Late last week, we celebrated the International Year of Co-operatives 2025 (IYC25) at an event in Bendigo, bringing together over 60 directors from CEHL’s co-op program.
The day centred on what keeps co-ops strong: practical governance, clear communication, meaningful participation, and sustainability with community benefit. Director-led conversations highlighted shared learning—what’s working well, where the challenges are, and the simple practices that help members step into leadership and keep communities thriving.
A highlight of the morning session was recognising long-serving directors. All directors were invited to stand, then progressively those with fewer than five, ten, and fifteen years’ service were seated. At twenty years, many remained standing; those members were invited to the stage for a group photo and a small gift, presented by board chair Fiona Herman.
It was inspiring to see the stage filled with so many 20+-year members (pictured above), and to hear them swapping stories—asking each other how long they’ve been in the co-op program and what’s changed along the way. CEHL acknowledges their years of commitment, care, and steady leadership in co-op housing and thanks every long-serving director for the effort that sustains our communities.
It was valuable to hear directly from directors and to see such open contribution to the discussion. We also acknowledged the many Bendigo co-ops present for their success at the recent AHI Awards, recognising their commitment to working collaboratively, shared problem-solving, practical cooperation, and a strong local culture of support.
A powerful reminder of the IYC25 theme: co-ops build a better world—together.
