The Upper Columbia Cooperative Council works closely with our partner, the British Columbia Cooperative Association, to provide education and training opportunities to our members and the co-op curious.
The Upper Columbia Coop Council provides emerging and existing co-ops with development support through our consulting program. This program allows the Council to work closely with our members and others, building the regional co-op sector by supporting leading practices in governance, member engagement, group development and more. Co-op Council members receive reduced hourly rates as a benefit of membership.
- One-on-One Consulting Services (free initial consultation and some financial support available for eligible co-ops)
Recent examples of the Council’s Consulting Support include:
Kootenay Country Store Co-op – Governance Support
One of the UCCC’s founding members, and a shining example of a community-owned natural food and products store, the Kootenay Co-op had settled into its expansive new location and was eager to revamp some governance tools and practices to reflect its current growth, member numbers, and financial realities. The UCCC worked closely with the Co-op’s governance committee, staff and board of directors to build director capacity through governance training, and, more deeply, for the better part of a year, to support a comprehensive revision of the Rules of Association to present to the members for approval at the 2020 Annual General Meeting.
West Arm Woodworking Co-op – Incorporation and Policy Development Support
One of UCCC’s newest members, the WAWC, also known as the Wood Co-op, benefitted from participation in the BC Co-op Association’s Co-operate Now intensive training program, and the Council followed up with 6 months of support for the young worker co-op to prepare their incorporation papers, and engage in the thoughtful decisions needed to set themselves up for success.
Creston and District Community Investment Co-op– Incorporation and Policy Development Support
The region’s first community investment co-op, started through another UCCC member, Kootenay Employment Services, engaged the Council’s consulting support in their incorporation and policy development process, which successfully lead to the creation of two more recent members, the East Kootenay Columbia Community Investment Co-op, and the Kootenay Boundary Community Investment Co-op, and the creation of comprehensive guide on How to Start a Community Investment Co-op. The harnessing of local capital is alive and well through co-ops in our region.
Many more Programs and Services are available through the BCCA website. Some of the resources most useful to Council Members are:
- Cooperate Now! (An intensive training program designed to kickstart your co-op)
- Cultivating Co-ops Guide (a free downloadable guide to get you started on your co-op journey)
Principle Six ensures there are always many co-op development and support programs across the country, and around the globe :