Co-operative Analyst

Paul Gosling countryside

Paul has a history in the co-operative and social enterprise movement going back more than three decades.

From 1982 to 1989, Paul was a co-operative development worker with Leicester & County CDA.  In this role, with colleagues, Paul advised and supported new start and existing co-operative businesses and promoted the co-operative sector.

Paul has also been active in the traditional consumer co-operative movement, having served on the members’ relations committee of the former Leicestershire Co-operative Society.

Paul was a columnist for the fortnightly Co-operative News magazine for more than 20 years.

Since leaving Leicester CDA, Paul has retained close links with the co-operative and social enterprise sectors.  This has included undertaking a number of commissioned projects.

  • A series of guides for Social Enterprise London on how to set-up social enterprises.
  • Case study on the social co-operative sector in Milan.
  • Researching and reporting on co-operatives in Northern Ireland for the Northern Ireland Co-operative Forum and Co-operatives UK.
  • Making a presentation on the state of the economy for staff at The Co-operative Bank.
  • Speaker at Mutuo conference.
  • Author of New Mutualism: Working with the Grain report on regional economic development, published by the Co-operative Party.
  • Author of New Mutualism: A Solution for Renewed Councils, published by the Co-operative Party.
  • Providing training and advice services to new start social enterprises.
  • Writing a report for Caseda on the opportunity for energy co-operatives.
  • Writing Celebrating the Co-operative Movement’s contribution to social, economic and environmental well-being for Greening the North.
  • Author of chapter in Banking and Social Cohesion: Alternative Responses to a Global Market.
  • Public speaker at several annual conferences on the crisis at The Co-operative Bank and the Co-operative Group.