Encouraging active participation of members in controlling the work of their co-operative housing business is vital to its success. While some members, because of work or family commitments, will not be able to be active members, a successful co-operative will have a sufficient number of members actively involved and willing to take on key decision making responsibilities as elected committee members and officers of their co-operative.

The benefits of co-operative housing are generated by the active participation of members in the work of their housing co-operative. If members are not willing to invest time and energy in the democratic governance of their co-operative, the benefits will not be achieved.

It is therefore vital that all co-operatives encourage members to actively participate. This involves:

• welcoming new members into the co-operative and explaining to them how they can participate in the democratic decision making of their co-operative.
• keeping them informed through regular newsletters and through good quality information about general meetings.
• offering them the opportunity to take part in education programmes through which they can learn the skills needed to serve on the committee or become an officer of the co-operative.