Government Pathfinder Mutuals Announcement

The Employee Ownership Association (EOA) is pleased to accept the Government’s invitation to act as a broker for those interested in the Pathfinder Mutuals Programme.

As the representative body for co-owned companies, with over a hundred members benefiting from employee ownership, we know the advantages this business structure can potentially offer public services. Giving employees a real stake in the company they work for can transform productivity, innovation and customer service.

Co-ownership comes in many different forms and can be applied to a number of business circumstances - however it isn’t a ‘magic bullet’. Therefore it is important for the programme’s Pathfinders and Mentors – half of whom are EOA members - to work closely together to explore all the options available to them.

The EOA looks forward to working with Government to help make the initiative a success, by ensuring stakeholders interested in the mutuals agenda get the support they need. We hope the Pathfinder Programme will help other public service organisations and their employees to see the advantages of co-ownership and consider its potential for their business.

ENDS

Notes for Editors

The Employee Ownership Association is the voice of co-owned business in the UK - a network of more than a hundred companies with anything from significant to majority employee ownership.

Formed in 1979, the Association’s role is to serve and represent its member companies, and promote the spread of employee ownership in the UK economy.

The Association’s members include the John Lewis Partnership; other long-established co-owned companies such as Scott Bader, Swann-Morton and Tullis Russell; global companies such as Mott MacDonald, Unipart and Arup; along with other successful enterprises of all sizes from a diverse spread of sectors.

The Association estimates that the co-owned sector of the economy – companies where there is significant employee ownership – accounts for at least £25 billion in combined annual turnover.

Contact: Natalie Bateman, Luther Pendragon, 020 7618 9148