Co-op Alternatives

Power Station is coming to Belfast! Join us Sat 28 March at The Commons for a hopeful film about a Walthamstow street trying to go off‑grid and a conversation about what real community energy could look like in NI. Film 2pm, Q&A + panel after. Tickets: imaginebelfast.com/event/power-st…

We are delivering our Level 3 Energy Awareness course this week to @nihecommunity, @coownershipni and @coopalts. The group is working hard calculating the consumption of electrical appliances! #Training #Energy

New opportunities for community energy in NI with the newly published GB Energy Local Power Plan. Read more here tinyurl.com/4byzus74 @JohnSocEnt @CommEnergyNI @DrumlinCoop @FermanaghTrust @Economy_NI @socentni @GBEgovuk

📢🗓 Upcoming Webinar - ‘What are Co-ops?’ on Wednesday 21st Jan 2026 ONLINE from 11.00am to 1.00pm. Webinar for all, with and without co-ops’ ideas, but willing to learn more! 📎Registration Link: shorturl.at/IkaIK @Economy_NI @coopalts @BFCleanCoop

🌱 Across towns and cities, communities are reimagining how we co-operatively grow, distribute, and share food. Let’s cultivate a fairer system. Join us online from 6-7:30pm | Wednesday 4th Feb! Registration Link: shorturl.at/fQZyK @Economy_NI @coopalts @BFCleanCoop

📍Derry | Interested in co-operatives and Community Wealth Building? Join us next Friday (23rd) for a practical workshop exploring how co-operative business models create good jobs and keep power & wealth in local communities. 🔗 Register below via Eventbrite

Three things we did this week: · Taught our City and Guilds course in Energy Awareness to @fermanaghomagh WRAP students in Enniskillen · Spoke at a webinar run by @coopalts and @TrademarkBF · Ran a stall at the Student Carers Event at the Downpatrick Campus @S_ERC

Our webinar series continues! Wed 10th, 6pm with Jonathan Atkinson @CarbonCoop @PeopleRetrofit + Pat Austin & Nichola MacDougall @NEANIreland We’ll tackle the real challenges of fuel poverty and explore how co-ops can drive change. Register at shorturl.at/Ve38g

We are in Newry @NMEA_WIN_NEWRY on the 3rd of December to answer any questions you may have on co-ops. Join us and discover if co-ops are for you. 👉 Register: shorturl.at/Slr2K

Still time to join our webinar on care co‑ops, 20 Nov with Aoife Smith & Gerard Doyle exploring Irish co‑ops in care. Gerard’s paper on the @GreatCareCoop shows worker‑owned models deliver better jobs & dignity. #CareCoops #FairCare #IYC2025 Register at shorturl.at/Sb4oO

Half of NI households told us in our @LucidTalk poll that they have reduced their use of central heating within the last 24 months due to rising energy prices and the cost of living. #FuelPoverty #ColdHomes

Upcoming webinars on cooperatives shorturl.at/Sb4oO

📢CONSULTATION – Definition of Social Enterprise Growing the Social Economy Sector is a priority for the Economy Minister @CArchibald_SF and making the sector sustainable is a key feature of her economic vision. In order to deliver on this, we need to ensure that funding from government is targeting social enterprises correctly. The Department is consulting on proposed definition framework that could provide clarity on what a social enterprise is, including the features which make it different from other business models. 📄Read more and respond➡️ economy-ni.gov.uk/consultations/… 📅 Deadline – 23 December 2025

Why are co-ops still rare in Northern Ireland, and what can we do about it? Join us in the Long Gallery, Stormont, Belfast on 13th Nov 2025 for bold ideas, global insights, and practical strategies to grow the sector. Agenda + registration: shorturl.at/BhJXS #Coops2025

Economy Minister Dr @CArchibald_SF attended Sustainable Energy Communities NI showcase event at @BcashSports, Lisburn. Speaking at the event the Minister said: “I would like to commend @AdviceNI and its partners for pioneering the Sustainable Energy Community Project, designed to empower local communities to take control of how they generate, conserve, and use energy. "By supporting communities to co-design their own energy future, we are not only creating fairer economic opportunities across the north, but also laying the foundations for a more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable economy. Read news release: adviceni.net/about/news/sho… @atu_ie @coopalts @NEANIreland @CommEnergyNI

Based in the North West? A chance to join a workshop all about co-ops. We will be at the Rath Mor centre from 11.00 on the 5th Nov. Let's talk co-ops in the NW! #coops #NorthWestNI @dhcni @PlayhouseDerry Register here shorturl.at/hAIeE

Based in the North West? Join us at the Rath Mor Centre, Derry on 5th Nov from 11.00 to explore why co-operative works, and much more. #Coops #CommunityPower #NorthWestNI @HolywellT @enterprisenw @BBHealthForum @culturlanndoire @nerve_centre Register shorturl.at/hAIeE

Heard of co-ops but not sure what the buzz is about? Come to our workshop in Derry and find out how shared ownership can spark real change in food, energy, work & more. It’s not a lecture. It’s a movement Workshop on the 5th November Please register here: shorturl.at/hAIeE

Laura Turner, Academy Manager at Ballymacash Sports Academy, shared her 20 years of community development experience. She highlighted the initiative's passion for creating opportunities for youth and its long-term vision for local development. #TNLcommunityfund #SECNI

At @LacadaBrew event, funded by @TNLComFundNI #AwardsForAllNI, we celebrated the #InternationalYearofCooperatives and the power of member ownership. @LacadaBrew is proof: solidarity, self-help, and a taproom that’s become Portrush’s heartbeat. #Portrush