Across the UK society is divided. The rise of the far-right has unleashed violence against asylum seekers and refugees, and attacks on net zero. Trust is shattered, communities feel sidelined, and our political leaders are failing us. Power to the People will bring together those who refuse to give up on their communities, and who are ready to build real power from the ground up.
Join us for Future Co-ops: Power to the People to explore ways our movement can challenge the far-right and reclaim power for communities.
Co-operative Futures’ 2026 Future Co-ops conference, Power to the People, is taking place in Birmingham from Friday 27th February to Saturday 28th February 2026. The two-day gathering will examine how collective action and co-operation can rebuild trust and deliver real power at a local level.
The conference opens on the evening of Friday 27th February with discussion, entertainment, short films and the traditional Future Co-ops dinner at The Good Intent, a city-centre not-for-profit pub in the historic Great Western Arcade.
The main conference sessions will run on Saturday 28th February at The Priory Rooms in Birmingham city centre. Workshops will explore practical ways communities can build power, using democratic tools such as citizens’ juries and assemblies, and constructive conversations to challenge far-right narratives of division. Further sessions offer opportunities for serious debate and cover topics from political alliances to the climate emergency.
The conference starts from a simple belief: the most effective response to authoritarianism is more democracy, not less.
Future Co-ops 2026: Power to the People will bring together co-operative activists, policy thinkers, campaigners and community business leaders to explore how collective action, co-operation, and democratic participation can restore trust, and revitalise communities. It will be a space for practical ideas and political imagination rooted firmly in co-operative values.
Location and Date
The Conference is being held in Birmingham city centre, across two venues, on Friday 27th February 2026 and Saturday 27th February 2026.
Friday: The Good Intent, 32-33 Great Western Arcade, Birmingham, B2 5HU
Saturday: The Priory Rooms, Friends Quaker Meeting House, 40 Bull Street, Birmingham, B4 6AF
Friday Night Dinner
Attendees have the opportunity to join us for a meal on Friday evening, and after-dinner entertainment! It’s a pub, so you are welcome to buy their local ales, plus a range of drinks and alcohol-free beverages.
Saturday Refreshments and Lunch
Throughout the day fairtrade refreshments, freshly baked cookies and danish pastries will be available. We’ll have a cold buffet lunch with a selection of sandwiches and homemade cakes.
Booking
Booking page: Ticket Tailor Link
Full conference (Friday inc dinner + Saturday inc lunch) – £165
Saturday only (inc lunch) – £110
Accommodation
The Conference cost does not include accommodation, and attendees will need to book their own if staying over. Birmingham City Centre offers a wide range of accommodation and price points.
Transport and Parking
TRAIN: The Good Intent in the Great Western Arcade and The Priory Rooms are both located in the heart of Birmingham, close to Snow Hill railway station, which is also the terminus for the Metro line from Wolverhampton. They are only a few minutes walk from both Birmingham’s main New Street railway station and Moor Street. A regular tram connects New Street station to Bull Street, stopping outside the entrance to The Priory Rooms.
BUS: The venues are well served by buses, with most stopping on Colmore Row, Corporation Street and Bull Street. For timetables, maps and routes please click here.
CAR: Ample car parking can be found nearby, particularly in the Snow Hill car park.
Previous Events
Want to see what Future Co-ops is all about? Take a look at our round up of Future Co-ops 2025: The Trouble with Double.