New name, same shared values: welcome to The OurCoop County Ground

The home of Derbyshire County Cricket Club enters a new chapter on Wednesday 1 July as The Central Co-op County Ground is officially renamed The OurCoop County Ground, reflecting the creation of the UK's largest independent co-operative society.

The rebrand follows the coming together of Central Co-op, Midcounties Co-operative and Chelmsford Star Co-operative to form OurCoop, a purpose-led family of businesses with more than one million members and 13,000 colleagues serving communities across the UK.

The partnership with Derbyshire County Cricket Club, first launched in May 2025 during the United Nations' International Year of Co-operatives, will continue under the new OurCoop name, strengthening the relationship between two values-led organisations that share a commitment to community, inclusion and long-term social impact.

For OurCoop, Derbyshire is much more than the home of a sporting partnership. The county has been at the heart of the co-operative's story for generations. From the stewardship of Derby Central Hall and the restoration of the much-loved Co-op Cow landmark, to its network of food stores and funeral homes across the county, OurCoop's history is deeply woven into the social fabric of Derbyshire and its communities.

Over the past year, the partnership has already delivered significant benefits for members, colleagues and communities, including:

• More than 80,000 visitors attending cricket and non-cricket events at the ground during the partnership to date
• Approximately 1,000 complimentary home match tickets made available to Central Co-op colleagues, members and community groups
• Approximately 200 away match tickets made available through the partnership
• Opportunities for colleagues and members to attend matches, concerts, community days and cultural events hosted at the ground

The partnership also provides a unique platform to introduce the new OurCoop brand to hundreds of thousands of visitors and viewers each year. Through men’s and women’s domestic and international cricket fixtures, concerts, community events and a global digital reach, The OurCoop County Ground will help tell the story of a modern co-operative family of businesses, which spans food retail, travel, funeralcare, early years and utilities.

Elaine Dean, President of OurCoop and Derby resident, said: "This partnership has always been about much more than our name on a sign. It is about two co-operative organisations coming together to create opportunities for our members, colleagues and communities.

"Over the past year, we've seen people enjoy the benefits of this partnership, from discounted tickets and community events to memorable experiences at the ground. As we become OurCoop, it's fitting that one of the first major public landmarks to carry our new name is here in Derbyshire – a county that has played such an important role in our heritage.

"The OurCoop County Ground represents everything we believe in: bringing people together, investing in communities and creating lasting value through co-operation."

Jimmy Drew, Head of Commercial Partnerships, said: “We’re now a year into our partnership with OurCoop and we’re very excited to take this step into a new era for the brand, which we know will provide a new range of valuable opportunities for their members, colleagues and customers, as well as our own.

“We thank OurCoop for their close communication throughout the merger, which we know has been in incredibly busy time, and we feel privileged to be among the first venues to bear the new branding.

“Through our close relationship with OurCoop, we will have a much wider reach and look forward to welcoming supporters, new and existing, to The OurCoop County Ground soon!”

As The OurCoop County Ground begins its next chapter, both organisations are committed to building on the success of the partnership and creating even more opportunities for members, colleagues and local communities.

The renaming of the ground also symbolises the wider ambitions of OurCoop – a modern, member-led co-operative with the scale to invest more, create greater impact and deliver more value back to the people and communities it serves.