Now that 2012 has begun we’d like to wish you a Happy New ‘International Year of Co-operatives’. Movements such as the global Occupy and national UKUNCUT highlight an increasing interest in ways of doing business that put people before profit. So it’s perfect timing for the United Nations to have declared 2012 International Year of Co-operatives. Throughout the year we will be publishing blog articles on the different ways co-operatives, such as ourselves, help to build a better world.

Sheffield Renewables is all about co-operation, with our progress dependent on our volunteers contributing their time and skills, investors contributing cash and supporters keeping us going, e.g. voting for us in the EnergyShare national funding competition. Alongside our volunteers, our two part-time employees also play an important part in our work.

The co-operative movement as a whole is a significant part of the big picture.  Globally co-operatives employ over 100 million people, and in 1994 the UN estimated that co-operatives make the livelihoods of 3 billion people secure.

We want to enable volunteers to contribute as much as possible towards our activities but hope that we can continue to support this with co-operative Green Jobs.

More information on the International Year of Co-operatives is available on their website.