Modern Slavery

In 2017, our first modern slavery statement was signed off by the Society Board. We developed it with other Co-op societies to make it clear, informative, and most of all, effective.

This statement gives our commitment to ensure modern slavery does not take place anywhere within our business or supply chain.

The main areas we focus on are:

Raising awareness: As part of Anti-Slavery International and Euro Co-ops Sustainability Task Force Group, we share information and best practice to help tackle the issue across the world

Supplier engagement: Whenever we engage with a new, direct supplier, they will receive a copy of our modern slavery statement and stick rigidly to our employment legislation

Training and employment: We support the Bright Future Programme and are strengthening our partnership with City Hearts, helping to give those rescued from modern slavery a safe environment and the chance of a better future

Tackling Modern Slavery with Bright Future Co-op

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In 2020, the Society co-founded Bright Future Co-op with a vision of finding safe employment for modern slavery survivors across the UK. To deliver this, Bright Future links charities working with survivors with a growing network of 13 employers who initially offer a 4-week work placement leading to a permanent role – offering survivors security and hope for the future.

Five years in, Midcounties remains the driving force behind Bright Future Co-op, supplying work experience, employment opportunities and board-level direction. Midcounties’ Head of Legal Services is Secretary of Bright Future Co-op.

The not-for-profit Bright Future Co-op was founded to help survivors rebuild their lives with dignity and freedom. Rooted in the co-operative tradition of addressing social needs, it brings together charities and employers as equal members with a voice in how it operates. As a founding partner, Midcounties plays a central role in shaping its strategic direction.

Bright Future began in 2018 as a charity/co-operative collaboration, becoming a co-operative in its own right in 2020. It now works with 35 partner organisations, including charities and businesses, to deliver transformational work placements.

Since 2018, it has supported 107 survivors of modern slavery into safe, supported employment — with 72 now in permanent roles, representing a 67% employment rate. Midcounties has provided 12 Bright Future placements in its food stores and childcare nurseries, with 88% of individuals securing permanent positions with the Society since 2018 as a result.  

The Minister for Modern Slavery, Jess Phillips, praised Bright Future Co-op at its parliamentary fifth anniversary celebration: “Bright Future represents what we can be doing and what more needs to be done, and I can only encourage every organisation to be a part of this movement for positive change.”

Overall, Bright Future Co-op was created to offer safe, stable employment that gives participants financial independence, a sense of community, and greater control over their lives.  Bright Future Co-op's target was to facilitate 100 placements resulting in 50 permanent roles by the end of 2025, providing survivors with employment opportunities in at least five different sectors across the UK.

At its fifth anniversary celebration at the House of Commons in June 2025, Bright Future announced its 107th placement, with 72 survivors now in permanent roles. This exceeds its year-end target.

More information on Bright Future can be found here.

MODERN SLAVERY & HUMAN TRAFFICKING STATEMENT

FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR ENDING 24 JANUARY 2026

 

Introduction

This statement sets out the actions and activities that Central England Cooperative and Midcounties Cooperative have taken during the financial year ended 24 January 2026 and continue to take as the combined OurCoop (‘the Society’), to ensure that modern slavery or human trafficking is not taking place within the Society or its supply chain.

Modern slavery is a crime resulting in the abuse of the human rights of vulnerable workers.  It can take the form of slavery, servitude, forced or compulsory labour or human trafficking.  The Society has a zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery.  We are committed to acting ethically, with integrity, and with transparency in all our business activities and relationships to safeguard against any form of modern slavery taking place within the Society.  We expect the same high standards from our suppliers and contractors.

 

Our Business

Where forwards looking, this statement covers the activities of OurCoop and its subsidiaries, a business operating solely within the UK.  Where this statement makes reference to events or activities prior to 24 January 2026, those statements will be reflective of both the former Midcounties Cooperative and Central England Cooperative societies unless an explicit statement is made to the contrary.

 

Our Focus Areas

We assess whether a particular activity is at risk of modern slavery or human trafficking by undertaking periodic assessments of new and existing suppliers. In addition, we perform a number of checks as part of the recruitment process designed to identify persons at risk of modern slavery as well as periodic checks over existing employees.

During the period ended 24 January 2026, our assessments have not identified any activities to be at high risk of slavery or human trafficking within the Society’s GNFR (goods not for resale) supply chain.  

Approximately 95% of the products sold in OurCoop food stores are supplied by the Co-operative Group Limited under the terms of a buying services agreement managed by Federal Retail and Trading Services Limited (FRTS) where assurances around Modern Slavery compliance are provided separately. A similar percentage of the products sold in Midcounties and Central England Cooperative food stores were likewise supplied by the Co-operative Group Limited and managed by FRTS.

Checks performed over existing and prospective colleagues’ have likewise not identified any persons at risk of modern slavery.

 

Our Policies

We operate a number of internal policies to ensure that we are conducting business in an ethical and transparent manner. These include:

  • Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Policy – this Policy sets out the Society’s stance on modern slavery and explains how our colleagues can identify and report instances of modern slavery and human trafficking within our business activities or supply chain.

  • Whistle-blowing Policy – this policy is designed to make it easy for our colleagues to make disclosures without fear of reprisal. Colleagues can use the Society’s confidential telephone line to make such disclosures.  Any disclosures in relation to modern slavery or human trafficking will be reported to the Police to investigate.

  • Colleague Code of Conduct – we make it clear to our colleagues of the actions and behaviours that are expected of them when representing the Society.

  • Recruitment and Selection Policy – we operate a robust recruitment policy, which includes the checking of eligibility to work in the UK (Right to Work) to help safeguard against human trafficking or forced labour. We only use specified, reputable employment agencies to source labour and always verify the practices of any new agency we use before accepting workers from that agency.

  • Procurement Policy - The Society commits to undertaking due diligence in its supply chain to ensure that suppliers have a zero tolerance to trafficked, bonded, child or compulsory labour or servitude.

 

Our Supply Chain

We strive to maintain the highest standards of colleague conduct and ethical behaviour when managing our supply chain.

Our suppliers are expected to comply with the Society’s standards in relation to modern slavery.  This includes their commitment to comply with all legislation in relation to the Modern Slavery Act, to commit to not taking part in any action that might cause or lead the Society to be in violation of the Act, to assist the Society in the performance of activity by any regulatory body for the purposes of the Act.

Our Procurement Policy underscores the Society’s commitment to ensuring due diligence is undertaken during the procurement of new suppliers to ensure that prospective suppliers have a zero tolerance to trafficked, bonded, child or compulsory labour or servitude.

The Society also operates various supply chain due diligence controls to ensure compliance with the Modern Slavery Act 2015, including:

  • Invitation to Tender - A statement added to the Procurement Invitation to Tender document (for new suppliers) ensuring suppliers who complete and respond, comply to the Society’s Modern Slavery and Anti Bribery Policies.

  • When Suppliers are on-boarded, they are required to sign up to a Supplier Code of Conduct. Our external website includes a guide for potential suppliers which references the Code of Conduct.

  • Our standard contract terms and conditions include reference to supplier obligations to comply with the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

 

Training

The Society provides awareness training via online (via our iLearn and Let’s Learn portals) modules around Modern Slavery to key colleagues including our Executive and Senior Leadership teams.  

 

Our Performance Indicators

During the year ended 24 January 2026, no issues were highlighted through the confidential hotlines in line with either Society’s Whistle-blowing Policies, nor were any reports received from Midcounties of Central England Cooperative colleagues, the general public or law enforcement agencies, to indicate that modern slavery practices have been identified. Any whistle blowing reports in this area would have been reported to the respective Societies Audit and Risk Committees as part of the quarterly compliance updates providing oversight of the process. Since the year end, the OurCoop Audit and Risk Committee has continued to receive similar reporting.

 

Business Assurance and Risk Management

During January 2025, an Internal Audit of the design and effectiveness of modern slavery controls in Central England Cooperative was undertaken. This was the first such Internal Audit of the modern slavery statement – all actions from this review were implemented during the year. As part of the 2026 OurCoop internal audit plan, a review of modern slavery controls is scheduled for completion in Q2 and going forward, the Society will assess the need for further reviews as part of the audit planning process.

The Society will continue to monitor key risks and controls in respect Modern Slavery during 2026/27 as part of its periodic risk register updates and take appropriate action if we suspect or are advised of any instances of modern slavery or human trafficking within the Society or our supply chain.

 

Supporting the survivors of Modern Slavery

In 2020 the Midcounties Co-operative Society co-founded the Bright Future (Co-operative) Limited (“Bright Future”). The core purpose of Bright Future is supporting survivors of Modern Slavery and human trafficking through providing a pathway to recovery and resilience through stable employment. Bright Future’s key areas of focus are:

  • Financial independence

  • Dignity and purpose

  • Reducing the risk of re-exploitation

Bright Future accepts referrals form frontline support organisations such as housing and victim support charities and helps victims by matching them with suitable employers, paid work placements and with the transition into permanent employment. Once in employment Bright Future provides regular check-ins and wellbeing support to reduce the risk of victims dropping out of employment and becoming vulnerable to re-exploitation. To date more than 100 survivors have been helped into stable employment through the involvement of Bright Future and OurCoop continues to support their activities.

 

Approved by the Board of Directors

April 2026