In 1844, the British modern Co-operative movement began in which Lancashire town?

The United Kingdom is home to a widespread and diverse co-operative movement, with over 7,000 registered co-operatives which are owned by 17 million individual members and which contribute £34bn a year to the British economy.

Modern co-operation started with the Rochdale Pioneers' shop in the northern English town of Rochdale in 1844, though the history of co-operation in the UK can be traced back to before 1800.

The British co-operative movement is most commonly associated with The Co-operative brand (best known for its supermarket and Funeral care brands) which has been adopted by several large consumers' co-operative societies; however, there are many thousands of registered co-operative businesses operating in the UK.

Alongside these consumers' co-operatives, there exist many prominent agricultural co-operatives, co-operative housing providers, health and social care cooperatives, cooperative schools, retail co-operatives, co-operatively run community energy projects, football supporters' trusts, credit unions and worker-owned businesses.