SBA's IYC 2012 eNewsletter

13 March 2013

Dear Co-operator,

Welcome to the IYC Australia March 2013 e-newsletter:

	- Peter Hunt in Australia	- Social Enterprise Awards
	- Wanderers follow Rabbitohs co-op lead	- Upcoming events
	- Graffiti and co-ops	- Banking competition

Peter Hunt in Australia

Peter Hunt, CEO of UK Mutuals peak body, Mutuo, was in Australia last week for a series of industry meetings on the role of co-operatives and mutuals in the 21st century economy. In the UK, there are now 66 public sector mutuals providing about £1billion of public services in areas including health, education and disability services.

One of the most radical proposals underway is the creation of a public sector mutual to run the UK's Post Office.

Peter discussed the opportunities for mutuals in Australia to play a greater role in public service delivery. A video of Peter's discussion with The Age journalist Michael Short will be available in our next newsletter.

Read Peter's assessment of the Big Society policy in the UK, Big Society versus New Mutualism, published on Australian Policy Online.

Submissions for the Social Enterprise Awards close 5pm, Thursday, 21 March 2013, with winners receiving cash grants. In 2013 there will be five awards; four awards for social enterprises and one for the businesses that support them. Learn more and apply online

Wanderers follow Rabbitohs co-op lead

The Western Sydney Wanderers are the latest sporting club to look at establishing a supporters trust so that fans can have an ownership stake in the club. Supporters trusts are commonplace in the UK and Germany, and in many others parts of the world.

Find out more about co-operative football ownership

Read the Sydney Morning Herald story

Upcoming events

Vibewire Workshop: Alternative Business Models: Co-operatives
Vibewire is hosting a workshop for young entrepreneurs interested in alternative business forms next Tuesday, 19 March 2013 in Sydney. The workshop, Alternative Business Models: Co-operatives, will feature a panel of young speakers with co-op experience in renewable energy, food and housing.

From Co-operative Year to Co-operative Decade
From Co-operative Year to Co-operative Decade – A New Era in Co-operative Business Development will be the first event of the year for Sydney University Co-operatives Research Group (CRG) on Friday, 22 March, 1–2pm. Social Business Australia's Melina Morrison will provide an overview of the 2012 campaign and the International Co-operative Alliance's blueprint for the co-operative decade.

2013 Employee Ownership Conference
The Annual Employee Ownership Conference will be held Friday, 24 May 2013 at the Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney. Hear from mutual ambassador and UK Government advisor on employee ownership Graeme Nuttall about the British Government's plan to put employee ownership at the centre of economic policy. Also on the program will be ASIC Commissioner Greg Tanzer discussing the SME developments.

Graffiti and co-ops

International Co-operative Alliance president, Dame Pauline Green, opened a new service centre for Australia's first customer owned bank, bankmecu, in Melbourne last week. bankmecu, the first Australian bank accepted as a member of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV), has engaged reverse graffiti artist 'Moose' (Paul Curtis) to create urban artworks based on the bank's Landbank program which is protecting threatened species.

Follow Dame Pauline's blog

Banking competition
Piggy Bank
Abacus, the peak body for financial mutuals is pushing for balance in banking with its new campaign.

You, your friends and colleagues can get involved by signing the online petition and following the campaign and the issues it raises on Twitter @AbacusCOB, Facebook and YouTube.