Heart of England Co-operative Society Celebrates Successful Annual Members Meeting Focused on Growth, Community, and Innovation
Heart of England are a proud member-owned cooperative committed to enriching the lives of members, clients, customers and colleagues successfully hosted its Annual Members Meeting on Saturday 21st June. The Society proudly welcomed an engaged community of members to reflect on the past year’s accomplishments and chart a course for future growth.
Held at Whittle House, the meeting brought together over 75 co-op members, board directors, valued suppliers and colleagues. The event featured key presentations on financial performance, food, funerals, people and culture, as well as our commitment to their Environmental, Social and Governance strategy.
Steve Browne, CEO said: “The Annual Members’ Meeting was an encouraging experience, especially as it marked my first since stepping into the role of Chief Executive during such challenging times in a difficult economy. I was heartened by the strong turnout and would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all our partners and suppliers for attending and showcasing the collaborative work we are doing together.”
Highlights from the meeting included:
-Increasing the sales of funeral plans with target set initially at 650, but rising into 2026.
–Digitising aspects of the funeral business to simplify routines, support generational shifts.
-Launch of a range of legal services offering wills and probate services.
-Expanding our Q-commerce business and creating a multi million pound sales channel.
-Maximising the deployment of a range and space system (Symphony AI) to provide ranges that are needed on micro local basis.
-Enhancing meaningful membership offerings, as members simply must get more…….. Including launching member panels and an app.
-Intensifying customer engagement in the food business, particularly around meal solutions for tonight’s tea, food-to-go, and services
-Re-election of Board Members, Scott Montgomery and Andrew Tampion as well as the new appointment of Christine Ogburn to the Board.
“This meeting reinforced the values that make our co-operative unique: transparency, democratic participation, and a shared commitment to community,” added Steve.
The Society already has plans to enhance it’s Annual Members’ Meeting in 2026, further cementing it’s commitment to it’s members, customers, clients and colleagues; being at the heart of the communities it serves.