Lincolnshire Co-op is an independent

consumer co-operative A consumers' co-operative is an enterprise owned by consumers and managed democratically and that aims at fulfilling the needs and aspirations of its members. Such co-operatives operate within the market system, independently of the state, as a f ...

which operates in

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-we ...

, and the surrounding counties. The society has over 220 outlets with its principal trading activity being its food stores, funeral homes, florist and crematorium, travel agencies, post offices and pharmacies. The Society is owned by over 295,000 members who hold Lincolnshire Co-op dividend cards, equal to approximately one quarter of the population of Greater Lincolnshire. The society also owns Gadsby's bakery which is based in

Southwell, Nottinghamshire Southwell (, ) is a minster and market town in the district of Newark and Sherwood in Nottinghamshire, England. It is home to the grade-I listed Southwell Minster, the cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham. The populat ...

. As a co-operative, it shares all its profits with members. Ways of doing this include paying dividend and a dividend bonus at the end of the year, investing in new and improved services and supporting community groups and charities. Since

Lincolnshire County Council Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershire an ...

closed a number of

libraries A library is a collection of Document, materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or electronic media, digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a ...

across the county, Lincolnshire Co-op has operated three libraries as part of its commitment to supporting communities. In the last full year of trading, 2021/22, Lincolnshire Co-op recorded sales of £399m and a trading surplus of £16.6m. Society membership was 296,077.

About

Community Champions
In 2013, the Society set up the Community Champions scheme which sees every member linked to a good cause near to where they live. Every time they shop with the Society, a donation goes to that good cause. In its first year, the scheme had already given away £192,750 to local causes. Community Champions change every three months and reflect a different area of the community every quarter. Donations have included over £221,275,000 for local school breakfast clubs, £150,381 for local life-saving resources and charities and £134,722 for Breast Cancer Now. Investors in People
Lincolnshire Co-op achieved Investors in People Platinum Investors In People – a prestigious title shared by only two per cent of IIP employers. To help staff develop, employees can undertake a Foundation Degree in Business Management. The two year qualification was designed specifically for Lincolnshire Co-op by the

University of Lincoln , mottoeng = Freedom through wisdom , established = 1861 – Hull School of Art1905 – Endsleigh College1976 – Hull College1992 – University of Humberside1996 – University of Lincolnshire and Humberside2001 � ...

and is delivered by trainers from the Society and academics from the University.

History

Lincolnshire Co-operative was founded as Lincoln Co-operative Society in 1861, inspired by

Gainsborough Gainsborough or Gainsboro may refer to: Places * Gainsborough, Ipswich, Suffolk, England ** Gainsborough Ward, Ipswich * Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, a town in England ** Gainsborough (UK Parliament constituency) * Gainsborough, New South Wales, ...

joiner Thomas Parker. Trading began at 1 Napoleon Place, Lincoln, in September 1861. By the end of the first quarter, there were 74 members and the dividend was 9d. Now there are around 296,000 members. When the Society reached its 150th birthday in 2011, it celebrated with a year of special events including a ‘Big Birthday Bash’ playing host to Lulu and indie rock band

Scouting For Girls Scouting for Girls are an English pop rock band. Their name is a play on the title of the 1908 Scouting handbook ''Scouting for Boys''. The band was formed in 2005 by three childhood friends from London, Roy Stride on piano and lead guitar/voca ...

. It renovated a 1970s ‘birthday bus’ and an exhibition was held at The

Museum of Lincolnshire Life The Museum of Lincolnshire Life is a museum in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, in the UK. The museum collection is a varied social history that reflects and celebrates the culture of the county of Lincolnshire and its people from 1750 to the present day ...

, showcasing the Society’s eventful history and a memory book, where members had shared comments about their Co-op from over the years. Over half a million pounds was also donated to local good causes through the ‘Big Birthday Awards’.

Trading

The Society operates food stores. All of the stores sell a range of locally sourced produce called ‘Love Local’ which is made up of items from the local area. Products include Lincolnshire Poacher cheese made in Alford and Pipers Crisps made in

Brigg Brigg ( /'brɪg/) is a market town in North Lincolnshire, England, with a population of 5,076 in the 2001 UK census, the population increased to 5,626 at the 2011 census. The town lies at the junction of the River Ancholme and east–west tra ...

. The Love Local range also includes a selection of baked goods including bread, cakes and Lincolnshire treats like plum bread made by the Society’s own bakery called Gadsby’s based near Newark. The Society runs

pharmacies Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it links healt ...

that dispense and deliver prescriptions. All of the outlets have consultation rooms where people can have private advice from

pharmacists A pharmacist, also known as a chemist ( Commonwealth English) or a druggist (North American and, archaically, Commonwealth English), is a healthcare professional who prepares, controls and distributes medicines and provides advice and instru ...

and trained advisors. They offer a range of services including sexual health checks and blood pressure tests. Several of its pharmacies are being refitted as ‘healthy living’ hubs to include better facilities and emphasis on providing clinical services and giving information and advice on health matters. The concept not only encourages healthy lifestyles and the prevention of health problems but also aims to reduce expensive waste and relieve some of the burden on GP practices.

Funeral services A funeral director, also known as an undertaker (British English) or mortician (American English), is a professional involved in the business of funeral rites. These tasks often entail the embalming and burial or cremation of the dead, as w ...

are another part of Lincolnshire Co-op’s family of businesses. It has provided the service for over 125 years. It offers a complete funeral arrangement service, funeral plans, and links clients to a bereavement counselling service. The Society has travel branches which provide a wide range of services from holiday bookings to insurance, car hire, currency, luggage and more. Many branches also offer specialist extras like cruise, wedding and ski experts. Lincolnshire Co-op also runs

post offices A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...

filling stations A filling station, also known as a gas station () or petrol station (), is a facility that sells fuel and engine lubricants for motor vehicles. The most common fuels sold in the 2010s were gasoline (or petrol) and diesel fuel. Gasolin ...

coffee shops A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-caf ...

, a memorial mason and a

florist Floristry is the production, commerce, and trade in flowers. It encompasses flower care and handling, floral design and arrangement, merchandising, production, display and flower delivery. Wholesale florists sell bulk flowers and related sup ...

. In November 2013, Lincolnshire Co-op opened South Lincolnshire

Crematorium A crematorium or crematory is a venue for the cremation of the dead. Modern crematoria contain at least one cremator (also known as a crematory, retort or cremation chamber), a purpose-built furnace. In some countries a crematorium can also b ...

, a community facility available for ceremonies organised by all local funeral directors. It includes a memorial garden, a flower court and a chapel that seats 100 people.

Subsidiaries

The following trading companies are wholly owned subsidiary undertakings of the parent society: * Lincoln Co-operative Chemists Ltd. * LCS Retail Limited * Lincoln Shop Equipment Ltd. * LCS Property Limited * Lincoln Corn Exchange and Markets (1991) Ltd. * F Maltby & Sons LtdRegistered in England and Wales No 463734 * Gadsby’s of Southwell Ltd. * Greetwell Developments Ltd. * Ellcee Limited

References

External links