Co-operative Assistance Network Limited

1989

CAN is launched. Its mission is “to assist the development of co-operatives and social enterprises”.

Essex County Council enters into a contract with CAN to provide co-operative development services.

1990

Training for people aiming to establish new enterprises is set up with an adult community college. This collaborative approach is repeated regularly with colleges, business and technology centres.

1991

CAN starts a continuing theme assisting development and piloting of new training – the Co-operative Certificate of Business Administration.

1992

CAN launches programmes to enable women considering a return to work to examine their options and for women already in work to challenge the “glass ceiling” and enter management roles.

1993

CAN carries out its first project with disabled people to create employment opportunities – CAN begins working with social firms.

1994

CAN provides consultancy to a successful worker buy-out of a failing manufacturing business, beginning CAN's work on buyouts.

1995

A study identifies support needs and potential for growth of a local social enterprise sector. A funding bid to the (then) dti brings funding for development of an innovative training programme addressing these needs.

1996

CAN and Suffolk County Council collaborate to launch SUCCESS (Suffolk Co-operative and Community Enterprise Support Service). The launch conference is a sell-out. Within months new co-operatives and community enterprises are launched.

1997

Housing co-operatives in Brighton commission a training package on democratic management of housing co-operatives.

CAN is part of the team that originates and pilots the “Training For Growth” programme for small enterprises addressing growth and change.

1998

CAN carries out a feasibility study and business planning exercise on behalf of a Regeneration Partnership that results in the establishment of a craft-workers co-operative. This marks the beginning of increasing CAN involvement with regeneration projects.

CAN are consultants in the set up of East Anglia Food Link, increasing involvement in rural issues and sustainable agriculture.

1999

Greenwich CDA become CAN’s one hundredth customer when CAN takes on delivery of a part of their social enterprise start-up project.

CAN is part of a trans-European partnership to develop a training and support resource for people establishing social firms (Social Enterprise Employment Development).

2000

CAN develops the Credit Union variant of the Co-operative Certificate of Business Administration and pilots it as part of a successful project to establish a new Credit Union in Hertfordshire.

2001

On behalf of Social Firms UK, CAN develops a regional support organisation and obtains its first project funding.

CAN provides business planning and management systems consultancy to Greenwich Credit Union, one of the first to achieve registration with the (then) FSA.

2002

CAN launches the Social Enterprise Start-Up Programme, accredited by the Open College Network (OCN), to empower social entrepreneurs to establish sustainable social enterprises.

2003

CAN is a founder member of South-East Co-operative Support, the first consortium of co-operative development bodies in the UK, as the first step in developing such consortia across regions and trade sectors.

2004

CAN completes a feasibility study into the provision of a Social Enterprise Business Incubator in Bournemouth.

CAN carries out research and analysis to produce a policy recommendation for a Social Enterprise Support Delivery System for the West of England.

2005

Mapping exercises establish the extent and nature of the social economy in South Gloucestershire and Bath & North East Somerset. A Development Needs Analysis of the Bristol Co-operative Sector is carried out. Using this benchmark study, CAN analyses and outlines how an “excellent service” can be created to meet these needs.

Community Development Workers and local champions in Southampton receive Introduction to Social Enterprise Development Training to enable them to recognise potential for social enterprise development and work with local groups through the early stages of the development process.

Business Link commissions CAN to deliver support to new-start co-operatives and social enterprises in Dorset.

2006

A 4-day variant of the Social Enterprise Start Up training programme is delivered to clients of Business Link across Dorset, Hampshire, and Isle of Wight, with Master Classes in Funding & Investment Acquisition and Social Accounting.

As a member of South East Co-operative Support, CAN delivers training and consultancy funded by South East England Development Agency and European Social Fund, a programme that is re-funded for the following two years.

2007

Business Links’ consultants across South East England attend CAN's Introduction to Social Enterprise training.

CAN is engaged by Co-operatives UK to work on production of the Worker Co-operative Code of Good Governance.

CAN provides professional development training piloting the OCN accredited Co-operative and Social Enterprise Development Worker Training Programme.

2008

CAN provides development assistance to co-operatives across South East England through a project funded by the Co-operative Fund bringing a glowing report from the external assessor and helping to develop a model of high productivity, low cost service provision.

CAN develops a training programme to assist people with moderate and severe learning difficulties to participate in business governance and management decisions.

Governance Training programmes in London receive standing ovations from paying participants.

2009

CAN becomes a key component of the delivery system as the Co-operative Enterprise Hub is launched.

CAN develops Quality Systems and Quality Auditing functions for regional consortia.

2010

CAN moves into Direct Provision of Services such as Company Secretary services, accounting, preparation of year end accounts, personnel administration and representation at Industrial Tribunal.

2011

CAN becomes an Open Source organisation and begins release of its tools to other Co-operative Development Bodies. These are rapidly taken up across the UK.

2012

CAN designs the Co-operative City concept and manages the delivery of a pilot project in Southampton.

Alternative Energy Co-operatives benefit from CAN research into VAT, clawing back tens of thousands in taxes.

2013

CAN becomes a Credit Union Development Body providing a full range of support services to Credit Unions.

Agreement with chartered accountants delivers expert auditing service for Co-operative Societies and Community Benefit Societies.

Financial projection tools for alternative energy co-operatives are developed.

2014

CAN helps to establish Development Co-operative (the national consortium of co-operative development bodies) and the Credit Union Support Organisation UK – initiatives which will have a significant impact on development of the social economy in years to come.

CAN is contracted to research the resources and links and author the advice and guidance content of the new Social Business Wales web site.

2015

CAN begins delivery of training and consultancy services to enable social enterprises to expand and enhance their services and source investment within the framework of the Big Potential programme and for voluntary sector infrastructure organisations to develop within the framework of the Big Assist Programme.

CAN is accepted as a Technical Support Provider for the Community Economic Development Programme.

2016

CAN is approved as Preferred Providers to Co-operatives UK for The Hive Business Support Programme.

CAN is appointed Consultant Organisation to 3-year, £11m Social Business Wales support programme.

CAN provides experts to become non-executive Directors, Treasurers and Secretaries of other Co-ops and Social Enterprises.

2017

CAN provides consultancy to a City Council on employee involvement strategies.

CAN becomes an accredited provider of consultancy services under the Bright Ideas Programme working with start-up Community Businesses to develop plans, acquire funding and benefit from Community Asset Transfers of buildings and land. One particular client acquires £1.26M in grant finance.

2018

CAN becomes consultants to several Community Led Housing initiatives and Community Land Trusts helping to develop innovative approaches to the provision of affordable homes.

CAN provides support to a cohort of social enterprises receiving funding from the Reach Fund to improve their investment readiness.

2019

CAN team member becomes accredited Community Shares Practitioner and CAN begins work supporting Community Share Issues.

2020

CAN develops and delivers on-line versions of some of its training programmes to keep services flowing despite the pandemic.

2021

CAN was called in to support the development of a community share offer for Zion Community Art Space to purchase the building that it was leasing.

2022

CAN team member becomes accredited Community Led Housing Advisor.

CAN launches a subscription-based method of buying in the range of CAN services to provide security of supply and budgeting certainty for its client enterprises.

Crowdfunding platform Fundsurfer described working with CAN on its first community share offer, raising funds for Stoke Croft Land Trust, as a “brilliant experience”.

Download the CAN c.v.

A co-operative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise.

Co-operatives use a variety of legal forms (companies, societies, partnerships and trusts) which are operated and managed according to a set of principles laid down by a group of people who set up the first Co-operative Society in Rochdale in the 1840's:

The Rochdale Pioneers.

The seven co-operative principles

The co-operative values and principles identified by the Rochdale Pioneers to this day guide and define co-operative enterprises around the world.  They were formally adopted by the 1995 Centenary Congress of the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA).

1. Voluntary and Open Membership

Co-operatives are voluntary organisations open to all persons able to use their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership without gender, social, racial, political or religious discrimination.

2. Democratic Member Control

Co-operatives are democratic organisations controlled by their members who actively participate in setting their policies and making decisions. Men and women serving as elected representatives are accountable to their members. In primary co-operatives members have equal voting rights (one member one vote) and co-operatives at other levels are also organised in a democratic manner.

3. Member Economic Participation

Members contribute equitably to, and control democratically, the capital of their co-operative. Members usually receive limited compensation, if any, on capital subscribed as a condition of membership. Members allocate surpluses for any of the following purposes: developing their co-operative, possibly by setting up reserves, part of which at least would be indivisible; benefiting members in proportion with their transactions with the co-operative; and supporting other activities as approved by membership.

4. Autonomy and Independence

Co-operatives are autonomous, self help organisations controlled by their members. If they enter into agreements with other organisations, including governments, or raise capital from external sources, they do so on terms that ensure democratic control by their members and maintain their co-operative autonomy.

5. Education, Training and Information

Co-operatives provide education and training for their members, elected representatives, and employees so that they can contribute effectively to the development of their co-operatives. They inform the general public – particularly young people and opinion leaders – about the nature and benefits of co-operation.

6. Co-operation among Co-operators

Co-operatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the co-operative movement by working together through local, national, regional and international structures.

7. Concern for the Community

Co-operatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies approved by their members.

The important thing to understand about the principles is that they are not simply a menu of ethics that you can pick and choose from, rather they work together like an engine to drive a sustainable democratic enterprise. If any parts of the 'engine' are missing then the enterprise is more likely to fail as a co-operative or to damage the reputation of co-operatives.

The Co-operative Values

• Self-help
• Self responsibility
• Democracy
• Equality
• Equity
• Solidarity

Ethical Values

• Honesty
• Openness
• Social responsibility
• Caring for others

For further information please see Co-operatives UK's website.

Do you have the skills that can assist people to develop co-operative and community based solutions?

CAN operates a rolling recruitment system and we want to hear from you.

We are currently seeking to address the gender imbalance in the co-operative support sector and actively encourage female applicants.

Our Equal Opportunities Policy is available to read on this site - opens in new window.

If you are interested, please download an application form here (.odt) or here (.doc) or contact our Human Resources Team Leader John Merritt, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to make enquiries.

We invite you to support the work of CAN by purchasing loanstock. This will help us to address investment issues that commonly affect common ownership co-operative enterprises, we have decided to operate a loanstock scheme.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is not a public offer. The investment is only open to people, societies and companies who are actively part of the community of interest supporting co-operative principles, common ownership and the CAN mission.

Further information and an application form can be obtained by using the links below:

CAN Loanstock information sheet including terms and conditions.
CAN Loanstock application form.

These documents should be read in conjunction with annual accounts and social performance reports or by contacting us for further information.

Financial Statements, Social and Environmental Accounts and Co-operative Governance Audits can be viewed in PDF format by following the links below.

Financial Statements for 2019-20

Environmental Accounts 2019-20

Financial Statements for 2018-19

Environmental Accounts 2018-19

Workers' Co-operative Code of Governance audit report for 2018-19

Financial Statements for 2017-18

Environmental Accounts 2017-18

Financial Statements for 2016-17

Environmental Accounts 2016-17

Financial Statements for 2015-16

Environmental Accounts 2015-16

Financial Statements for 2014-15

Environmental Accounts 2014-15

Financial Statements for 2013-14

Social Accounts for 2013-14

Environmental Accounts 2013-14

Financial Statements for 2012-13

Financial Statements for 2011-12

Financial Statements for 2010-11

Financial Statements for 2009-10

Financial Statements for 2008-09

Financial Statements for 2007-08

Financial Statements for 2006-07

Financial Statements for 2005-06

Financial Statements for 2004-05

Financial statements for 2003-04

Don't take our word for it!  This is what people have said about CAN's training and consultancy services:

Working with Hilary as the licensed Community Share Practitioner on the Stoke Croft Land Trust Share Offer was a brilliant experience, without her overall efforts and work to ensure SCLT was investment ready and could secure the community share offer mark the project would not have been as successful as it was. Hilary secured significant funding of £75,000 from the Co-OP community booster fund as well as helping to keep everything on track and moving forward. Hilary also helped us to get the process right on the Fundsurfer platform side before launch as it was our first ever Community Share Offer and her help and advice was immensely helpful. We look forward to working together again soon!

CAN have been amazing during the whole of this process. Hilary was there to answer all of my 'stupid questions' with patience, knowledge and humour for which I am so grateful. CAN also went above and beyond working through a Bank Holiday weekend to make a print deadline, which was incredible.

you are so brilliant! thank you CAN for providing these wonderful tools :-)

"The support we had at Tiny House Community Bristol from Hilary Sudbury at the Co-operative Assistance Network was absolutely crucial and instrumental to us winning 'Preferred Bidder' status for a council site in the Ward of Sea Mills, Bristol. Hilary guided us through a process of transition from a Company Ltd. by Guarantee to a Community Benefit Society and also helped us to work out how we could overlay the decentralised governance system of Sociocracy within the CBS legal entity. Hilary also gave us extensive help with putting together a Business Plan to support our bid for the site in Sea Mills and sub-contracted Tom Beale via Ecomotive for the Financial Planning elements. The way in which Hilary and Tom worked together to help us with our bid was really great and very professional. Winning the bid is testament to this. Thank you so much Hilary! We really couldn't have achieved this fantastic result without you!"

"Thank you... it's a brilliant piece of work."

"The training will help me to set up social enterprise in the future and also allow me to advise others on social enterprise business."

"The information given was exactly what is needed to start up a social enterprise.  This was a pleasure and a blessing so thank you to all involved."

"That was a really great session you delivered – despite the many challenges!  Thank you for being so patient and steering us through to something with a concrete direction."

"The tool we were given for financial planning is and will be of great use to us. The focus the project gave us in terms of getting on with policies and procedures also really useful.  It was really great to work with Austen and Chris – and we will definitely be commissioning their help in the future."

"Thank you for the sessions you put on for us. As a package, they were so helpful, and Chris, you have been awarded the title by colleagues as the man who can make the world of finance interesting and not just necessary. That is quite something."

"Interesting and informative - a well run and well presented course that provided specialist information that met both general and individual needs. Highly recommended for anyone looking at starting a social enterprise."

"We wouldn't be where we stand today without CAN's help. They saved us a chunk of money, and allowed us to go forward without much of the stress of the traditional business start up. They are user-friendly, supportive, effective and knowledgeable. I especially valued the internet contact and support."

"We have found the programme very useful in formulating our plans for future development, in particular the creation of a community interest company."

"Very helpful in giving clarity to the most appropriate structure for the development of new premises for the provision of healthcare. Helpful contacts list and ethos development."

"In an area of my life, where I have been taking small and tentative steps, I've just been given the chance to take a huge world record leap. My dream to become a documentary maker for social causes has been ignited, inspired and invigorated."

"The training and support from CAN has been of great use and help in assisting with the development of our project."

"We have a huge amount of work to do to progress our co-operative over the next few months and as we start to look at a six month review of operating, we want CAN to be involved in that review. As we head towards our first year end, it will be crucial to have the support of CAN in preparing that year end and delivering a review that will help to re-establish the public image of the good that the co-operative movement can do for our economy."

"Thanks CAN we couldn’t have done it without you!"

"Gave clear, usable answers to all the questions we had, that had been bugging us for ages."

"I have found the training very useful and enjoyable. Having previously worked in commercial environments it's great to see potential social enterprises and other voluntary and community sector organisations receiving this very important training. What's very special is that whilst developing good business skills to help us survive, CAN ensure their message is delivered in such a way that encourages this sector to continue to operate in partnership and full collaboration with each other without competing against each other, in order to strengthen the entire sector and make it sustainable."

"I enjoy getting information on how to carry out pricing and valuing the time I spend on each task. Information about credible referral gave me trust to smoothly confirm developing our work."

"The Co-operative Assistance Network (CAN) provided invaluable advice and support. As founder members we all had experience of public and private limited companies but the co-operative was a very different beast. Our business model and plan was reviewed and challenged. We realised that unlike setting up a limited company or even a charity, setting up a co-operative required validation and approval of what we were doing. Achieving that validation and approval by using CAN means something to all of us. We had 4 free CAN days and then there is a very reasonable rate payable for additional hours."

"Our CAN advisor guided us through all the legal set-up paperwork, ensuring that we understood what we were signing up to at every stage. We attended a CAN facilitated Social Accounting workshop which provided practical and constructive approaches to this very interesting area."

"This consultancy time has helped me develop a much clearer picture of what we need to be doing over the next year to establish our work and our client-base. I feel really encouraged and excited about our prospects, and energised to get on with it."

"Support from CAN has been a life-line, and has helped keep my ideas moving forward to a point where we can trade as a business. The ongoing support after receiving training has really made a difference."

"Very helpful. Put clarity on even the most basic things I hadn't thought of. Feel supported."

"Invaluable one to one sessions full of knowledge and past cases. A great source for business set up to progression routes. A positive can do attitude."

"Made to think for oneself. Discussions well thought out, so we had to work, not sit and listen. Recommend your service to all."

"The course was delivered in a very user-friendly way, and the trainer took care to answer every question in detail. His answers and observations were well considered and encouraged creative thinking. I think all attendees gained a lot of confidence to pursue their aims."

"This has been an invaluable training service. It has given me far more confidence to move ahead, and raised numerous issues I would not have thought of. It has enabled me to think 'What do I need to do?' Instead of ' What can I / can't I do?' and made it more approachable."

"I found the Social Enterprise Start Up Training Programme service very valuable for developing my fledgling ideas into something with weight, potential and possibilities. I found the CAN team to be very well informed, exceedingly knowledgeable and very helpful."

"I have really enjoyed the training. I now feel empowered to take the first steps towards setting up a small business. Thanks to everyone!"

"We found the course to be exactly what we needed to assess and develop our business. All the training was very clearly and professionally delivered."

"Most effective training ever attended. Training delivery was excellent as trainer really delivered what the group wanted."

"I found that the assistance our organisation received from CAN was important for two main reasons. Firstly, we were able to identify areas in our project that would determine our success; and secondly, we were given guidance in the methods of running our enterprise, including business planning; and most importantly not losing the factors that make our organization improve."

"Has helped enormously to form a social enterprise. The structure of the enterprise; the social aims of the enterprise; how to get funding. And help finding the way forward."

"The training and guidance for CAN has increased my knowledge and confidence immensely for setting up a social enterprise. Without it I would not have been aware of the many implications, despite having read reams of information from other sources. Meeting others who share common aims, and having advisers who have been so helpful have been the greatest contribution to an ambitious idea becoming a viable venture."

"This has been a very positive and informative training course. The individual day courses were very pertinent, and balanced between business and ethos. The one-to-one session focus on specifics was excellent. Business consultant / adviser invaluable. Thank you so much."

"Very good - took me from little knowledge base to an understanding to be able to start working in the social enterprise area. I would recommend the programme to anyone who wants to go into social enterprise."

"We will be offering a very different type of ‘profit share’ as members will accrue points towards different types of training and personal development courses, coaching and programmes. CAN provided us with an expert in this area to help us set this up correctly so that there is no tax implication for individual members."

Hilary Sudbury – Associate and Development Worker

Hilary has been providing business and governance support for co-operative and community led organisations from small membership worker co-operatives to large membership community benefit societies in Bristol and surrounding areas since 1996. Hilary enjoys working across all business sectors from community led housing to community owned assets (piers, pubs, pools, renewable energy etc.) at all stages of development including pre-feasibility, incorporation and conversion to a co-operative or community led model. She has expertise in governance reviews for existing organisations and advises on developing community share offers including assessment and awarding the Standard Mark. She is an accredited Community Led Housing Enabler and Licensed Community Shares Practitioner and also has direct experience as Co-ordinator for South West Co-operative Support and Society Secretary for Low Carbon Gordano.

John Merritt – Development Worker, Member and Director

John was born in 1959 and has a Master of Philosophy, Diploma in Social Work, Certificate in Co-operative and Social Enterprise Support and Credit Union Development Education. He has been working in the Co-operative and Social Enterprise Sector since 1998. Specialist areas of support include Credit Unions, Health and Care and Co-operative Movement development. John has been project coordinator for Southampton Co-operative City project.

Brian Titley – Development Worker, Member, Director and Society Secretary

Brian has been working in the co-operative sector since the 1980s. Currently elected Vice-Chair of Co-operatives South West, he is a specialist in finance, marketing and governance, and was project manager for the promotional work which resulted in the successful £1million share issue by Co-operative and Community Finance. After secondment to the University of Southampton, where he completed research into management needs in growth SMEs, a decade ago Brian returned to work for CAN. As well as his role as Director and Finance Director in several co-operative enterprises, Brian is a long-standing Co-operative and Community Finance trustee, and has been CCF Staff Trustee and on the Management Committee since 2006.

Rosie Hadrill – Member and Development Worker

Rosie has been working in the co-operative movement since 2006 when she was involved in co-founding Café Kino, a successful worker co-operative café in Bristol. A Member of the Association of Accounting Technicians, Rosie has vast experience of bookkeeping, payroll, accounts preparation and corporation tax for co-operatives of varying sizes, sectors and structures. She is also a qualified Social Enterprise Adviser with a Level 5 Certificate in Social Enterprise Support.

Chris Funnell – Development Worker, Founder Member and Director

Chris Funnell has been a co-operative development worker for over thirty years. During that time he has played a part in the establishment of over a hundred co-operative enterprises currently trading. He has experience of going into diverse sectors and areas of interest to set up partnerships and communications; e.g. regeneration partnerships in urban areas and small market towns, rural enterprise development projects and international projects. All of these projects call for open mindedness, networking skills, being able to 'learn the language' and an ability to understand and synthesise the special strengths of organisations.

Deana Wildgoose – Associate

A connector, a catalyst and a creator of useful tools for community led regeneration, Deana leads on the use and sharing of the Wicked Spreadsheet – a tool developed by CAN to enable groups to carry out a quick viability check on the potential for bringing assets such as buildings into community use and ownership. Deana is a qualified chartered accountant and teacher.

Associates are individuals with whom we have a long standing relationship – some are ex-members of CAN. They are all skilled co-operative development workers with their own specialist areas of expertise.

CAN has assembled a team of skilled specialists and resources to provide specialist development services and training to co-operatives and community enterprises through business advice, training design and delivery, group facilitation, feasibility studies, development planning support and accessing appropriate funding for the social economy.

CAN delivers these services directly to:

• co-operatives
• community groups

and through contracts with:

• Co-operative Development Bodies (CDBs)
• local authorites
• government or European funded projects
• other organisations concerned with local regeneration and care.

To ensure quality of delivery CAN works to a Professional Code of Conduct and Equal Opportunities Policy so you can be certain that whoever CAN provides, they will do the work to the CAN standard.

Training and Development Needs Analysis, Governance Audits, Project Audits etc.

CAN has developed a series of analytical tools to enable rapid and economic yet accurate benchmarking of strengths and weaknesses of organisations in the social economy and/or their level of legal and governance compliance, resilience, financial performance, or delivery of any project(s). We provide rapid research and analysis and produce management information to enable fast and accurate remedial and improvement actions and progress monitoring.

Training and Assessment

CAN fields a team of four qualified and experienced trainers with specialisms ranging through the broad spectrum of skills and insight required by people to take forward successful and sustainable co-operatives, credit unions, housing co-operatives and social enterprises. The team can respond to requirements to deliver rapidly, ensuring that the stock of training resources developed in-house over a quarter century are configured to meet the precise needs of a particular cohort of learners by delivering one or a series of workshops, training days or short courses. The CAN team has delivered literally hundreds of training events ranging from 3 hours to 30 days from the most accessible entry level to programmes leading to professional qualifications.

CAN has a qualified assessor and the systems required for the monitoring and support of learners preparing for obtaining recognised qualifications.

Training Origination

CAN develops training from seminars to extensive and accredited training programmes leading to recognised qualifications fitting within the UK qualifications framework. Our training team can develop learning objectives, learning measurement and assessment systems, training programmes, learning materials, and exercises, then alpha test all the above and produce advice notes for trainers and training for other trainers to deliver future iterations.

Consultancy

CAN fields a workforce of four consultants with expertise in all aspects of organisation and management, governance, change management, business planning and finance. The CAN way is to walk the walk before we talk the talk so CAN has run as a co-operative and a social enterprise since 1989. It operates as a sustainable business and accounts for itself financially, socially and environmentally, seeking to operate to the highest standards of good governance, transparency and accountability. Our consultants have worked with organisations large and small, young and old, and across trade sectors from archaeology to zero carbon projects.

Key Worker Support

CAN provides a key worker support service, twinning them with our own specialist to provide the comfort of knowing that “getting unstuck” or assistance with a particular thorny issue from an empathetic and expert source of support is just an email away.

Legal Registration Services

CAN's in-house experts and working relationships with registration agents enable development of governing documents that meet legal requirements and the precise needs of new co-operatives and social enterprises as Registered Co-operative Societies or Companies. The team also support the acquisition of additional legal status such as Community Interest Company, Mutual Trading Status, complete or partial change of Rules or Articles and migration from a legal form to one more appropriate. CAN has assisted registration, migration or re-registration of more than two hundred enterprises.

Financial Accountancy

CAN has qualified and experienced Accountancy Technicians and the software and infrastructure to provide computerised book-keeping services and/or payroll and pensions administration remotely, deal with VAT and corporate taxation and draw up financial accounts and statements for year end.  Our expert and qualified finance workers provide feedback and flag up warnings where needed. They can also handle remedial work to repair flawed accounts, set up new financial management systems or migrate accounts from paper-based to computer-based systems.

We can arrange full audit through our associated qualified auditors.

Financial Management

CAN has two workers with decades of experience in developing, implementing and managing systems to generate financial information from book-keeping data and the skill to interpret the information and brief directors on what the information actually means. Both our finance specialists take the level of responsibility required by our customers up to and including serving on Boards as Finance Directors / Treasurers.

Non Executive Director, Treasurer and Company / Society Secretary services

We are able to provide a service to take on any proportion of these roles up to and including taking responsibility for all matters relating to legal / regulatory compliance and record keeping.

Social Accountancy

Our social accounting team operate to a high level of rigour and are able to help organisations assess what it is they actually need to account for and how a system of accounts can be set up utilising or amending existing data streams to provide real insight into effectiveness in pursuit of mission.

Human Resources

We have a highly qualified and experienced HR professional who can handle any or all aspects of the HR function including drawing up contracts of employment, job descriptions, setting up and operating disciplinary and grievance systems up to and including representation at Industrial Tribunal, ensuring employment related policies meet statutory requirements and good practice standards, trade union recognition agreements, staff appraisal systems and personnel record keeping.

Mediation

CAN have two experienced practitioners to provide a mediation service aimed specifically at the co-operative and social enterprise sector, providing additional benefit in the reporting of opportunities to improve organisational structure, policy and practice indicated through the process.

Feasibility Studies

CAN has experience of carrying out feasibility studies for individual enterprises considering expansion or diversification, for new enterprises, for spin-outs, buyouts and succession plans. Our team has broad experience of many trade sectors and through our long-established network of associates, sub-contractors and project partners can usually find the specific understanding such studies generally require.

Research

CAN has experience of carrying out social economy mapping exercises across counties and regions and in-depth research exercises into development needs and potential of clusters of social enterprises in different geographical and trade areas and related areas such as Employee Involvement. We have a partnership arrangement with a University to ensure proper reflection on research methodologies and the testing and analysis of data.

Project Management

CAN has developed systems for managing, monitoring, auditing and accounting for projects, specifically those depending upon European and Government funding with substantial record keeping and reporting requirements.

Other

There is, of course, much more. If your interest is not mentioned here please check this web site for more detail or contact us to make an enquiry.

Rules

You can download our Governing Document - the Rules of Co-operative Assistance Network Limited - here.

Policies

CAN's policy framework reflects our commitment to the Co-operative Values and Principles and our own mission.

We present this policy set as part of our commitment to Open Source working.  They are not copyrighted - you may copy them and modify them for your own purposes - but note that they are not designed as model policies or templates but are presented as examples of actual working policies.  Many of them have evolved over a number of years, some of them are a bit rough round the edges and they may be revised at any time.

We do not advocate that you simply copy these policies, either individually or collectively, rather use them as discussion documents for your own policy development. Your co-op is not the same as our co-op.  None of these policies comes with any guarantees and you must take full responsibility if you adopt any or any part of them.

Please note also that this policy set does not include purely internal policies such as pay rates, expenses and bad debt handling.

Looking for a policy checklist?  There's one here.  And you can download the latest version of the template that we use here.

It is important to get policy development and management embedded in governance routines as early as possible in the developmnet of an organisation.  Find out why and how, with the benefit of our experience, we can help here.

Policy set

Access Policy

Anti Bribery and Corruption Policy

Anti Money-Laundering Policy

Code of Conduct

Compassionate, Domestic Emergency and Bereavement Leave Policy

Competition With Other CDBs Policy

Confidentiality Policy

Contribution to the Co-operative Movement Policy

Core Competency for Directors Policy

Customer Care Policy

Customer Complaints Policy and Procedure

Cyber Essentials Compliance Policy

Data Protection Policy

Disclosure of Company Information Policy

Environmental Policy and Strategy

Equal Opportunities Policy

Ethical Procurement Policy

Fair Trade Policy

First Aid Policy

Health and Safety Implementation Policy

Health And Safety Policy And Risk Assessment Annual Statement

Interest on Member Shares Policy

Internal Audit Policy

Internal Code of Behaviour Policy

Match Funding Policy

Membership Agreement

Open Source Policy

Parental Leave Policy

Payment of Professional Body Fees and Qualifications

Pensions Policy

Policy on Account Holding Services for Customers

Policy on Assigning Intellectual Property Rights to Materials Published by CAN

Policy on CAN Workers taking up external Directorships

Policy on Use of Material Copyrighted to Others

Policy on what level polices are passed at

Press and Media Handling Policy

Privacy Policy for Website Users

Professional Development Time Allocation Policy

Quality Assurance in Training Delivery Policy and Procedure

Recorded Delivery Policy

Recruitment Policy and Procedures

Reserves Policy

Safe Remote Working Policy

Safe Travelling Policy

Social Policy and Social Impact Measurement Policy

Stress Management Policy, Procedure and Guidance

Trading in Local Currencies Policy

Unpaid Leave Policy

Vulnerable Adults Protection Policy

Wages And Collective Performance Related Pay Policy

Whistleblowing Policy

Work-Life Balance Policy

For further information, suggestions for improvement or other feedback, please contact our Society Secretary Brian Titley: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or use the Contact Form.

Our Mission Statement combines our commercial and social objectives:

"To assist in the development of co-operatives and social enterprises and to be a good example of a socially responsible workers' co-operative"

In pursuance of this mission CAN has the following aims:

• To be a good employer
• To be an active democracy
• To be an active part of the co-operative movement
• To be socially responsible
• To identify the development needs of co-operative enterprises
• To develop training and development tools and methodologies to meet these needs
• To deliver services sensitively and economically.

Do you support our mission? We have a loanstock offer that enables people to support our mission and work financially; click here for details.