News Archive
50 years of friendship and finance – meet Dame Pauline Green
Through this, our fiftieth year, we’re delighted to be talking to some of the incredible people who have worked with us along the way – borrowers, supporters, investors, partners, Trustees, and staff. Today, we introduce Dame Pauline Green ‘I have known ICOF for some time, but then I’ve been a co-operator for a very long […]
Celebrating ICOF 50th birthday – looking back at our early loans – The Bike Doctor
Bicycle co-ops were huge in the 70s! Here we see The Bike Doctor being opened by Graham Obree, who was at the time of the picture, the fastest cyclist around. We’re not sure where this was – anyone know? Since publishing this article, we’ve been told by Ian Taylor that this photo was taken around […]
50 years of friendship and finance – meet Malcolm Lynch
Through this, our fiftieth year, we’re delighted to be talking to some of the incredible people who have worked with us along the way – borrowers, supporters, investors, partners, Trustees, and staff. Today, we introduce Malcolm Lynch, who is a solicitor and heads the Charity and Social Economy Team at Wrigleys Solicitors ‘My involvement with […]
Celebrating ICOF 50th birthday – looking back at our early loans – Foundation for Human Development
Here we have the Foundation for Human Development in London in, we think the 70’s with… a tiny, portable computer? Or a printer? We’re not entirely sure what this but we suspect it’s probably available as an app nowadays.
Enrolling now: barefoot training
We are so pleased to see enrolment open for another barefoot training cohort. If we are going to grow the co-op sector its essential we have new Co-op Development Practitioners to support new and developing democratically owned businesses. Could you apply the skills and experience you have developed working in a co-operative or community business […]
Celebrating ICOF 50th birthday – looking back at our early loans – Bookprint Co-op
Another early loan – do we think that’s a printer? Loans to purchase equipment have been a big part of our work and in 1975 we lent to Bookprint Co-op on Neath, South Wales to enable them to buy some cutting edge printing tech. It would look rather different today! Since publishing this article, we’ve […]
CCF Awarded Cyber Essentials Plus certification
We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded the national Cyber Essentials Plus certification. This is the independently audited step beyond the basic Cyber Essentials level. This means that we have all the necessary hardware, software and systems in place to protect our finances – and therefore our ability to support our borrowers – […]
Celebrating ICOF 50th birthday – looking back at our early loans
Here’s another early loan, the first of many to wholefood co-ops! We lent to Green City in 1974 and are delighted that they are still going strong in Glasgow. At the time of writing, they are in fact recruiting – could you be their next Quality Assurance Office, Business Development Member or Buyer?
Proud to be part of new £2.2m fund to help communities take ‘levelling up’ into their own hands
A £2.2 million investment into supporting community businesses has been announced, as a new report reveals that, to date, communities across the UK have themselves raised £210 million to save local assets and services. The new funding from Access – The Foundation for Social Investment will enable further opportunities for harder to reach communities and […]
Celebrating ICOF 50th birthday – looking back to our first loan
Our very first loan! We lent Little Women £500. Our records don’t quite reveal the purpose of it but we believe it was to help with buying the shop, with the flat above, in Sunderland. Did you ever visit?