The first Northern Power Futures festival marked the start of our relationship with The Co-operative Bank. An event that The Co-operative Bank chose to sponsor, and was attended by over 1700 people. From the start of our discussions together, we had always promoted our pick-n-mix approach to the partnership, wanting to ensure that The Co-operative Bank felt like their needs were being met. The Co-operative Bank wanted to focus on early careers, and this is exactly what we were able to provide for them. We kicked things off by hosting a live Northern Power Women podcast, with a panel of 3 and an audience of 200. Career opportunities within the bank were also featured in pop-up information stalls. The podcast was recorded live, as was a one-to-one conversation with a leader from The Co-operative Bank. 

This partnership has also featured an early career mentoring event hosted at the Stella Hall in Manchester, which included another live recording of the podcast. At this event, 3 senior leaders spoke about their experiences of failing, leading and innovating and was followed up by another one-to-one conversation. The event concluded with a speed-mentoring event, featuring mentors and mentees both internal and external to the bank, ensuring that The Co-operative Bank was marketed to a wider audience. 

Throughout the partnership, and by supporting Northern Power Women in our work, this collaboration has allowed The Co-operative Bank to showcase themselves as a community focused bank, committed to their colleagues, as well as ensuring those outside of The Co-operative Bank benefit from their knowledge and experience.