News Archive
The Co-operative and Mutual Economy 2023 – new report
Co-operatives UK has launched the Co-operative and Mutual Economy 2023 – the only examination of a combined, comprehensive dataset on the democratic economy. It reveals – among many other things – that: New-start coops more than twice as likely to survive the first 5 years of business as ‘regular’ businesses The democratic economy is made up […]
Celebrating ICOF 50th birthday – looking back at our loans – St John’s Sunshine
Let the sun shine! We supported St John’s Sunshine in Old Trafford, Manchester, to add solar panels to their community centre. These were intended to generate green electricity to benefit the people in the area.
Fifty years of friendship and finance – introducing Tiziana O’Hara
In our series of interviews with friends from our first fifty years of financing co-ops and community ownership, today we talk to Tiziana O’Hara, founder member of Co-op Alternatives – the only cooperatives development agency in Northern Ireland. “Co-operative Alternatives is a Co-operative Development body. It’s quite recent in that we’ve been operating for the […]
Thanks to David Still for these fantastic photos!
As part of our ICOF 50th birthday celebrations, we’ve been looking back at some of our memories from over the years. Thank you to our friend David Still for sending us these fantastic photos! Do you recognise anyone here?
Celebrating ICOF 50th birthday – looking back at our loans – Somerset Wood Recycling
Somerset Wood Recycling is a social enterprise, making things from recycled or sustainably sourced timber, as a way to train and employ disadvantaged people from the local area. Selling reclaimed wood in it’s raw form, or with the addition of tender loving care as shelves, cheeseboards or even the Somerset Eco Coffin , it’s been […]
Fifty years of friendship and finance – meet Clare Diaper
Today in our series of interviews with friends we’ve made over the last fifty years, we speak to Clare Diaper, Strategic Team Lead at October Books. We supported October Books to buy an old bank building in 2018. They moved a few hundred yards down the road from their old rented premises, and the story […]
Fifty years of friendship and finance – meet Richard Snow
In our series of interviews with friends from the last fifty years, today we meet Richard Snow, CEO of Oxford Wood Recycling. We last spoke to Richard in 2020, to find out how the business had managed through Covid at that point. “I’ve been aware of ICOF since before my time here at Oxford Wood Recycling. […]
Celebrating ICOF 50th birthday – looking back at our loans – R-Eco
Founded in 2006, The Renewable Energy Co-operative now has over 15 years of experience blending enthusiasm for technological innovation and practicality with cooperative values and a long-term, purpose-driven perspective towards effective energy solutions. We worked with R-Eco in 2011 to support growth. They Converted to a Worker Co-op Society in 2014 and then relocated to […]
Fifty years of friendship and finance – meet David Still
Today in our series of interviews with friends from the last fifty years, we speak to David Still CBE, who has been both a borrower and a Trustee. “I first heard about ICOF when I was part of a workers cooperative called Northumbrian Energy Workshop, in around 1984. We were looking for finance and borrowed […]
Celebrating ICOF 50th birthday – looking back at our loans – Point Europa
Point Europa in Cornwall is a training and education project supporting and improving the lives of individuals and communities through integration, education and training. We worked with them to help them provide a floating pontoon for the local fishing fleet, and to purchase an old bank and convert in to community resource.