Co-operative Business Consultants

email: david[at]cbc.coop
phone: 0775 279 7563

PROFILE

David has been a co-operator since 1993 when he joined the Co-operative College as a tutor. He was appointed a Co-operative Education Development Officer in 1995, becoming an adviser to co-operatives in 1996, initially specialising in credit unions. He has been a self-employed consultant to co-operatives and social enterprises since 2001. He is a founder member of Co-operative Business Consultants.

David has trained co-operators at all levels from volunteer operative to Director, both in the UK and abroad. His development experience includes all aspects of setting up a credit union for the whole of Northamptonshire, a feasibility study for a similar plan in Gloucestershire and developing a voluntary group’s business strategy for developing a £1.7 million community centre in a Nottinghamshire town.

David has delivered mentoring training for Enable in Nottingham and helped co-operatives develop business plans, marketing plans and financial recording systems. He is a director of a social enterprise helping unemployed people get into employment by participating in a structured programme of personal development, mentoring, coaching and skills training. He is an Independent Member of Nottinghamshire Police Authority and an Assessor for Senior Selection on behalf of the National Police Improvement Agency.

David is a successful bidder for grant funding - Community Fund (£198,000), Social Enterprise East Midlands SEDF (£63,467), Leicester Shire Economic Partnership (£100,200), Derbyshire Community Foundation (£5,000), Coalfields Regeneration Trust (£154,000), Nottinghamshire Community Foundation (£5,000)

David can deliver training in a range of topics, including Appraisal, Business Feasibility, Business Planning, Business Strategy, Building Teams, Corporate Governance, Employing Staff, Executive Selection, Financial Management, Fund Raising, Marketing, Mentoring, Co-operative Values & Principles and Basic Computer Skills (MS Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint and Publisher).

CONSULTANCY CLIENTS

Clients from 2001 to date include:·

 Co-operative Group, United Co-operatives, West Midlands Co-operative Society – Member and Director training (on behalf of Co-operative College)·

Park Road Credit Union, Capital Credit Union, – all aspects of managing a credit union (on behalf of University College Cork)

North-West Leicestershire District Council, Tewkesbury District Council, Money Tree Credit Union, Gloucestershire Credit Union Forum, Towards a Credit Union Network for the East Midlands, Enterprise Solutions (Northants CDA) – setting up and developing credit unions·

Beano Wholefoods, Wild Carrot – business planning, financial reporting, selling and marketing·             

First Universal Enterprises Limited – establishing and registering a social enterprise, business planning, financial planning, corporate goverance, policy development, procuring contracts, developing networks·

 Alkhair Foods – generating income

WORK HISTORY (since 1988)

Self-Employed, Research, Business Advice and Training: 2001 – Now Design and delivery of training events, research and business development advice to social economy organisations

Nottinghamshire Police Authority: 2002 to Now Chair Professional Standards Committee, Serves on full Authority, Human Resources and Diversity Panel, Performance Scrutiny Board, Performance Committee, Senior Officer Recruitment Panel. Lead member on Race Diversity and Serious Organised Crime. Assessor for Senior Selection, National Police Improvement Agency

Development and Training Officer, Money Tree Credit Union: 2003 – 2004 Business development, training needs analysis & delivery, partnership development, marketing, monitoring of grant funding expenditure

Development Officer, Open College Network South-East Midlands: 2001 – 2002 Responsibility for caseload of colleges and prisons, developing a range of programmes including Access to HE

College Associate, The Co-operative College: 2001-2006 Planning, preparation and delivery of tutoring contracts to groups of 10 to 16. Assessment of reports submitted by Management and Directors after training

Co-operative Education Development Officer, Co-operative College: 1993 – 2000 Programme Manager, Accelerated Access Programmes, Co-ordinator, East Midlands Credit Union Development Support Agency, UK Tutor/Coordinator, Diploma in Credit Union Studies (Cork)

Senior Lecturer in Retailing, Oxford College of Further Education: 1988-1993

QUALIFICATIONS

Post-Graduate Diploma in Credit Union Studies 1995

BA (Hons) 1993

Cert Ed (FE) 1991