2014

Co-operative Bank results make grim reading: Co-operative News, 15 April 2014

"Shaun Fensom of the Save Our Bank campaign urges customers to be forthright in their responses, while staying with the Bank through its crisis. “We believe that by sticking together we can hold the Bank to its ethical principles and ultimately help a return to co-op control,” he says. “If we leave then we ensure these things won’t happen."

Restoring the Co-operative Bank’s ethical reputation: Co-operative News, 11 April 2014

"The use of the co-operative name and how its future ethical policy would look was an area of concern for many co-operators, with some setting up an advocacy group, Save Our Bank, last October. Shaun Fensom, a Bank customer and co-founder of the group, said: “If the customers act together with one voice they become a force to be reckoned with. I would like to see the campaign protect the values and ethics of the Co-op and ultimately help return the Bank to mutual ownership.”

Unite and Save Our Bank campaign demand ethical pay at Co-op Bank: Unite Press Release, 14 March 2014

"Employees and customers of the Co-operative Bank have joined forces to urge the bank not to repeat the same mistakes as the Co-operative Group and are demanding fair and transparent pay at the bank."

The Co-op Group must not sell its ethics down the river: Guardian, 26 February 2014

Its ethical stance was not to blame for reported losses of £2bn across the group. Co-operatives are key to a sustainable future. Comment by Save Our Bank's Rob Harrison

It is so depressing that the Co-op lost its way so badly: Herald Scotland, 25 February 2014

"The activists are not giving up, however, and have launched a campaign to Save our Bank. The Co-op is planning to ballot its members in the spring on whether or not to retain the ethical business model. Save our Bank say the Co-op is the leading ethical brand in the UK and that the hedge fund investment will be damaged if customers/members desert the organisation in disgust. It's an ethical offer they can't refuse." 

2013

Co-operative Bank's future ethical focus leads customers to look around: Co-operative Group says it is committed to preserving bank's policy, while former leader says ethical label no longer applies. The Guardian, 24 October 2013

“Last night, an online campaign was launched to "save our bank" and make sure it "sticks to its principles". Using the website saveourbank.coop, the campaign is backed by Ethical Consumer magazine and is appealing to customers to hold fire on switching away.”

Battle rages for ethical soul of the Co-op Bank: Charities demand guarantees as hedge funds tighten grip. Mail on Sunday, 27 October 2013

“Some of Britain’s biggest charities are to demand that The Co-operative Bank defends its ethical principles as it prepares to hand almost a third of its shares to hedge funds.”

Save the Co-op Bank! The Ecologist, 1st November 2013

“Ethical Consumer editor Rob Harrison said of the takeover: 'The bank’s new owners need to understand that if the bank abandons its ethical principles then millions of customers will abandon the bank. If this happens the Co-op is dead in the water and their investment will be worthless.'"

Charities and campaign groups demand ethical policy remain intact at the new Co-operative Bank. Co-operative News, 1 November 2013

“Leading campaigning groups and charities who bank with the Co-operative Bank are demanding that the Co-op's pioneering Ethical Policy survive the bank's transition to new ownership. Charities including Action Aid, Greenpeace and Oxfam are among the signatories to an open letter written by the Save Our Bank campaign which is being published this weekend in national newspapers.”

Shaun Fensom sceptical about Co-op ethics. Manchester Evening News, 7 November 2013

“Shaun Fensom is one of the organisers behind the Save Our Bank campaign. He told the M.E.N his views on the bail out plan: 'Writing the ethics into the constitution of the bank is a move in the right direction. But there’s a lot more to the ethics than having an ethical code. If this isn’t done, customers could start moving on in large numbers, which I think they will.'”

Campaigners urge Co-op customers to stick with bank, BBC News, 22 November 2013

“The campaign's co-founder Rob Harrison told BBC Radio 5 live's Wake Up to Money: "It's become world leading as an example of how you can run a bank... and because of that it had attracted hundreds of thousands of people."

What has 2014 got in store for co-operatives? Co-operative News, 30 December 2013

“In the letters pages of the Co-operative News, across social media and in the Save Our Bank campaign, there is an active grassroots movement emerging, likely to get stronger over the next 12 months.”

Coverage in blogs and online

The Bank of Our Friends in the North – The Real Blog (David Boyle), 21 November 2013

Charities call on Co-operative Bank to maintain ethical stance Charity Financials, 15 November 2013

Charities seek clarity on direction of Co-op Bank under new ownership Civil Society 4 November 2013

Campaign group to Co-op customers: ‘don’t switch yet; let’s stick together’ Blue and Green Tomorrow 1 November 2013

Blogs and Articles by the Save Our Bank Campaign

Why you should stick with the Co-operative Bank: Ethex, 6 December 2013

Keeping faith with the Co-op: Can a customer campaign maintain the Co-op Bank’s ethical policy and eventually remutualise it? It’s not that far fetched, argues Shaun Fensom – Red Pepper, January 2013

Forget Flowers: it’s time to save our bank: New Internationalist, November 28, 2013

Lest we forget: The Co-operative Bank's greatest achievements: Co-operative News, 28 November 2013