Become a Council Member

Co-op is owned by our 7 million members, and everything we do starts with them. Our 100-strong National Members’ Council helps shape our plans and priorities, ensuring members’ voices are heard. As a democratic business, member-owners elect council representatives to champion their views and values. With Council Members from communities across the UK, you could be one of them.

As a Council Member, you will:

Be the voice of our member-owners

Attend Council meetings to hear from and talk to our Board, Operating Board and the wider Co-operative Movement. Share ideas and keep the voice of our member-owners at the heart of what we do.

Share views and influence decisions

Ask questions to influence future plans and decisions and share your views on issues that are important to our member-owners and have a significant impact on our Co-op, with the chance to shape work relating to them.

Play an active role in how our Co-op is run

Read and understand information about how our Co-op is run and play an active role. Be part of a committee or working group, where you’ll input and provide constructive challenge in real time.

Be a part of your community

Get involved with your Member Activator, local member events and community activities, gathering feedback on local issues and sharing updates on what our Co-op is doing.

To become a Council Member, you will need to:

Shop at Co-op

Be a regular consumer of our Co-op’s products and services.

Value our principles

Be passionate about our Co-op and our Co-operative Values and Principles.

Understand our Co-op

Understand how our Co-op works and the products and services we offer.

Be an ambassador

Be an ambassador and positive role model for our Co-op, demonstrating integrity and acting in the best interests of Co-op at all times.

Be co-operative

Be co-operative, collaborative and respectful of others, with sound judgement and the ability to challenge constructively and assertively and seek support and advice if needed.

Be influential

Have great communication skills, including active listening and understanding others, as well as being influential and diplomatic with experience of making a positive impact.

Be organised

Be organised and well-prepared for meetings and other activities.

Be an advocate

Be a passionate advocate for social mobility, inclusion and belonging.

To stand for election, you will need to:

Have been a Co-op Member for at least 1 year.

Have earned 250 trading points from January-January by spending across any of the following businesses in the Co-op Group (Co-op Food, Co-op Insurance, Co-op Funeralcare and Co-op Legal Services).

Submit a photo and a short and long word statement for our Annual General Meeting (AGM) materials.

Check your eligibility

Check your eligibility to stand for election on your membership account or by emailing us with your membership number, full name and address at councilelections@coop.co.uk.

Become a Co-opted Council Member

Our Members' Council has up to seven seats allocated for co-option each year, helping us to better represent our diverse communities. To stand for election to the Members’ Council as a Co-opted Council Member, you'll just need to have been a member of the Co-op for 1 year.

Council Members will vote on who they would like to elect as a Co-opted Council Member following our AGM in May. Please provide a statement and photo as part of your nomination to support this process.

If you're interested in becoming a Co-opted Council Member, please email councilelections@coop.co.uk.