Co-operative Heritage Trust

What Co-operative Heritage Trust does

The Co-operative Heritage Trust is an independent charitable trust (CIO) registered in England and Wales (Charity no. 1179727), formed in 2007 to preserve and share the heritage of the UK co-operative movement. It operates two core sites: the Rochdale Pioneers Museum at 31 Toad Lane, Rochdale — the original building where 28 working-class founders established the first successful consumer co-operative in 1844, accredited and open to the public since 1931 — and the National Co-operative Archive at Holyoake House, Manchester, which holds designated UK co-operative records and the UNESCO UK Memory of the World-recognised Robert Owen correspondence (~3,000 documents), totalling 4 kilometres of archival material representing 1,916 historic British co-operative societies.

Its offering spans a public museum with free admission, bookable archive research access, a virtual visit film on Vimeo On Demand, a free Sam Ashworth Discovery Box loan programme for KS1/KS2 schools, Co-op History Talks, family workshops (e.g., £5 biscuit-making events), space hire at the museum, a Square-powered online shop, and blog and social content across Facebook, Twitter/X, and Instagram. It also runs heritage projects such as the 2025 'Seeds of Change' cataloguing of the Co-operative College Collection, funded by a £131,653 National Lottery Heritage Fund grant.

The trust's revenue model is donation-led: one-time and regular public donations, bequests in wills, Gift Aid, corporate donations from UK retail co-operative societies, occasional institutional grants (Heritage Fund), and modest transactional income from film rentals, online shop sales, and venue hire. No government funding is received. The organisation is led by a small team under Manager Liz McIvor with support from museum and archive staff and is governed by a board of trustees.

Name

Co-operative Heritage Trust

Legal name

The Co-operative Heritage Trust CIO

Website

https://co-operativeheritage.coop

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Co-operative Heritage Trust is an independent UK charity that preserves and shares the heritage of the co-operative movement through the Rochdale Pioneers Museum, the National Co-operative Archive, and associated education and digital programmes, funded by donations, grants, and modest trading income.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heritage Museum and Archive Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums (712110), Historical Sites (71212)

akta.pro primary industry

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI)

Keywords

• Heritage preservation
• Museum services
• Archive collections
• Educational programs
• Cultural heritage

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochdale

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The trust relies heavily on public donations (one-time and regular), bequests in wills (unrestricted funding), and corporate donations from UK retail co-operative societies. No government funding is received.
2. Grant Funding: Project-specific grant funding from institutional funders such as The National Lottery Heritage Fund. A £131,653 grant was awarded for the Seeds of Change project to catalogue the Co-operative College Collection.
3. Space Hire: The museum and its spaces (Rochdale Pioneers Museum, Toad Lane) are available for hire for events, meetings, training, and enterprise use.
4. Virtual Visit Film Sales: A virtual visit film about the Rochdale Pioneers is available to rent or buy on Vimeo. Proceeds support the trust's preservation work. Small community co-ops may apply for a 50% discount.
5. School Loan Box Program: The Sam Ashworth Discovery Box (a Victorian-themed activity loan box for schools) is provided free of charge. Schools are responsible for pickup and return.
6. Online Shop: An online shop (hosted via Square) sells items that are posted to customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Co-operative Heritage Trust is an independent charitable trust that preserves and shares the heritage of the UK co-operative movement. It operates the Rochdale Pioneers Museum at 31 Toad Lane (the birthplace of the modern co-operative movement in 1844) and the National Co-operative Archive at Holyoake House in Manchester, providing public access to historical records, museum visits, educational resources, and community programmes.

Product overview

The Co-operative Heritage Trust operates as a heritage organization managing two core physical facilities: the Rochdale Pioneers Museum at 31 Toad Lane (the birthplace of the modern co-operative movement, open since 1931) and the National Co-operative Archive at Holyoake House in Manchester. The Trust offers educational services including the Sam Ashworth Discovery Box (a free loan program for schools), Co-op History Talks, and Get up and Grow Activities. Digital offerings include the Rochdale Pioneers Virtual Visit film available on Vimeo, an online archive search via Archives Hub, and an e-commerce shop powered by Square. The Trust also provides venue hire services at the museum location.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rochdale Pioneers Museum A public museum at 31 Toad Lane, Rochdale, the birthplace of the modern co-operative movement. Open Wednesdays to Saturdays (every other Saturday), featuring the original shop front where the 28 Rochdale Pioneers began their venture in 1844. Free admission. Also offers space hire for events, meetings, and training.
• National Co-operative Archive Secure storage and public access to records documenting the history of the British Co-operative Movement, located at Holyoake House in Manchester. Collections include documents, film, photography, packaging, advertising, and other media spanning from the early 1800s to the present. Research visits must be booked in advance.
• Online Shop An e-commerce store hosted on the Square platform selling heritage-themed merchandise and items that are posted to customers.
• Rochdale Pioneers Virtual Visit A downloadable and rentable film available on Vimeo documenting the story of the Rochdale Pioneers and the co-operative movement. Proceeds support the trust's preservation work, with a 50% discount available for small community co-ops in the UK or overseas.
• Sam Ashworth Discovery Box A free activity loan box for schools and community groups containing replica and original Victorian objects, teacher's notes, and craft activities for KS1/KS2 learners to explore the working life of Victorian Rochdale. Schools collect and return the box; damaged or missing items may be charged to the school.
• Get up and Grow Activities Six downloadable outdoor activities created in partnership with the Get up and Grow social enterprise for exploring the natural world. Available free from the Toad Lane location.
• Co-op History Talks Talks on the history of the co-operative movement delivered at Holyoake House in Manchester for groups and educational audiences.
• Search the Archive Online search functionality for the archive collections accessible via Archives Hub. Users can search collections online and contact the archive by email or telephone for assistance.
• Space Hire Hire of space at the Rochdale Pioneers Museum for events, meetings, training, or enterprise activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20% increase in local visitor numbers compared to pre-pandemic levels
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• SparkLabminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019SparkLab produced the 'More than a Shop' podcast series (2019) in partnership with Co-operative UK, The Co-operative College, Co-op News, and the Co-operative Heritage Trust.
• Co-operative UKcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Co-operative UK partnered with the trust on the 'More than a Shop' podcast series (2019), which tells the story of the UK co-operative movement. Co-operatives UK is the apex trade body for co-ops in the UK.
• The Co-operative CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019The Co-operative College co-produced the 'More than a Shop' podcast (2019) and the Virtual Pioneers film with the trust. The trust also holds and is cataloguing the Co-operative College Collection (Seeds of Change project).
• Co-operative NewscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Co-operative News co-produced the 'More than a Shop' podcast (2019) with the trust, Co-operative UK, and the Co-operative College.
• Podcast.CominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Podcast.Co produced the 'Pioneer Places' podcast (2019), funded by the Heritage Fund, to engage young people in Rochdale with their town's heritage and the co-operative movement.
• Totally LocalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTotally Local supported the trust's advertising during Co-ops Fortnight 2023 as part of their commitment to a co-operative culture and economy.
• ACCLAIM (Association of Co-operative and Labour Archives and Museums)minorOthersACCLAIM is an association of co-operative and labour archives and museums. The trust is a member of this association, which connects heritage organisations working in the co-operative and labour movement space.
• Hopwood Hall CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHopwood Hall College partnered with the trust for a Takeover Day where 20 Travel and Tourism students ran aspects of the museum, providing mutual learning and engagement opportunities.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• English Heritage: Major UK heritage charity managing historic sites and monuments. Comparable as a heritage organisation with overlapping mission (preservation and public access), though operating at much greater scale and with broader portfolio.
• The National Trust: Largest UK conservation charity. Comparable as a heritage preservation and access organisation reliant on membership and donations, though vastly larger in scale, scope and geographic footprint.

Direct peers

• Beamish Museum: North East England open-air living history museum operated as an independent charitable trust. Comparable as a regionally significant, charity-run heritage attraction in the north of England with educational programming and volunteer engagement.
• The Bowes Museum: Accredited independent charitable trust operating a museum in County Durham. Comparable as a small-to-mid-size accredited heritage trust reliant on donations, grants and trading income, serving a similar regional audience.
• Museum of English Rural Life (MERL): University museum and archive at the University of Reading with a comparable mission of preserving and interpreting social/economic history through objects and documents. Comparable in scale, accredited status and educational programming model.
• Working Class Movement Library: Independent archive and library in Salford covering the history of labour and co-operative movements. Comparable as a small, donation-funded social-history archive serving researchers and community audiences.
• New Lanark World Heritage Site: Scottish UNESCO World Heritage Site managed by the New Lanark Trust, centred on Robert Owen's industrial heritage village. Directly comparable through the Robert Owen archive connection and as a small accredited heritage charity preserving a foundational site of social/economic history.
• People's History Museum: Manchester-based museum and archive focused on the history of working-class people, democracy and the labour/co-operative movements in Britain. Closely comparable in subject matter (social and co-operative history), audience (researchers, families, schools) and scale.

Others

• Co-operatives UK: Apex trade body for UK co-operatives and a core partner on joint programming (e.g., the 'More than a Shop' podcast). Closely related as a co-operative ecosystem participant and source of institutional support.
• The Co-operative College: UK co-operative education charity whose historical collection is being catalogued by the trust under the Seeds of Change project. Closely related as a strategic partner within the same co-operative movement ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CoopHeritage
• Facebookfacebook.com/RochdalePioneersMuseum
• Instagraminstagram.com/coopheritage
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-co-operative-heritage-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Co-operative Heritage Trust