up their own co-op. They range from governance issues to funding coops via community shares and loanstock. More information on this link: