Member Benefits

Members' dividend cardA minimum investment of £3 can buy a stake in the Tamworth Co-op – and a share of our profits

A minimum stake of £3 is all it takes to become a member of the Tamworth Co-operative Society and earn a share of our profits.  By investing £1 in a Share Account and paying £2 fee you can apply to be a member.

By joining our truly independent business you will entitled to:

  • Earn dividends on the goods or services you buy
  • Contribute to a good cause on your doorstep via the Community Dividend Fund
  • Take advantage of exclusive offers and promotions
  • Enjoy social outings including trips to the theatre or places of interest
  • Lifelong membership (you just need to keep at least £1 in your share account)
  • Participate in the democratic running of the Society
  • Attend members’ meetings

As a member you will have the satisfaction of having a genuine stake in one of Tamworth’s most iconic businesses, owned and democratically controlled by its members.

Sharing profits through members’ dividends is a founding principle of the co-operative movement and one we have been proudly embracing in Tamworth since 1886.

Our members are our shareholders. They have an equal say in how we are run and are entitled to have their original investment returned should they ever decide to leave us.

The committees responsible for running our business are elected by and accountable to the membership.

As with any shareholder business, the Board of Directors reports to the membership at the annual members’ meetings. Subject to the Rules of the Society any member can apply to be elected as a director as long as they have spent at least £250 a year prior to their nomination and have been a member for at least two years.  If successfully elected to the Board they will need to maintain a spend of £500 annually.

Directors are paid for their duties and help shape the future of the business. The Board sets the level of the dividend payable each year based on annual profit levels.

In recent years the dividend paid to members has been twice as high as the Tesco Clubcard card rate.  No level of dividend payment is guaranteed.

Location does not restrict membership – you can still become a member wherever you live. However, to reap the rewards you would need to shop in our stores or take advantage of the various services which we offer. (Please note that dividends are not payable on certain spends including National Lottery tickets, tobacco items, PayPoint payments and funeral disbursements such as cremation/clergy fees).

No interest is paid on share accounts of less than £100. A tiered level of interest does apply to greater sums, but we would urge anyone considering a significant shareholding to take heed of all the important points mentioned below.

Balances in share accounts receive interest paid gross at the following rates:

Operating until 31st August 2023

ACCOUNT BALANCES INTEREST APPLIED (GROSS)
£1.00 TO £99.99 NIL
£100.00 TO £9,999.99 1.25% p.a.
£10,000.00 TO £14,999.99 2.00% p.a.
£15,000.00 TO £20,000.00 2.50% p.a.

Operating from 1st September 2023

ACCOUNT BALANCES INTEREST APPLIED (GROSS)
£1.00 TO £99.99 NIL
£100.00 TO £9,999.99 2.00% p.a.
£10,000.00 TO £14,999.99 2.75% p.a.
£15,000.00 TO £20,000.00 3.25% p.a.

Operating from 1st November 2023

ACCOUNT BALANCES INTEREST APPLIED (GROSS)
£1.00 TO £99.99 NIL
£100.00 TO £9,999.99 2.00% p.a.
£10,000.00 TO £14,999.99 3.25% p.a.
£15,000.00 TO £20,000.00 4.00% p.a.

Members should be aware that this interest is taxable and must be declared to the Inland Revenue.

No interest is payable on any amount held in the account in excess of £20,000.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION RE: SHARE CAPITAL

Tamworth Co-operative Society follows a strict Code of Practice and is required to inform members of the nature of their shareholding and any changes which affect it.

  • Members are shareholders of Tamworth Co-operative Society Limited. If the Society is unable to meet its debts and other liabilities, members would lose the full amount held in shares. It is known as ‘risk capital’ and might therefore be an inappropriate place to invest savings.
  • The Financial Services Compensation Scheme, which covers bank and building society accounts, does not apply to share accounts with the Society. No compensation claims can be made in the event of the Society becoming unable to meet requests for withdrawal of shares.  The Society does not require authorisation under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 to issue withdrawable share capital. Societies are not subject to supervision by the Financial Services Authority for the issue of these shares.
  • Money may be withdrawn from share accounts at any time unless the Board of Directors has decided to remove this facility under the Society’s rules.
  • Withdrawable share capital does not characterise an investment in the conventional sense.  The withdrawable share capital held in share accounts may receive interest, but the shares do not increase in value.  It should be viewed more as supporting rather than investing in the Society.
  • The Financial Ombudsman Service does not apply to your share account or your relationship with the Society.

Please address any queries relating to the above to:

The Chief Executive Officer, Tamworth Co-operative Society Limited,
8 Colehill, Tamworth, B79 7HE.
Phone: 01827 63711
E-mail: ceo@tamworth.coop