Event hears from company that shares its profits with customers

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The CEO of a company that refunds its customers if it makes too much money addressed around 100 like-minded business owners in Birmingham last week.

Ben Reid, chief executive of The Midcounties Co-operative, was the keynote speaker at a networking lunch thrown by Co-operatives West Midlands at the Council House.

New consumer champion for Oxfordshire formed with backing of Prime Minister

The founding members of the Oxfordshire Community Benefit Society: Alison Baxter, chief executive of Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action; Judith Wardle, chairman of Oxfordshire Carers Forum, Linda Watson, of Oxfordshire Rural Community Council; Yvonne Cox of Oxfordshire Wheel; Sue Butterworth, chairman of Oxfordshire Link; and Jean Nunn-Price MBE, of The Midcounties Co-operative

A new consumer champion for health service users in Oxfordshire has been launched – with the blessing of Prime Minister David Cameron.

Fourteen voluntary and community groups have come together to form Oxfordshire Community Benefit Society, with the intention of bidding for the contract to establish a Local Healthwatch body in the county – and reckon they are ‘the bid to beat’.

Co-operative enterprises raise a glass to sustainable food production

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Co-operative enterprises raised a glass to sustainable food production at a seminar in Birmingham.

Cider pressed at a co-operatively-run orchard in Worcester was the toast of the seminar, where ethical coffee production was also celebrated.

And the seminar heard how shoppers at Co-operative supermarkets could find more local produce on their shelves in the future.

Patients groups in Oxfordshire join forces to create new consumer champion – to delight of Prime Minister

Prime Minister David Cameron

Patients’ groups in Oxfordshire have joined forces in a bid to create a new consumer champion for the county – a move that has received a ringing endorsement from Prime Minister David Cameron.

Representatives of 14 voluntary and community sector organisations have formed a Community Benefit Society to tender for the establishment of a Local Healthwatch body – a UK first

The Government wants every local authority in England to establish a Local Healthwatch – to replace existing Local Involvement Networks – by April next year.

And David Cameron has welcomed the establishment of the new organisation, describing it as “the Big Society in action.”

Game aims to settle battle-of-sexes parking dispute

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It’s a question that has divided opinion for as long as cars have been on the road – who’s best at parking: boys or girls?

Now men and women are taking to Facebook to settle the argument once and for all, in an online game that challenges players to park a car in a space using their computer cursor keys, without crashing into other cars or obstacles.

The game, which can be played at www.facebook.com/Parkshare, was launched by the creator of ParkShare, an online community which aims to connect people with empty driveways or garages and commuters who need to park a car, but would rather not use an expensive car park.

Could Your Community Share?, seminar delegates asked

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Village shop or pub at risk of closure? Want to establish an organic food or renewable energy business? Community shares could hold the answer to your finance issue.

At a seminar about community shares in Gloucester last week, experts explained how co-operatives and social enterprises were selling community shares to raise the start-up capital needed to get projects off the ground.

The Co-operative Futures seminar, called Could Your Community Share?, heard from three businesspeople who had run successful community share issues.

Voting opens in £6,000 Community Giveaway

Voting opened today (Monday, July 23) in the preliminary round of the Frasers Budgens of Marlborough Community Giveaway.

The Community Giveaway is being staged by Oxfordshire-based retail group Fraser’s, who are opening a petrol station, Budgens convenience store and Subway outlet at Marlborough Business Park in the autumn.

Showcase season for West Midlands co-operatives

A series of summer and autumn events – including a run-past by the Olympic Torch – will showcase and celebrate co-operative enterprises in the West Midlands during the 2012 International Year of Co-operatives.

Midlands Co-operative Society and NHS foundation trusts will be holding an event to introduce co-operatives to medical professionals on Friday, June 29.

Guest speakers at the event, which will be held in Birmingham from 9.30am until 1.15pm include Dr Aresh Anwar, medical director of the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, and Lisa Thomson director of corporate affairs responsible for membership with Hanne Hoeck, chairman, of West Midland Co-operatives Member Education Group.

Community groups invited to bid for share of £6,000 giveaway

Mark Wilson and Nick Fraser of Budgens Marlborough

What would you do with £1,000? That’s the question being posed to community organisations in Marlborough, who are being invited to take part in an event billed as Dragon’s Den meets Britain’s Got Talent for a share of a £6,000 jackpot.

The Community Giveaway is being staged by Oxfordshire-based retail group Fraser’s, who are opening a petrol station, Budgens convenience store and Subway outlet at Marlborough Business Park in the autumn.

Young citizens’ inquiry into Birmingham disorders

Future Melting Pot

The following press release was written by young people from Birmingham’s Future melting Pot with training from Secret Agent Marketing:

A panel of young people will get the opportunity to quiz senior officials on the disorders at a ‘Young Citizens’ Inquiry into the events of last summer.

The Future Melting Pot’s Outreach Citizens’ Inquiry will be held at Birmingham Council House on Thursday, April 5 from 9am.