The flag of the International Co-operatives Alliance is flying from Ipswich Town Hall today, the first Saturday of July – the International Day of Co-operatives.

Co-ops are common across Ipswich, not just the well-known East of England Co-op but Suffolk Libraries and Ipswich Town First supporters’ group are also co-ops as well as our local credit union, Eastern Savings and Loans and Co-op Juniors. Other co-ops in Suffolk provide sporting and social facilities, community shops and pubs and even co-operative housing. Co-operatives are people-centred enterprises owned, controlled and run by and for their members to realise their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations.

 The East of England Co-operative Society has served Ipswich people for more than 150 years; it was founded as the Ipswich Industrial Co-operative Society on 3 March 1868. William King, one of the early pioneers of the co-operative movement was born here in Ipswich, in Lower Brook Street, in 1786.

Mayor of Ipswich, John Cook, says:

“I’m proud to see Ipswich Borough Council flying the International Co-operatives Alliance flag from the Town Hall. When I was elected Mayor, I said that community and co-operation would be my mayoral theme.

 “Here in Ipswich many thousands of residents are members, that is owners, of local co-operatives and share in their success, such as through annual dividend payments and in different forms of co-op such as worker co-ops that give people a chance to band together to set up new businesses and farming co-ops that enable producers to share machinery, marketing and other services.“