Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers facts for kids
The Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers was a very important group started in 1844. They created one of the first successful consumers' co-operatives. A co-operative is a business owned and run by its members, who share the profits. The Rochdale Pioneers were also among the first to share profits back with their customers, which is called a patronage dividend. Their ideas became the foundation for the modern co-operative movement we see around the world today.
Even though other co-ops existed before them, the Rochdale Pioneers' model became the blueprint for many societies in Great Britain. They are most famous for creating the Rochdale Principles. These are a set of rules for how co-ops should operate, and they are still used by co-ops everywhere. Studying how the Rochdale Pioneers worked is a key part of understanding co-operative economics.
Contents
The Start of Something Big
During the Industrial Revolution, machines were taking over many jobs. This meant many skilled workers became poor. A group of tradesmen in Rochdale decided to work together. They wanted to open their own store to sell food items they couldn't easily afford otherwise.
They learned from earlier co-op attempts that didn't work out. So, they came up with their famous Rochdale Principles. Over four months, they saved £10 to rent a place on Toad Lane in Rochdale. They had a total of £28 to start their business.
On December 21, 1844, they opened their small store. They had a very limited selection: just butter, sugar, flour, and oatmeal. But within three months, they added tea and tobacco. They quickly became known for selling good quality, pure products. By the end of their first year, the Pioneers had 80 members and £182 in capital.
It was once widely believed that 28 men started the co-op, each putting in £1. However, researchers looked closely at the society's records in 2016. They found that the co-op's official minutes never mentioned 28 men or the exact figure of £28. It seems this idea was spread by someone named George Holyoake.
By 1900, the British co-operative movement had grown a lot. There were 1,439 co-ops across almost every part of the UK. The Rochdale Society itself continued to operate independently until 1991. It changed its name a few times as it joined with other co-ops. Eventually, it became part of The Co-operative Group in 2007.
What They Wanted to Achieve
From the very beginning, the Pioneers had clear goals. These goals were written down in "Law the First" of their rules. They wanted to help their members financially and improve their lives at home and in society. They planned to do this by raising money in £1 shares to make the following ideas happen:
- A Store for Everyone: They wanted to open a store to sell food, clothes, and other items.
- Homes for Members: They aimed to build or buy houses where members could live and help each other.
- Jobs for All: They planned to start making products themselves. This would create jobs for members who were unemployed or earning very low wages.
- Farming for Food: To further help members, they wanted to buy or rent land. Members who were out of work or poorly paid could farm this land.
- A Self-Supporting Community: As soon as possible, they wanted to organize production, distribution, education, and even how their community was run. Their big dream was to create a self-supporting "home colony" where everyone worked together. They also wanted to help other societies do the same.
- A Place for Sobriety: To encourage people to be sober, they planned to open a temperance hotel. This would be in one of the society's houses.
Many of these original goals can still be seen in the co-operative movement today.
The Rochdale Pioneers Museum
The Pioneers first rented their store at 31 Toad Lane. They moved out in 1867. But later, the co-operative movement bought the building. They opened it as a museum in 1931.
The museum is called The Rochdale Pioneers Museum. It's now run by a charity called the Co-operative Heritage Trust CIO. This charity also looks after the co-op's historical records.
See also
- The Rochdale Pioneers (2012 film)
- History of the cooperative movement
