Our Future Communities Collective is a group of 18-25-year-olds who help shape our work! If we’re funding young people and youth-led organisations, then young people should have a seat at the table when it comes to funding decisions. It just makes sense. 👉 SCROLL to learn what it's like to be involved in the collective! Thank you to all our Future Communities Collective members for bringing your voice, expertise and passion to our work 💙 #FutureCommunities #YouthFunder #YouthLed #YouthVoice #YoungPeople #YouthLeadership
Co-op Foundation
Non-profit Organizations
Manchester, Lancashire 10,622 followers
We’re Co‑op’s charity. Let's build communities of the future together. #FutureCommunities
About us
Let’s build communities of the future together. We’re the Co‑op’s charity and we’re co‑operating for a fairer world. We believe co‑operation is at the heart of strong communities and this makes us a different kind of funder. We work closely with communities, we listen and we learn. We unlock communities’ power by focusing on those who have most at stake. We asked young people to shape our vision, and now we’re co‑operating with them and others to turn this into reality. Account monitored Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm.
- Website
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http://www.coopfoundation.org.uk
External link for Co-op Foundation
- Industry
- Non-profit Organizations
- Company size
- 2-10 employees
- Headquarters
- Manchester, Lancashire
- Type
- Nonprofit
- Founded
- 2000
- Specialties
- youth loneliness, disadvantaged communities, supporting communities, young people, youth social action, partnerships, learning, co-operative values, community enterprise, charity, young people, fairer communities, shared power, and sustainability
Locations
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Primary
Get directions
1 Angel Square
Manchester, Lancashire M60 0AG, GB
Employees at Co-op Foundation
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Sharon Jones
Head of Impact (Education) at Mission 44; Trusts and Foundations consultant; Trustee of Cancer Awareness Trust and Vice Chair of Co-op Foundation
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Dr. Charlotte Wilson
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Sairah Rehman
Communications Manager (Funds and Support)
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Hannah Charlton
Communications Manager at Co-op Foundation
Updates
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✨ Skateboarding, mushroom growing AND learning to be an ally all in one day?! ✨ That’s what happened yesterday at the Co-op Community Day at Co-op Live 💙 👉 We joined our funded partners, FungALL CIC, Projekts MCR and Allyship for a fun-packed day! Through our funding we help Co-op Members’ money go further to do right by communities. We support young people and organisations across the UK to build communities that are fairer for everyone. Thanks to our partners for all the amazing work you do!
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✨ OUR FUTURE COMMUNITIES COLLECTIVE ✨ Putting youth voice at the heart of our work is incredibly important to us 💙 Learn how we work with a fantastic group for 18–25-year-olds to make this happen 👇 🎥 This film was co-created with members of our Future Communities Collective. What do you think? Tell us in the comments... Please share to help us spread the word about the benefits of sharing power with young people 🙌 We’re proud to be Co-op's charity. #YouthParticipation #YouthVoice #YoungPeople #FutureCommunities
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Happy 25th Anniversary Institute For Voluntary Action Research 🎉 Yesterday our Funding and Partnership Manager Dr. Charlotte Wilson joined IVAR to celebrate 25 years of supporting charities and funders working to strengthen communities. Their research and leadership is invaluable in the sector and they champion flexible and equitable funding that is so needed by small charities and communities. We're proud to be a part of their open and trusting grantmaking community and can see the impact this way of funding is having on the partners that we work with 🩵 If you're a funder looking to learn more about providing flexible, open and trusting funding visit https://lnkd.in/enJXQR8s
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed celebrating IVAR’s 25th anniversary! IVAR - the Institute for Voluntary Action Research - is a fantastic organisation. For anyone not familiar with them, they play an absolutely vital role in the voluntary sector: - They have their finger on the pulse of what charities need and know how to help them thrive. - They share their extensive knowledge with funders to help them to fund in a more open, trusting, flexible, equitable and ultimately more effective and impactful way. - They tirelessly champion very much-needed unrestricted and multi-year funding for charities. In these challenging times, IVAR’s work is more important than ever. I’m really lucky that I get to work with IVAR lots - through Co-op Foundation’s multi-year funding of IVAR and by being part of IVAR’s Open and Trusting steering group. For any funders looking to fund in a more open, trusting and equitable way, do take a look here to find out more: https://lnkd.in/eeRUTMQ4 Thank you IVAR for all that you do and happy anniversary! 🥳 Photo: Ben Cairns OBE, the founder of IVAR (left), me (centre!) and André D. Clarke, Chair of Open and Trusting (right). Institute For Voluntary Action Research Co-op Foundation Ben Cairns OBE André D. C. Katy Oglethorpe
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We’ve been celebrating our Young Gamechangers! 🎥 Watch this 1 min video to hear about how young people are transforming their communities with support from the Young Gamechangers Fund, told by Nick Crofts!👇 Thank you to Co-op Members and Co-op Live for all your support!💙 #FutureCommunities #YoungPeople #Funding #YouthFunding
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At a time when some are determined to divide us, we need community solidarity more than ever. Our funded partners, like Refugee Action, are doing amazing work across the UK to empower their communities. They bring people together from all cultures and backgrounds to build relationships and tackle issues that are important to them 💙 We're committed to listening to them when they tell us what they need and co-operating with them to help them build peace in their communities.
🚨 This is a message from over 100 charities, including Mind, Greenpeace UK, Shelter, Oxfam, Save the Children UK and Friends of the Earth: Scapegoating refugees won’t fix inequality, housing shortages, or a crumbling NHS. Real solutions will. It's time for real change for all communities, no matter their immigration status. https://lnkd.in/eTS7PcZh
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How we fund is important to us. Our Future Communities Fund awards unrestricted funding to support youth organisations develop leaders of the future. We found this can be transformational for youth organisations and the young people they serve, through our report with Institute For Voluntary Action Research Learn more on Asimina Vergou's post and over on our blog ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/e2jAq7xZ #UnrestrictedFunding #funding #funder #charity #YouthCharity
| Research and Evaluation | Driving social change through data I Innovation | Diversity, Equity and Inclusion | Non-profit leadership | Philanthropy
A Call to Funders – Let’s Give Organisations the Space to Breathe #Unrestrictedfunding isn’t just a financial commitment—it’s a game-changer for youth-led organisations and the young people they give power to. I’ve seen first-hand how saying “yes” more often, thanks to multi-year unrestricted grants, has transformed the work of our partners at the Co-op Foundation It means youth workers can respond to ideas in real time, invest in their teams’ wellbeing, and offer young people genuine leadership opportunities. Our latest report https://lnkd.in/emjg4jgw by the Institute For Voluntary Action Research, confirms what many of us have long suspected: the flexibility and trust that come with unrestricted funding are essential for long-term impact. It enables stability, fosters innovation, and breaks down barriers for less privileged #youngpeople. But we also recognise that unrestricted funding is new territory for many. That’s why we’re committed to learning together, offering support, and building open, trusting relationships with our partners. To my fellow funders: If you’re hesitant about the measurable impact of unrestricted grants, I invite you to read our findings. The evidence is clear: unrestricted funding is often transformational. Even if you can’t go fully unrestricted, consider broader terms and longer commitments. The difference you’ll make is profound. 👉 Read the full blog to explore our learning journey and see the impact for yourself: Giving organisations space to breathe: the impact of unrestricted funding on youth-led change https://lnkd.in/ejSsHArj #TrustBasedPhilanthropy #YouthLeadership #UnrestrictedFunding #SocialImpact #CoopFoundation
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“Whatever Social by Design becomes, I’ll still remember the mark this funding has left on us” - Alaa Alsewid, Founder, SOCIAL BY DESIGN We awarded £8k to Alaa, 29, through the Funding Futures Programme. This helped kick-start her idea for a social enterprise that would embrace: 👉 Lived experience 👉 Local knowledge 👉 Cultural understanding To deliver training to communities that need it most. Learn more about Alaa's journey ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/eCRcEHim The Funding Futures Programme is a joint fund from us, Unltd, and Phoenix Group. It supports young social entrepreneurs working in the areas of financial inclusion and literacy. #YoungPeople #youth #funding #FinancialInclusion #SocialEntrepreneurs #YoungEntrepreneurs
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The latest Children in Custody report was published this week and it has revealed, once again, the harmful conditions and ineffective systems children continue to be exposed to in custody. We support Alliance for Youth Justice (AYJ)'s call for the Ministry of Justice and Youth Custody Service to commit to a clear strategy that ensures custody is only ever used a last resort. Since 2017, the Children in Custody report has consistently highlighted the damaging conditions children are subjected to and it is time for the government to set out a long-term plan for the phased closure of Young Offenders Institutions and the last remaining Secure Training Centre. Violence and bullying remain widespread, with many children feeling unsafe but few feeling able to report it. Inadequate behaviour management has led to isolation, subsequently limiting access to education and activities— in fact, 39% of children held at Feltham A were not engaged in any learning, and even when activities occurred, their quality was often poor. Racially minoritised children reported worse treatment, and 15% of children at Oakhill STC said they had been sexually assaulted by staff. We hope to see an opportunity in the near future for those working in the youth justice sector, like our campaign partners, to come together with the Ministry of Justice and Youth Custody Service to explore a more effective approach to supporting children away from the justice system and onto a better path.
📢 Our latest comment piece looks at the annual Children in Custody report from HMI Prisons. The report highlights persistent concerns in YOIs and STCs, including poor staff–child relationships, unfair behaviour management, and high levels of violence. Racially minoritised children reported worse treatment, and 15% of children at Oakhill STC said they had been sexually assaulted by staff. AYJ Chief Executive Jessica Mullen described the findings as “a damning indictment of a system that is both ineffective and unsafe." Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/ej3xbdkV
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We were surprised to hear that one of the challenges our funded partners had with multi-year, unrestricted funding was being unsure about how to spend it. In our latest learning report with Institute For Voluntary Action Research, our partners told us that this kind of funding is so rare that they sometimes struggled with knowing how to spend it, or what was ‘okay’ for them to spend it on. Bringing partners together to share experiences and learn from each other about how they used their funding helped. But we recognise that we need to do more to support our partners. We’d love to hear your ideas or good things already happening in the sector to help organisations with this challenge – please share in the comments 👇 Download the full report ⬇️ https://bit.ly/3VzXsLm
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