Our people
Retail Conference and Year Beginning Meeting raise the bar
We set new standards with our Retail Conference in the autumn, and we followed on from this with a Year Beginning Meeting that kickstarted 2026 with fresh ambitions aligned to our values. For the first time, we ran our Retail Conference over two days to allow over 300 colleagues to benefit from a well-rounded event that offered attendees the chance to attend scrums to create an environment for engaged learning.
Our Year Beginning Meeting allowed us to drive momentum forward into the new year, with further updates from our Senior Leadership team, including an introduction from our CEO Andy and an overview of our new communications platform as well as finance and membership updates. We were also joined by keynote speaker Jez Rose, who gave an insightful presentation on self-discovery and embracing change.
The Scoop makes a return
Our colleague newsletter The Scoop made a return in digital form in June with light-hearted news about our co-op. Each month our colleagues have a chance to hear thoughts from our CEO Andy, find out more about our work in the community and the latest news including updates on sustainability, our community programmes. technology and store openings and refurbishments.
The Scoop makes a return
Our colleague newsletter, The Scoop, made a return in digital form in June with light-hearted news about our co-op. Each month our colleagues have a chance to hear thoughts from our CEO Andy, find out more about our work in the community and the latest news including updates on sustainability, our community programmes. technology and store openings and refurbishments.
New colleague benefits
We introduced five new colleague benefits this year, from policies on extended leave and career breaks to neonatal care leave. Our new benefits have been put in place to ensure that colleagues feel supported in the workplace.
- Grandparents Leave: Colleagues that would like to celebrate the birth or adoption of a grandchild can now take up to two days paid leave to spend time with family.
- First Day of School Leave: Parents of children that are set to begin either primary or secondary school can take up to four hours of paid leave on their child’s first day of school.
- Career Break Policy: Colleagues can request to take a career break for three months or more time to undertake charity work, volunteering, travelling, personal training or development, Military Reserve Leave or Emergency Services Reserve Leave.
- Extended Leave Policy: This shorter period of leave can be requested for a variety of reasons including to study, travel, pursue a hobby or spend time with loved ones.
- Neonatal Care Leave: We offer parents with babies admitted to neonatal care a chance to take leave (and, if eligible, pay) for up to 12 weeks. This type of leave is applicable to parents of babies that are up to 28 days old and who have a continuous stay at hospital of seven full days or longer.
Investing in leadership
“Our colleagues are our greatest asset. As one of the biggest employers in the east of England, we’re proud of the work we’re doing to ensure all our colleagues feel they belong and can thrive. We believe that culture is intentional, and it begins with our leaders, so we’re excited to be undertaking such an important, large-scale development of our leadership.” - Jordan Holder, Head of Talent and Culture
The first cohort of participants in the award-winning STAR Manager programme begun their training in November. This programme teaches practical leadership skills focused on personal growth, developing a coaching mindset, and creating collective impact.
Senior leaders are participating in a separate programme run by behavioural expert business consultancy Rambutan. Informed by extensive colleague insights, this programme will develop leaders to reflect the needs and experiences of colleagues across the business.
Investing in leadership
This year hundreds of our colleagues, from our senior leaders to branch managers and central office line managers, embarked on one of two new industry-leading leadership development programmes.
“Our colleagues are our greatest asset. As one of the biggest employers in the east of England, we’re proud of the work we’re doing to ensure all our colleagues feel they belong and can thrive. We believe that culture is intentional, and it begins with our leaders, so we’re excited to be undertaking such an important, large-scale development of our leadership.” - Jordan Holder, Head of Talent and Culture
The first cohort of participants in the award-winning STAR Manager programme begun their training in November. This programme teaches practical leadership skills focused on personal growth, developing a coaching mindset, and creating collective impact.
Senior leaders are participating in a separate programme run by behavioural expert business consultancy Rambutan. Informed by extensive colleague insights, this programme will develop leaders to reflect the needs and experiences of colleagues across the business.
VIP Awards
Following its launch in 2024, our VIP (Values in Practice) Awards have continued to shine a light on colleagues on the front line in stores or branches or behind the scenes in Central Support that live and breathe our values.
The VIP Awards have been created as a result of feedback from our Engagement Survey, and it has given colleagues a fantastic opportunity to show appreciation for #Unstoppable colleagues. Individuals from across our co-op were nominated in eleven categories to win one of our famous VIP pin badges, an invite to a special celebration evening and a £50 gift.
The celebration evening was held at Colchester United Football Club and hosted by America’s Got Talent Winner, Paul Zerdin. The event provided our VIP winners and their guests with an opportunity to enjoy a delicious three-course meal.
Committing to being truly inclusive
This year we deepened our commitment to diversity and inclusion by appointing our first Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Lead, Jasmine Moss-Rahman. Since joining in September, Jasmine has focused on accelerating our Gender Pay Gap progress and establishing an evidence base for future inclusion goals, ensuring our progress is visible, measurable and lasting across every part of our co-op.
“For me, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion start with understanding the real experiences of our colleagues and communities. My role is to use data, conversation and collaboration to see clearly where we stand and where we can do better. This isn’t just about representation, it’s about how inclusion drives better decisions, sparks innovation and builds trust across our business.
We’re building a clear, evidence-based foundation for inclusion and ensuring our co-op reflects the diversity and character that make our region so special.” – Jasmine Moss-Rahman, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Lead
Committing to being truly inclusive
This year we deepened our commitment to diversity and inclusion by appointing our first Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Lead, Jasmine Moss-Rahman. Since joining in September, Jasmine has focused on accelerating our Gender Pay Gap progress and establishing an evidence base for future inclusion goals, ensuring our progress is visible, measurable and lasting across every part of our co-op.
“For me, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion start with understanding the real experiences of our colleagues and communities. My role is to use data, conversation and collaboration to see clearly where we stand and where we can do better. This isn’t just about representation, it’s about how inclusion drives better decisions, sparks innovation and builds trust across our business.
"We’re building a clear, evidence-based foundation for inclusion and ensuring our co-op reflects the diversity and character that make our region so special.” – Jasmine Moss-Rahman, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Lead
Throughout the year, colleagues gathered to share experiences and explore how we can strengthen our culture of inclusion.
- In March, we marked International Women’s Day by creating space for colleagues to share their journeys and discuss how we can better support our female colleagues, both in the workplace and at home.
- June’s Pride month session brought powerful stories and voices to the table, including guest speakers from Colchester Kings RFC & Colchester Thunder RFC, The OutHouse and EDJI Arts training and consultancy. Together we explored the ongoing challenges facing the LGBTQ+ community and how we can help build not just safe spaces, but brave ones too.
- In December, Jasmine facilitated a lunch and learn on everyday inclusion. Colleagues explored the small moments that shape how included someone feels, how we listen, the assumptions we make, and how we respond when our words land differently than intended.
Staying #StrongerTogether through the cyber incident
We saw unwavering commitment from our colleagues during a significant cyber incident affecting Co-op Group and impacting deliveries to our stores in May. Colleagues across the business pulled together with dedication, resilience and embodied the spirit of collaboration as we grappled with the impact of the cyber incident.
Our local suppliers gave us essential support during this time. Their swift response ensured we could continue to provide our communities with the essential, quality products they rely on. Through the commitment of our colleagues and support of our local suppliers we were able to continue to serve our members, customers and communities that depend on our co-op.
