As we draw the International Year of Co-operatives 2025 [IYC] to a close, we look back on a remarkable year—one in which the co-operative movement all over the world, has not only celebrated its history, but also taken some of the most significant steps forward in its modern story.
For us, CCH’s 30 year journey from 25 member co-operatives to more than 200 stands as a testament to the strength, resilience and relevance of the co-operative model today. In this International Year, this year has reaffirmed why CCH exists: to champion our members, to build strong partnerships, and to ensure co-operative housing continues to thrive as a democratic, sustainable, community-led alternative here in the UK and all over the world.
Throughout the year, CCH has continued to support members with an ever-broadening range of services. From governance guidance to maintenance planning, from committee training, to day-to-day advice, our team has been more active than ever—providing direct support to 36 member organisations in just the past two months. This deep connection with our members is at the heart of everything we do, and we are looking forward to providing support to the Scottish Housing Co-operative Sector in 2026.
CCH Conference 2025 – Building a better world together!
Our conference theme this year was based on the International Year, and one of the standout moments came with the attendance of a serving MP from the current government, Rachel Blake, the first time this has happened in nearly three decades of engagement across successive governments. It symbolised a growing recognition of the co-operative housing sector at the highest levels, and a commitment from the current government to double the size o
f the co-operative sector here in the UK.
We were also very pleased to be joined in an International Plenary session by the President of Cooperative Housing International, the Director of Legislation from the ICA, and the Chair of the Fund for International Co-operative Development.
We closed conference with our International Year of Co-operatives Award Ceremony. Our Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to David Rodgers for his work with CDS Co-operatives, his global leadership, and his commitment to the co-operative housing movement that has inspired communities around the world.
Our CCH achievements in the International Year
In the spirit of the International Year of Co-operatives — celebrating how co-ops build a fairer, more sustainable world — our achievements this year have demonstrated the unique power of co-operative housing to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The launch of the Wayshaper Sustainable Homes toolkit and our new Building Services offer has enabled co-ops to plan for future maintenance, carbon reduction, and long-term sustainability with greater confidence. This is co-operative action delivering global goals at the local level, and we were extremely pleased that our Wayshaper toolkit was shortlisted for a national retrofit award.
We turned a long-held sector aspiration into reality by partnering with House Exchange to create a co-op mutual exchange platform, now freely available to all CCH Registered Provider members so that they can remain in a co-operative home should they wish to move.
We have continued to deliver our Four Million Homes programme of training for social housing residents, funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and also our programme of training for Community Led Housing Advisors.
Our partnerships have strengthened too. Our HR service with Prentis Solutions is already providing valuable support, and our Manifesto for Change, published in advance of the 2024 general election, has delivered extraordinary impact—outcomes we can proudly celebrate as the International Year concludes.
Two landmark policy breakthroughs stand out:
- A government commitment to legislate for a co-operative housing tenure.
For the first time, the UK is preparing to give co-operative housing a legal foundation—addressing vulnerabilities exposed by cases like Mexfield and fulfilling an ambition that generations of co-operators have long championed. In a parliamentary debate on co-operative housing tenure, led by Gareth Thomas MP, the Minister of State for Housing and Planning said the government is “considering opportunities to legislate to establish a legal framework for a co-operative housing tenure,” to formalise the rights and responsibilities of co-ops and their members. - Government commissioning work to establish a dedicated financial intermediary for co-operatives.
CCH is excited that this could offer the prospect of affordable finance for co-ops to grow and build once again—an opportunity not seen since the withdrawal of development support after the 1988 Housing Act.
Other news: We have also recently had a national call for evidence on establishing a UK Co-operative Development Agency. This invites our co-operative sector, government and financial stakeholders to shape a dedicated body that can support growth, access to finance, governance excellence and long-term sustainability across co-operatives in England, Scotland and Wales.
These milestones were made possible by the collective strength of the co-operative movement, and by the persistent advocacy of CCH and partners such as Co-operatives UK and the Co-operative Party.
We have also been prolific on social media during the International Year and you can follow all of our posts using the hashtags #iyc2025 #coopsbuildabetterworld. And of note, CCH was one of the first organisations globally to use the IYC logo in its 30th anniversary publication – 30 Years of Hope, Inspiration and Belief.
Our members
As we close this International Year of Co-operatives, we also celebrated the stories and people that make this movement extraordinary, and we would like to thank everyone who took part. The Celebrating our Pioneers film project, led with great vision by Martina, has shone a spotlight on the individuals whose dedication enriches their co-operative communities every day. Our ongoing History Project will continue capturing and honouring these contributions long after this year ends.
International Year of Co-operatives logo: We were pleased that over 80 of our CCH members and partners applied to use the International Year of Co-operatives logo through us, and we saw it used far and wide on websites, documents, promotional material, and in presentations.
Here’s how some of our members celebrated:
Belgrave Neighbourhood Co-operative Housing Association: Over the past year, BNCHA strengthened its culture of active membership, transparent governance, and tenant empowerment. Its community-led model enabled improvements across services, enhanced repairs, and new initiatives that support wellbeing and bring people together.
A key highlight was BNCHA’s national recognition at the Housing Digital Awards for the “Most Innovative Approach to Culture & Wellbeing.” The award acknowledged a whole-organisation commitment to social value, reflected in projects such as the Food Hub, EKTA (Unity) sessions, Good Neighbour and Young Person’s Awards, and wider community partnerships. Throughout the year, BNCHA also shared its story to inspire other co-ops and community groups, demonstrating how tenant-owned housing can drive m
eaningful social change.
Co-operatives Fortnight: Brian Rose from North West Housing Services featured in the Co-operatives UK #coopheroes celebration for the year.
Open House Festival 2025, London: Several co-ops took part in the Festival, opening their doors to visitors, including Glenkerry Co-operative and RUSS.
Brighton tour: To mark the year, BHCLT organised a tour of the co-ops in Brighton, supported by the University of Sussex, including Rosa Bridge, Bunker, SEASALT, Out Of Town, and Two Piers.
Lark Lane and Southern Crescent Housing Co-ops, Liverpool: Celebrated their 50th and 40th anniversaries by holding celebratory parties in the international year.
Grand Union Housing Co-op, London: Embarked on an amazing archiving project for their housing co-op.
Our CCH team
During the year members of the CCH Board and team joined in with International Co-ops Day, Co-operatives Fortnight, Co-operative Congress and the Festival of Co-operatives in Rochdale, and the Co-operative Party Conference in November. We also contributed through the CUK International Working Group, and also the CUK International Communications Group.
Our international work
Our Chief Executive, Blase Lambert, who is also Treasurer of Cooperative Housing International [CHI], and the Housing Sectoral representative on the Board of the 
International Cooperative Alliance, took part in many international meetings, including:
- Co-operative Housing International (CHI) in Manchester with a board and general assembly, hosted by CCH. Members of CHI attended Co-operative Congress in Rochdale as part of the week of activities for the Festival of Co-operatives.
- CCH facilitated the attendance and contribution of the global housing sector to the second substantive Cooperatives and Mutuals Leadership Circle [CM50] meeting, which ultimately led to the group’s formal launch at the World Economic Forum in Doha in late October. Housing is now firmly represented within CM50—an achievement made possible because Blase helped to ensure the housing sector had a place at the table among CEOs of major global co-operative and mutual businesses. Agreement is now that the Chair of group be HSB Riksförbund – Sweden’s largest co-operative housing membership organisation.
- CCH has been actively involved in the International Legal Research and Analysis Initiative (ILRAI): The Law on Cooperative Housing, and the formal launch of the report took place at the International Courts of Justice in the Hague, where Blase chaired the panel for the launch. Read more about the launch here.
- Blase also attended International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) board meetings in Brazil, as the representative of the global housing sector, for the close of the International Year which discussed how we can ensure that co-operatives have the enabling policy, finance and visibility to drive prosperity for all people. He had the opportunity to visit many co-operatives including housing, banking, taxi drivers, waste management and agriculture, as well as meeting with the Brazilian national co-operative federation, OCB.
The future
Looking ahead, CCH is preparing for the next phase of growth and development. We will relaunch our accreditation programme for service agencies in 2026, update our Code of Governance, refresh the CCH training programme, and release our enhanced Member and Service offer in the new year. In response to the changing audit landscape, we are also securing a new audit and financial services partner for members in 2026.
As the International Year of Co-operatives draws to an end, we do so with pride and gratitude. This has been a year of celebration, achievement, and meaningful progress—a year that has reaffirmed the unique power of co-operative values and collective action.
But most importantly, it has been a year that points forward. The momentum we have built in 2025—across policy, services, partnerships and community—sets the stage for a stronger, more sustainable future for co-operative housing.
The International Year may be ending, but the work, the spirit, and the vision of the co-operative movement here in the UK is only growing stronger.