BCCM celebrates 10 years of co-operation

28 February 2023

In 2023 we are celebrating ten years of the BCCM. This is not only a coming of age for Australia’s first cross-sector advocacy body for co-ops and mutuals, the last decade also represents an epoch-making time for the movement in Australia.

The BCCM was formed in 2013 after the United Nations International Year of Cooperatives. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the BCCM’s formation and provides an opportunity to reflect on how far we have come as a peak body and as a movement built on the principles of co-operation – the original social businesses.

We have come a long way in the last decade by bringing together member-owned businesses from different industries to advocate for our unique business structures and work to improve the business environment for co-operative and mutuals.

We have succeeded in number of important areas across our objectives of advocacy, networking, education and key projects. These achievements include securing enabling legislation to access vital capital, developing education and co-operative development programs to meet the needs of the sector and facilitating the development of sector-wide governance principles, a climate policy and the Mutual Value Measurement Framework© to measure and express mutual value. The benefits our model offers have been noticed by the government, which has tasked the BCCM with significant co-operative development projects in agriculture and social care.

To recognise the achievements of the BCCM over the past decade, each month we’ll be bringing you a story of impact and value from our sector.

This month, we’re celebrating the unity that the BCCM has brought to the co-operative and mutual sector. From farmers and fishers to banks, buying groups, insurers and care organisations, retailing, housing and motoring clubs, our members unite towards a common goal: building a more resilient, more equitable and more enterprising Australia.

Watch BCCM CEO, Melina Morrison’s campaign video on YouTube.

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The co-operative difference means that CEOs of leading co-ops and mutuals come together in the spirit of sharing knowledge to benefit their members and communities. Unity within our sector has also mobilised us to collectively respond to the many challenges facing our nation and our world, from the impacts of climate change to the need to build organisations characterised by diversity and inclusion.

During this year we’re also looking to the future and considering how our work over the next decade can bring new levels of awareness and greater opportunities for co-operatives and mutuals across Australia.

In 2023 we continue the strong partnership with our members as we work together to increase awareness of the co-operative and mutual model for purpose-driven, member-owned businesses. Join the conversation online #10yearsofcooperation