Rochdale Borough Council shortlisted for Co-operatives UK Council of the Year Award

Rochdale is the birthplace of the co-operative movement, so it is only fitting that Rochdale Borough Council has been shortlisted for the Co-operatives UK Council of the Year Award.

The local authority has been shortlisted for its pioneering work – in partnership with many local groups – to support residents boroughwide before and during the pandemic.

Rochdale Council's entry states: "Rochdale's two-year 'Good Help' project is changing the way people are supported. The co-designed approach is all about getting people to help themselves by having the right conversations – giving them the confidence to take actions to improve their lives.

"The borough's Community Health Champions (a team of volunteers supported by the Living Well service) were already using Good Help methods to prevent health inequalities before the pandemic.

"During Covid-19 their approach to working with neighbourhoods has been invaluable. It has seen 483 people take a vaccine that otherwise wouldn't have done.

"The council has proactively enabled, empowered and funded the third sector to respond to the pandemic. Separate foodbanks and pantries were rapidly brought together with a boroughwide Community Warehouse and Food Solutions Network."
 

Read more: Council extends commitment to Food Solutions WarehousePublished: 29 March 2021

The submission continues: "Rochdale Council's Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise Sector (VCFSE) infrastructure organisation, Action Together, co-ordinated over 20 VCFSE organisations and statutory partners to ensure essential supplies, economic, health and wellbeing support were there for everyone in need.

"To tackle isolation and exclusion, the council and other anchors also funded a consortium of grassroots organisations to establish a digital library to loan out technology items."
 

Read more: Newly-formed Rochdale Digital Consortium formed to tackle digital povertyPublished: 28 August 2020

The Co-op of the Year Awards are an annual accolade with five award categories for co-ops and one co-op council award.

Rochdale Council is up against Cheshire West and Chester Council, Kirklees Council, Telford and Wrekin Council and Torbay Council.

A number of awards will be presented to individuals who have made a significant contribution to the UK co-operative movement. The individual awards were selected by a panel of judges made up of representatives from Co‑operatives UK members.

A judging panel representing a cross section of Co‑operatives UK’s member co-ops shortlisted and ranked co-ops in each category.  

The judges’ scores will be combined with public votes to decide the winners. Voting cloes on 1 June.

To vote for Rochdale Borough Council to win the Council of the Year Award, please visit:

• www.uk.coop/vote