Co-op Congress last weekend in Birmingham could have been a very miserable gathering given the events around the Co-operative Group. Ironically, if it had not been for that crisis around our biggest member this would have been one of our best ever years. 

There are over 15 million memberships in the over six thousand co-ops in Britain and — despite the travails at the Group — turnover in the sector is up to £37 billion. 

I was particularly delighted that Yorkshire-based Suma, the wholefoods distributer, was named Co-operative of the Year. Suma is a worker co-operative with 140 owner/members, no hierarchy, no CEO and with a radical commitment to equal pay. 

It turns over £34m a year and has doubled sales in the last decade. Last year it was able to pay a well deserved bonus of £4,750 to each and every owner/member.

To celebrate they are receiving today a visit by current TUC President Mohammad Taj of Unite to mark Employee Ownership day.

There where other bright spots at Congress too. Last Friday we went down Pershore Road in Birmingham with ICA President Pauline Green to launch Britain’s first ever student housing co-op.

If any section of society has been shafted by austerity it is young people. The Students Co-operative Movement grew out of the anti-fees movement. They argue that students have been led up a cul-de-sac by student union politics as a training ground for new labour apparatchiks.

Rather than passing resolutions and waiting, they decided to get on and do things for themselves. They began with student food co-ops and bike co-ops and now they are trying to challenge the dreadful blight of poor quality housing and exorbitant rents. 

This new housing co-op has received substantial financial support from the Phone Co-op and technical support from Birmingham Co-operative Housing Services, a very good example of Co-op principle six in action — co-operation amongst co-operatives. 

While there was no escaping the shadow the Co-op Group cast there was a confidence and vibrancy at congress this year. 

Sensibly we had changed the format to make the whole event as participatory as possible under the theme of Co-operation, How?

The debates focused on two main issues: “How do we promote the co-operative message and secure our identity?” and “How do we take participation in co-operatives to the next level?” The discussions being both wide-ranging, passionate and informed.

BBC business news reporter Steph McGovern commented that it was the best conference format she had ever experienced. 

Hopefully we have begun the process of making Co-operatives UK an open, democratic, participatory learning organisation. Truly practicing what we preach.

The sponsor of this year’s congress was symbolic of a new deepening relationship between the co-operative and trade union movement. It was Unity Trust bank — itself a result of such a partnership — and now marketing itself as “Proud to Bank Co-operatives.” 

Also involved were the Musicians Union who are working to develop worker co-operatives to protect both musicians who work in entertainment and in music education. 

One of the best and most articulate contributions to the discussions came from Patrick Roach, the deputy general secretary of the NASUWT, who spoke about the challenges in education and the opportunity that co-operative schools present at the annual meeting of the Co-op College. 

The rate of co-op schools development has been incredible and we are now working on a proposal to get the law changed so that they can be formed as co-ops on a proper legal basis. 

Other success stories included the work done by Peter Couchman and the Plunkett Foundation, who have worked tirelessly to protect pubs for their communities. They have estimated that community ownership has helped to date to save 4,000 years of pub history.

Of course we could not have a party without an end of the pier show. Except rather than an end this was a new beginning, as Simon Opie explained how Community Ownership had raised some £600,000 to save Hastings Pier. 

He explained that the previous owners had not understood that the pier was vulnerable to the sea. 

Clearly the home town of Robert Tressell still has some ragged trousered philanthropists’ working to make a better world. There is a lot of work to be done and we are not out of the woods with the Co-op Group yet but the whole event does give us some space for quiet optimism.

Nick Matthews is Chair of Co-operatives UK.