Across the UK society is divided. Far-right populism and the mainstreaming of extremist ideologies has provoked anti-migrant violence, damage to social cohesion, 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.
A Good Start
The conference opens on the evening of Friday 27th February with thoughtful presentations, discussion, short films that speak to our theme, and the traditional Future Co-ops communal dinner. All of this takes place 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.
Opening Plenary
We are really pleased to welcome Andrew Fowler from More in Common to this year’s Future Co-ops Conference.
Andrew will be presenting the latest public opinion research, including More in Common’s Shattered Britain report, which explores the driving forces behind polarisation in Britain today.
Our research continually shows this is a low-point in public trust and that policymakers and leaders really should be doing better to meet people where they are and hear their needs.
Founded in the wake of Jo Cox’s murder, More in Common works to better understand and help address political division across the UK. Andrew will outline the key fault lines in British society, the causes of division and apathy, and how their segmentation methodology helps explain polarisation across political issues.
Workshops
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.
We’ll seek to identify where power really sits, and who is currently excluded, what a co-operative or collective approach can change, and what ideas delegates can take away and apply.
Cathy Brown, Head of Economic Justice Brum for Barrow Cadbury Trust will facilitate a workshop exploring how the EJB movement is building collective power to challenge inequality and create a fairer local economy in our host city, Birmingham. Ideas and thinking that will resonate across the UK.
Kathy Hopkin, from Co-operatives West Midlands and Save Birmingham will run a practical workshop exploring ways to hold transformative conversations that challenge narratives of division.
Further sessions offer opportunities for serious debate and cover topics from broadening 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 28th February 2026.
Friday, 5pm (registration from 4.30pm): The Good Intent, 32-33 Great Western Arcade, Birmingham, B2 5HU
Saturday, 10am-4pm (registration from 9.30am): 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.