An Introduction

The Britain of 1873 would have been unrecognisable to its present citizens. Queen Victoria was at the head of the mightiest empire the world had ever seen, and Britain was without a doubt the greatest of the ‘Great Powers’ of the time. However this imperial glory masked a society that was blighted by inequality, exploitation, and life-threatening poverty.

It was these circumstances that led to the birth of The Southern Co-operative (known as Portsea Island Mutual Co-operative Society until 1998), as people realised that if they were ever going to get help then it was up to them to help themselves, pool their resources and talents, and create a business that would meet the needs of all involved, not just a handful of rich shareholders.

The Southern Co-operative (originally Portsea Island Mutual Co-operative Society) was formed in 1873 by dockyard workers who had transferred from Woolwich docks in east London to the Portsmouth dockyard.

The workers had already set up a successful Co-operative Society in Woolwich, and so when they arrived in Portsmouth they decided to set up a similar scheme there.

In December, 1872, 30 people attended a public meeting and all agreed to pay a shilling (5p) towards the establishment of a local Co-operative. After five months of hard work and detailed planning, the Portsea Island Mutual Co-operative Society’s first shop was opened in Charles Street on the 9th May 1873.

Over the years the Society flourished and today it boasts around 120 Co-op Community stores spread across the trading area, covering the whole of Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Sussex and parts of Dorset and Wiltshire.

For anyone who would like to read more about our history, we have put together a handy booklet which you can print off and read in your own leisure. Please click below to download the booklet.