Royal Representatives Visit Rochdale, Explore Cooperative Interrelationship

Kathmandu : The Chief Manager at the Pokhara Royal Saving and Credit Cooperative Society Limited (PRSCCSL) Meelan Dhakal accompanied by other members of the credit union, busied themselves in Britain visiting the famous Rochdale Pioneers Museum and exploring avenues of interrelationship between credit unions of two countries.

Dhakal and his companions paid a visit to the Museum at Manchester situated at 31 Toad Lane followed by a visit to the Bradford District Credit Union  (BDCU) at Bradford. They also paid a courtesy call on the Lord Mayors of Bradford and Bedworth Borugh Councils. 

Dhakal's visit coincides with marking of the International Year of Cooperatives 2025 declared jointly by the  United Nations and the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA). In 2012, when the maiden International Year of Cooperatives was celeberated, the Chief Executive Officer at the Pokahra Royal Savings Bhim Gurung along with other Nepali cooperators had had the privilege of visiting the historical Museum too.

"It is a wonder opportunity for a cooperator to seize the opportunity of visiting the birthplace of the global cooperative movement and the global capital of the movement that too during the IYC 2025," Dhakal added, "And also to exchange good practices with the BDCU along with the Mayors was equally fruitful and beneficial.

He told serious talks were held at establihsing mutual ties between the Pokhara Royal and the BDCU. He is hopeful that things will materialize in the near future.

During his visit at the BDCU, Dhakal held talks on establishing friendly relation between the credit unions that are both committed to empowering the members through savings and affordable loans.

The meeting with the Lord Mayors was made possible from the help of Honorary Lieutenant Om Prakash Gurung, a retired British Gurkha, living permanently at the Nottiingham city since long.

Meanwhile, upon knowing that the lion's share of the members of the Pokhara Royal along with the current chair, belong to the retired British Gurkhas and their kith and kin, the Mayors were pretty excited and expressed thier willingness to visit the credit union in the near future to take stock of its community empowerment endeavors.

The United Kingdom and Nepal share long-standing diplomatic relations and the former has been one of the strongest allies and development partners of Nepal.

Likewise, the Rochdale Pioneers Museum is regarded as the birthplace of the modern co-operative movement that attracts a lot of cooperative leaders and professionals every year. The site of the museum at 31 Toad Lane was where the ‘Pioneers’, 28 working people opened a co-operative store on the 21st December, 1844.

The shop sold fairly priced, good quality food during very hard times. This was social enterprise in action; a chance for local people to become equal members in a revolution that spread all over the world.