Two Abergavenny co-operatives have been playing their part in a two-week nationwide celebration of their unique approach to business.

Across the country co-operatives and mutuals have been focussing on at how they can be in the forefront of ‘Building Back Better’ after the coronavirus crisis.

Both Abergavenny-based co-ops are in Cross Street, across the road from each other - the Gateway Dental Surgery, owned by its staff, and (no relation) Gateway Credit Union, owned by its savers and borrowers.

Abergavenny Town Councillor Sara Burch, who manages the credit union, explained: ”People starting a business don’t always think of setting up as a co-op.

‘‘Actually, managing one is a huge privilege because everyone involved has the same objective, to give the best service and grow the business.”

Unlike other large businesses, they can’t be bought out by global financial interests, but will always be based in the UK.

In Monmouthshire as a whole there are branches of some of the UK’s biggest mutuals, including the Nationwide Building Society, owned by members, Waitrose, owned by its employee partners, and the Co-operative supermarkets, owned by customers.

There are also Welsh mutuals, including the Monmouthshire Building Society, Hay & Brecon Farmers and the Llaeth Cymraeg milk producers’ co-op.

The Welsh Government sees co-operatives as key to developing sustainable local businesses across Wales and the Co-operative Party has just launched it’s ‘Owning the Future’ proposals for putting co-ops at the heart of the economic recovery and for delivering public services.

Recent polling by Populus shows that 69 per cent of people want communities to have more say in how businesses are run after the crisis.

Many small and medium businesses which were successful before the pandemic may not feel able to carry on so the Welsh Government and Wales Co-operative Centre (www.wales.coop) have put in place extra business support for business owners who may want to look at succession and handing over to their workers.

There are already a number of customer owned venues.