17/08/2020
The Co-op has a podcast! Well, we live in a world of podcasts, a wonderful world of on demand listening. Our own media watcher, Terry, has even said that “the range and breadth of music and speech podcasts, available to all for free on the internet, has democratised the medium of sound audio to an extent that the free radio campaigners of previous generations could not even have thought up in their wildest dreams”. So, why do we mention the Co-op Podcast?. Well, it will appeal to a considerable number of LGBTQ people who are members of the Co-op. For the benefit of our overseas listeners, the Co-op is the shorthand way of saying the Retail Co-operative Group, the grandmother of all Co-operative trading movements in Europe. It was founded in 1844 in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, as a way to live the principles of a peaceful and co-operative society of working people, and more crucially, to sell food that was not adulterated with poisons, toxins and other such impurities in an era of free market economics before food and consumer safety laws. The 1840's were a time of great radicalism across Europe, with struggles over the vote, against Empires, against slavery and in favour of a free press. The Co-operative Movement lived those principles and today the successor to that first Rochdale Co-op, namely the Co-operative Group, still attracts a considerable LGBTQ following with its policies of engaging with Pride events, and championing causes like cruelty-free cosmetics, vegan cuisine and fairtrade coffee, tea and chocolate. The Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers has operated closely with the Co-op around issues such as equality for LGBTQ workers. The new podcast will be hosted by Yasmin Evans, most famous for her weekday afternoon slot on the BBC's black and urban music network, BBC-1Xtra. Different co-operative trading principles will be discussed each week together with wider themes – this week, it will be dealing with grief and how to say goodbye to loved ones, a sensitively tackled programme presented in conjunction with Co-op Funeral Care. Listeners can tune in to the podcast weekly via Spotify, Apple or Acast.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochdale_Society_of_Equitable_Pioneers