It wasn’t a large crowd, but it was a meaningful one.
On a quiet Saturday in April, Runninghour Co-operative rolled out its inaugural Runninghour Forum, a one-day forum designed for members by members. 16 participants, both online and offline, joined the intimate session, including a few of Runninghour’s visually challenged runner, at the Singapore Turf Club.
And it worked.
For the first time, members outside the Committee of Management were invited to ideate on Runninghour’s future, bringing fresh insights from their lived experiences and professional know-hows.
From expanding merchandise offerings to using product sales as a vehicle for social impact, members shared proposals that bridged commerce and compassion. One suggestion: sell merchandise as a charity mechanism where buyers can pledge a minimum donation for a shirt, which is then redirected to a humanitarian organisation extending the impact beyond their community.
Perhaps the boldest idea of the day? Positioning Runninghour’s unique inclusive running model as a tourism product. Imagine a visitor from abroad buying a “ticket” to experience Singapore not just as a tourist, but as a participant in a social cause, that is running alongside, and with, persons with special needs.
The dialogue may have been small in size, but it reflected something larger: a growing belief that co-operative strategy doesn’t just belong behind closed committee doors. It belongs to the community.
Ong Meng Hong, Runninghour’s Vice Chairperson, said: “Today, we called for this forum to get members in to contribute their ideas and advice, and so on. Today, I think we had a very good session, we had a lot of good participation.”
And this gathering, however modest, was a showcase of what co-operatives are ultimately about members helping members, and in doing so, building something greater than themselves.
Follow Runninghour Co-operative on Instagram (@runninghour).
By Sng Ler Jun
SCM Scoop delivers bite-sized co-operative news from the Singapore Co-operative Movement. Learn more about the Singapore Co-operative Movement’s Centennial Celebration here.
