The Co-operative Farms gets gardens growing on Southwark Bridge

The Co-operative Farms brought a taste of the countryside to The Mayors Thames Festival, which took place on Southwark Bridge this weekend.

The capitals city dwellers were given the chance to get green-fingered as farmer Nick Padwick, from The Co-operative Farms, offered hints and tips throughout the day to help people make the most of their own green spaces. He was joined by farming colleagues and representatives from the Goups South East Membership team, who gave out free vegetable seeds and advising people how and when to plant the seeds at home in order to grow their own five a day.

As a major supporter and sponsor of the festival, an entire Co-operative zone was based at the north end of Southwark Bridge. Alongside gardening activities, the zone gave families the chance to find out about Plan Bee, the Groups campaign to help save the dwindling British honeybee population. A walk through the busy bee gardens allowed visitors to see a working hive in action and try out a range of interactive bee-themed exhibits.

The Mayors Thames Festival has been set up to bring the people of London together and encourage them to get more involved with their local community, an ethos which is certainly shared by The Co-operative Group.

Becoming a member of The Co-operative Group costs just 1 and under the profit share scheme, members earn points on their trade with all the Groups businesses. These points are converted into a share of the profits and are paid out twice a year.

The Co-operative Group stands apart from other major retailers in the UK as a business which is owned, not by a small group of shareholders, but by more than five million customers. With core interests in food, financial services, travel, pharmacy and funerals, it has an annual turnover of more than 14 billion, employs 123,000 staff and operates over 5,000 retail trading outlets, handling more than 20 million weekly transactions.

Following the acquisition of the Somerfield supermarket chain in March 2009, The Co-operative Food is the fifth largest food retailer. The Co-operative Financial Services is one of the largest and most diversified financial mutual businesses operating The Co-operative Bank, The Co-operative Insurance and Britannia.

The Co-operative is the UKs number one provider of funeral services, the third largest retail pharmacy chain, and a leading travel retailer, supplying the travel needs of more than three million people annually.

Among its other businesses are The Co-operative Motor Group, The Co-operative Electrical Shop and The Co-operative Legal Services.