Why do you want to be a director of Southern Co-op?

• Be a voice that speaks for our instore colleagues
• Bring my energy and dedication for the Southern Co-op to as many people as possible

Why do you think you would be a good director of Southern Co-op

As a seasoned retail professional, I’ve thrived in diverse environments, but none compare to the Southern Co-op’s exceptional clientele and team spirit. My roles as a customer service assistant and team leader have honed my understanding of customer needs and team dynamics. If elected, I’ll champion initiatives to elevate our members’ experience and support our dedicated team. With a relentless commitment to excellence, I’ll ensure the Southern Co-op remains a beacon of service and community engagement. I’ll bring frontline expertise, leadership skills, and unwavering dedication to the director position, to drive our cooperative’s continued success.

How do you demonstrate Southern Co-op’s values in your own life?

The Southern Co-op is all about self-help, taking responsibility and getting involved in the community. Being part of our co-operative has given me the confidence to take charge and make a difference, not just for myself but for everyone around me. Be that helping someone carry their groceries to their car, helping someone to top up and use their phone to stay in contact with their loved ones, or just being a friendly face for people to talk to. In my personal life I’m committed to equality, fairness, and doing what’s right. Which is what the Southern Co-op stands for.

Candidate Answers to the Questions from Members

Question 1 – What changes or improvements should Southern Co-op make in order to stay profitable and to keep, and hopefully increase, its customers with the ever increasing challenges of bigger and more heavily discounted supermarkets? – Steven from Winchester

In supermarkets your shopping is tossed down the conveyor belt at you by a cashier who often barely has time to say hello to you. Research has shown people will pay more for better service. Southern Co-op cares about its customers and is part of the local community, this is its strength. Any improvements or changes should focus on supporting colleagues to provide excellent customer service to keep current customers and attract new ones.

Question 2 – In what ways would you represent and support Southern Co-op’s colleagues at board level, to help them enjoy their roles and achieve their aims?

For us in-store colleagues it can sometimes be hard to understand why certain decisions are made. I would prioritise in-store colleagues receiving clearer explanations on the decision making process. I will push for ways for colleagues to communicate their needs and feedback to Southern Co-op. I am committed to the creation of an atmosphere where colleagues feel comfortable giving feedback.

Question 3 – What do you understand is the difference between a co-operative and a company?

Both co-ops and companies are forms of business organisations. However, co-operatives are differentiated by democratic ownership and a focus on serving the needs of their members, whereas companies tend to be profit-driven entities owned by shareholders. I understand this to mean that a co-operative should be focused on serving our greater community instead of a narrow group of shareholders.

Question 4 – Climate change is going to increasingly affect all our lives and will mean necessary changes to food production, reduced availability of certain foods, necessary mitigation of increasing temperatures on machinery and vehicles, staff and customers. What would you do to ensure that Southern Co-op is prepared for these challenges and that customers can be assured that measures are in place to mitigate the effects of climate change? – Jane from Corsham

Simply put, to prepare for climate change, Southern Co-op should assess supply chain vulnerability, prioritise sustainability, and invest in renewable energy and eco-friendly practices.

To ensure customers can be confident in the measures we put in place I would push for transparent communication about our initiatives and the building of partnerships with environmental groups. I would also want Southern Co-op to have provisions to receive feedback from both individuals and organisations on our sustainability practices.

Question 5 – I like Southern Co-op and shop regularly. However, the smaller stores seem to have lots of offers on highly processed and unhealthy foods like ready meals, bakery items etc. This concerns me as I think of Southern Co-op as an ethically clean group. Can you tell us what you would do to make Southern Co-op more green and encourage healthier eating and living? – Helen from Bath

I have also noted that sometimes we fail to provide offers which would be suitable for more health conscious customers. Southern Co-op could improve its offerings by including healthier options in promotions, like salads with pizza deals, and doing more discounts on fruits and vegetables. Southern Co-op could also offer “meal-kits” with recipe cards for quick and healthy meals and provide educational resources in-store to further support health-conscious customers.

Question 6 – I have recently been reading of concerns regarding the rearing and butchering practices of some co-op suppliers, particularly in the poultry industry. What are your views and positions when it comes to how animal welfare is upheld in the name of the co-op movement?

Any mistreatment of animals is to my mind unacceptable and if any mistreatment is discovered it should be quickly addressed. If our suppliers are found to be behaving in an unethical manner we should make it clear this is not aligned with our ethos and that if they do not address these issues they risk losing our business.

Question 7 – What will you do to pro-actively encourage more people from Black Asian and Minority Ethnic groups to stand for board elections? – Richard from Epsom

People identifying as BAME likely face issues I am unable to even perceive when standing for things such as board elections or even just going about their lives. I can promise that I will be open to discussion of such issues even when they are difficult and uncomfortable and that I will give my support to remove any structures which constrict BAME groups.

Question 8 – What would you do to address the fact that different co-ops have different cards? Do you agree that one co-op card for national use is needed?

The fact that different co-ops have different cards can be a real pain. Some form of national provision could be really useful and is an idea worth exploring more. On the other hand, a national card may make it harder for us to keep members’ personal data safe and may limit the offers and deals that we are able to provide customers. That being said, it is an idea worth exploring in a transparent way.

Question 9 – For those standing for re-election, what difference have you made? For those who are standing for the first time, what difference will you make?

The current board doesn’t have any colleagues who regularly work in a store or interact with customers. If elected to the board I will provide a valuable “boots on the ground” viewpoint which might have been missing.