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Central Co-op and the Midcounties Co-operative have secured Member approval for a merger that will create the UK’s largest independent co-operative, a move expected to influence funeralcare provision across a wide geographic area.
Both societies endorsed the plan following recent votes, with formal approval granted earlier this week (2 December). Legal completion is scheduled for January 2026.
The new society will bring together extensive funeralcare networks alongside food, utilities, childcare and travel operations. Across its regions, it will serve more than one million Members and employ 13,000 colleagues.
Funeral branches will sit within a footprint that spans Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire and Bedfordshire, across the Midlands and Staffordshire, and north to Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Yorkshire, as well as Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk.
Central Co-op president Elaine Dean said the strength of Member support provided “a groundswell of support to take our new Society forward”.
Meanwhile, midcounties president Irene Kirkman said the vote was “an historic moment for our two societies and the co-operative movement”, adding that the result showed “the power of co-operation in action”.
The societies said the merger would give them greater ability to invest in frontline services, including funeralcare, and to maintain a strong community presence across their combined estate.
Debbie Robinson, chief executive of Central Co-op, added: “Together, we can drive better value for Members, create career opportunities for colleagues and strengthen the communities we serve.”
The move follows the transfer of Chelmsford Star into Central Co-op earlier this year, which also received strong Member backing.
Members will vote on a legal name for the new society in the coming days. Existing Central, Midcounties and Chelmsford Star brands will remain in use on funeral and other sites, with the new name applying only to the legal entity after completion.
