A number of financial institutions have signed up to a new business association, the Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals. The BCCM has been operating since the middle of the year and counts among its 13 members bankmecu, Community First Credit Union and Teachers Mutual Bank. Encompass Credit Union is an associate member.The council's brochure says its purpose is to promote the role of co-operatives and mutuals in the national economy, and provide leadership in research, education and advocacy.It sounds like the Customer Owned Banking Association (formerly Abacus) but with a broader mandate.bankmecu's chief executive, Damien Walsh, said COBA meets his bank's need for training, compliance services and legislative support."The BCCM is a different resource. It is about dialogue between mutuals in different sectors. We don't have much of a history of exploring that community of interest in Australia and that is what the BCCM is setting out to do," Walsh said."It is also a body that gives us an opportunity to do business with other co-operatives and mutuals."Other members include the grain storage and marketing co-operative, the CBH Group, the low-income housing association, Common Equity Housing, and the provider of educational and professional resources, The Co-op.The road service organisations, the NRMA and the RAC (WA), and the health insurer HCF are also members.The council is chaired by Andrew Crane, the chief executive of the CBH Group. Its chief executive is Melina Morrison, whose previous experience includes work with the International Co-operative Alliance. She is chair of the Co-operative Research Group at the University of Sydney.Last year, the Australia Institute published a report on co-operatives, which showed that around 13.5 million Australians were co-op and mutual members, but most of them were unaware of their membership.Walsh said the BCCM was still developing its policy agenda, but the initial focus would be on education. "We want to raise awareness among consumers, business and government," he said."We also want to influence academia. A lot of business education explains the structure and functions of corporations, partnerships and trusts, but not co-operatives and mutuals."Walsh agreed that there was a perception in some quarters that the co-operative sector was old fashioned and in decline. "In the financial services industry the number of mutuals is falling, but in terms of the number of customers and the size of the business the sector is growing."