"A bilingual exhibition at Newtown library looks at the history of Owen and explores how his ideas and actions of co-operation, education, lifelong learning, social enterprise and fair trade, are relevant to today's society. The exhibition is part of a year-long programme of events, organised by the Robert Owen Network, that pay tribute to Owen. The Network, which was initiated by The Co-operative Group, is made up of voluntary, statutory and co-operative organisations.

This exhibition is an important part of the celebrations and it's appropriate that it should come to Newtown - the birth and final resting place of Owen. We hope people enjoy finding out more about Robert Owen and his pioneering ideas.

Robert Owen is considered to be the father of the co-operative movement and his influence is felt not just in Britain, but also in the global co-operative and fair trade movements.

The events organised over the coming months will celebrate Owen's life and achievements and give people the chance to find out more about him in an historical context as well as how his ideas are still relevant today.

In April, Co-operative members from Wales and the Border Counties will be able to visit New Lanark, where in 1799 Owen moved from Manchester to manage the cotton mills. It was there he put into practice his social vision and created a model community with quality housing for workers, a school, factory regulations and a government system.

For those interested in gaining a more in depth insight into Owen's ideas and reforms, Ian Donnachie, Reader in History for the Open University and author of several books on Owen and New Lanark, will present a lecture on Friday, 16 May in the village.

On Saturday, 17 May, members and their families from across Wales and the Border Counties will gather at Owen's birth and final resting place of Newtown to enjoy a day of interactive fun. The event, in Hafren Primary School, will celebrate Owen's pioneering methods of teaching, such as using pictures and maps, to make learning more spontaneous and enjoyable. Visitors can also visit sites of historic interest including Owen's tomb and the Memorial Museum.

The celebrations continue in July with a prestigious event that's a must for music lovers. The Robert Owen Gala Concert at the Theatr Hafren, Newtown on Saturday 12 July will showcase the musical talents of young people from the area and commemorate Owen's education theory of encouraging young people to reach their potential. Tickets for the event cost £6 for co-operative members.

July also sees the Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival in Dorset where members can join The Co-operative's South West membership team and the Robert Owen Society from 18 to 20 July.

The festival celebrates the release of six Dorset agricultural workers who were unjustly arrested and transported to the penal colonies of Australia in 1834, after they formed a trade union to defend their livelihoods. This caused a huge uproar and led to a mass demonstration in which Owen had a leading role. It resulted in a pardon for the Tolpuddle Martyrs and their return to England, creating a milestone for trade unionists' rights across the country.

Between 14 and 17 August, academics are invited to 'Robert Owen and his legacy' - a major international conference, organised by Swansea University. Speakers include Professor Gregory Claeys, of the University of London, and author Ian Donnachie, who will discuss Owen's long and varied life and how it touched on a number of themes of great importance to the nineteenth century. The event takes place at Gergynog Hall near Newtown.

To round up the celebratory programme of events, Professor Chris Williams from Swansea University will speak on Owen's life and social visions at a commemorative lecture on Saturday, 15 November at Theatr Hafren in Newtown. "

Article written by Carol Pyper