ROCHDALE’S GLOBAL AUDIENCE AN INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE WAS HELD IN MANCHESTER ON 1ST NOVEMBER, FOR A NEW MOVIE TELLING THE INSPIRATIONAL STORY OF THE BIRTH OF THE CO-OPERATIVE. Fact is more compelling than fiction for “the rochdale Pioneers” – starring John Henshaw, who is known for roles in “Born and Bred”, “early doors” and “Looking for eric” - which tells of 28 men who battled a backdrop of poverty and prejudice and whose principals are still changing the world almost 170 years later. It was the Rochdale Pioneers’ vision for a better social order, which inspired them to overcome such adversity to form the Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society in 1844. Fed up with dishonest and corrupt shopkeepers, selling poor quality products at high prices, they decided to take matters into their own hands. By pooling the few resources they had, the group managed to get enough money together to open their own shop and pledged to only sell quality, unadulterated products, sharing the profits fairly with their customers. The shop, on Toad Lane, Rochdale, was only small and stocked just a handful of products, like butter, flour and sugar, but the idea itself was revolutionary and the way they did business fundamentally different in its nature. The tale is particularly powerful as from these somewhat humble and unassuming beginnings it is estimated that there are now 1.4 million individual co-operative enterprises globally securing the livelihoods of over three billion people!
Mark Robinson-Field, The Co-operative’s National Co-operative and Membership Manager, said: ”The original Rochdale Pioneers set out the principles that became the basis for how co-operatives around the world still operate to this day – a remarkable story of struggle against adversity that is just as relevant today. We believe that the time is right for this inspirational story to be re-told to a new generation.” The International Premiere was held at The Exchange Auditorium in Manchester – close to the site of the Peterloo Massacre in 1819, where friends and family of some of the Rochdale Pioneers were amongst the 80,000 strong crowd charged by cavalry when they gathered to demand the reform of parliamentary representation. the film had its television debut on Film4 on 11th November. if you missed it log on to www.therochdalepioneers.co.uk to find out where you can watch it.
That’s why, today more than ever, the story of the Rochdale Pioneers is one to inspire others to change their own world by making a difference in the society they live in. The film was commissioned by The Co-operative Group – whose own origins can be traced back to the Rochdale Pioneers – and, produced by The Co-operative British Youth Film Academy whose directing duo of Adam Lee Hamilton and John Montegrande, in the true spirit of collaboration, recruited many of the cast and crew from the local community to work alongside the established actors. 14
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The Manchester premiere on 1st November