About Us
Co-operative Alternatives is Northern Ireland's leading agency promoting the growth and development of co-operative organisations. Our team offers extensive expertise in the co-operative model: including set up and registration, funding, legal issues, marketing, training and business development.
Our Services
Society Registration Support
The registration process can be cumbersome but our team has worked on numerous co-operative registrations and can help you cut through the red tape, saving you time and money – especially compared to solicitors' fees, which are not required.
We offer face to face support and include a check of legal documents as part of our service. We will work with you to accurately complete the required documentation and submit this on your behalf. This service is available for groups based in the Republic of Ireland as well as the North.
Community Shares Offer Support
Most enterprises need capital to start, to grow, and to be sustainable. This finance has to come from somewhere, and Community Shares enables this investment to come from the very community which an enterprise intends to benefit. We provide support in the following areas:
- Writing share offer
- Community Shares Standard Mark
- Administering share offer
- Tax Relief and HMRC
- Establishing and maintaining a share register
Financing Advice
There are many ways to raise needed funds for start-up, growth or replacing onerous debts. We are experts in setting up Community Share offers, Loan Stock, crowdfunding and accessing funded programmes. We can explain the different social finance options that you may wish to consider, discuss the pros and cons and help you find the best choices for your organisation. We can also assist in applications for funded support programmes.
Member Engagement
One of the most positive things about being a co-operative, is that your members could passionately support you. Find out ways to harness that power to drive income generation, reduce costs, and revitalise governance.
Co-op Health Check
We can run a check on the organisation including a review of the rules, governance and accounts. We can also run a skills audit and code of governance health check for the board.
Support for the Board
Training for Directors can be essential in the development of the organisation ensuring legal compliance, proper governance and cohesion within the group. We can assist in sourcing and co-opting new directors with relevant skills required by the organisation.
Society Secretarial Service
Effective secretarial support is essential for good governance and our service is ideal for co-operatives of any size and across all sectors. The Secretarial service includes:
- Provision of well-planned agendas and clear minutes for board meetings
- Keeping a minute book and record proceeding for all meetings
- Dealing with queries from your members and Society board members
- Maintaining up to date Register for all members, keeping a Register of Directors and Officers
- Sending the Annual return to Registrar in the prescribed form
- Taking the stress out of your AGM and assisting you with Annual Reports and accounts, and working alongside you for a smoothly run AGM event
Our Board of Directors
The Board of Directors of Co-operative Alternatives is elected annually at the AGM. Directors oversee the development and day-to-day business of the co-operative, ensuring it reflects the decisions and values of its members.
As a registered society, Directors are responsible for upholding the co-operative's rules, ensuring legal compliance, and acting in the best interests of the membership. They help safeguard transparency, financial sustainability, and the long-term purpose of the organisation.
Robert Heslip
Director
Robert Heslip is a founding director of Co-operative Alternatives and a passionate advocate for democratic enterprise, cultural heritage, and community empowerment. With a career spanning over four decades, Robert brings a unique blend of historical insight, civic experience, and ecological stewardship to the co-operative movement in Northern Ireland.
He began his professional journey as a curator at the Ulster Museum (1979–2006), specialising in history and numismatics, before serving as Heritage Officer at Belfast City Council (2006–2021), where he shaped cultural policy and public history initiatives.
Robert's commitment to co-operative values is also rooted in place. At Rhee River Organic Farm, just outside Garvagh, he cultivates heritage vegetables and biodiversity while exploring land stewardship as a form of democratic practice. The farm reflects his belief that fairness, solidarity, and ecological responsibility must be central to any economic system that truly serves people.
Through Co-operative Alternatives, Robert continues to champion co-operatives as tools for justice, resilience, and shared ownership.
Tony McQuillan
Director
Tony McQuillan has dedicated his career to advancing housing justice, democratic ownership, and community-led development across Northern Ireland. He served as Chief Executive of Shelter NI, where he championed housing rights and policy reform for over two decades, helping shape the organisation's legacy as a leading voice for those experiencing housing insecurity.
Following his retirement from Shelter NI, Tony continued his commitment to housing and homelessness as a Trustee of Peoples Kitchen. Tony has maintained his belief in social change through co-operative enterprises. Tony is also a founding member of Belfast Co-Housing Mutual Co-op, a pioneering initiative that brings people together to design and live in intentional, sustainable communities. The project reflects his belief in collective living, environmental stewardship, and shared decision-making.
Tiziana O'Hara
Director
Tiziana O'Hara is a founding member of Co-operative Alternatives. Since 2013, she has promoted a variety of co-operatives across sectors, from food and housing to energy and finance, ensuring that co-operatives are recognised as viable, values-driven models for inclusive economic development.
Tiziana is a Co-operative Development Practitioner and a licensed Community Share Practitioner. She helped a substantial number of groups to develop co-op business models and raise finance through community share offers and loanstock offers.
She also serves as a director on other co-ops, including Northern Ireland Community Energy (NICE), Drumlin Wind Energy Co-operative, and the Irish Society for Co-operative Studies, reflecting her deep commitment to co-operatives both North and South of Ireland.
As Convenor of Community Energy NI, Tiziana plays a pivotal role in shaping the region's community energy landscape. She has helped convene a coalition of organisations to advocate for a strategic framework that supports local ownership, capacity building, and equitable access to clean energy.
Our Rules and Finances
Co-operative Alternative's rules can be viewed here and our finances are reported on at each AGM and can be viewed below:
