“The Harcourt Organic Farming Co-op wouldn’t exist without Clare Fountain from Sorted/Co-operative Bonds. Clare helped us to identify the opportunity of working cooperatively with other farmers to help our farm survive and thrive. Her creativity in coming up with a range of potential models helped us settle on the right legal and logistical framework for our situation. More than six years later it’s still a good fit, and still going strong. Clare had a great instinct for putting us in touch with the right expert at the right time to answer our questions and help us tick every box, and we appreciated her calm and good humoured guidance through the whole process from beginning to end. We’d highly recommend Co-operative Bonds to anyone who’s wondering whether working collaboratively might make it easier to achieve their future goals. We’d never considered a co-operative arrangement when we started farming, but it’s turned out to the be best thing we ever did.”
- Rodger Long
Limestone Coast Fishermen's Co-op
“Co-Operative Bonds guided us from being an informal collective to becoming two fully registered, operational co-operatives. We collaborated with them from the start to hold information sessions for prospective members, sparking excitement about the potential of forming a co-operative. Together, we went through business planning, future development, and constitution writing. Working with Co-Operative Bonds was formative for our group, and I’d highly recommend their services to any group looking to establish or transition to a co-operative structure.”
- Callum Rogers
Founding member of SuppHorticulture Co-op and Caring Farms Co-op
“Hepburn Energy has been working with Co-operative Bonds for several years on tasks such as updating our Rules, workshops to determine new strategic directions on projects, and educational sessions for the board and staff. Antony is a fount of knowledge on all things co-operative, as well as coming up with creative solutions and being professional to deal with. We have in the past, and, continue to wholeheartedly recommend Co-operative Bonds, from groups who might be considering the co-operative structure through to operating co-operatives of any scale and sector, they can support you where you are at.”
Co-operative Bonds played a pivotal role in the successful establishment of The Coota District Co-op Ltd by developing a comprehensive Business Plan, in May 2021.
Their expertise in co-operative development was key to transforming our vision into a tangible, community-owned retail enterprise. Under Clare Fountain’s leadership, Co-operative Bonds worked closely with our Steering Committee, to deliver a robust plan that provided a clear roadmap, including financial modelling, risk analysis, and strategic objectives. The document that was produced provided a background for people interested in the proposed business modelling and planning for The Coots District Co-op Ltd. It was something that we could distribute to encourage members and investors to become involved in the enterprise.
The Coota District Co-op Store has now been operating for over 15 months (December 2024). It is providing much needed basics to the Cootamundra District community, creating local jobs, offering youth training opportunities, and driving economic vitality in Cootamundra. The work of Co-operative Bonds laid the foundation for this success, and their professionalism and collaborative approach made them invaluable partners in our journey.
We highly recommend their services to any community aiming to establish a co-operative enterprise.
