Pictured: (l-r) Isobel Burbidge - Board Director, Judith Feeney - Chair of Membership Strategy Committee, Andy Cresswell - Deputy Chief Executive - Trading, Gay Goodall -Member of the Year, George Waddell - Board Director getting ready for the balloon launch at Midcounties headquarters

The Midcounties Co-operative has declared 12 January the new 'New Year's Day', staging a series of celebrations to mark the beginning of the United Nations designated International Year of Co-operatives.

Hundreds of balloons were released at the Society's Warwick headquarters to mark the occasion.

It will mark the start of a major programme of activity throughout 2012 to raise awareness of co-operatives, what they are and the positive impact they have on the communities they serve.

Similar launches took place in Oxfordshire, Swindon, Gloucestershire, Shropshire and Worcestershire. In all 2,012 balloons will be released at the same time across the trading area, in representation of the to represent the 5,450 co-operative organisations there are in the UK.

Andy Cresswell, Deputy Chief Executive of The Midcounties Co-operative, said: "The designation by the UN gives us a unique opportunity to show the world the massive contribution that co-operatives make towards creating a better, fairer world by doing business with a true social conscience. Their positive impact is felt everywhere, from Banbury to Brussels, Cheltenham to Costa Rica."

Midcounties colleagues were joined at Warwick by representatives from a diverse range of other co-operatives, including a credit union, a housing co-operative, a bicycle recycling co-op, a wholefood business and a firm supplying reflecting clothing for children. 

Andy said: "Being part of a co-operative is about working in a collaborative way towards a common good. That's why we felt it important to share our celebrations with other like-minded people. It also demonstrates the breadth and variety of co-operatives."

As part of the celebrations, Midcounties will be making a series of 'New Year resolutions'. These will include commitments to more than 28,000 hours of volunteering by colleagues and a  total of more than £340,000 of community grants being awarded to good causes.