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New co‐operative brings African produce to Nottingham

A co‐operatively owned shop in Nottingham, which celebrates African culture and tradition, is buying new stock thanks to a loan from The Co‐operative Loan Fund.

AfriCo‐operative is a new community shop specialising in African food, cosmetics, hair products, music and DVDs. Nottingham has an emerging African community, which totals over 3.6% of the city’s population, but traditional African goods have not been available in the area until now.

The group came together as a co‐operative earlier this year after recognising a gap in the market for a shop specialising in African products. The co‐operative opened a share issue in early 2012, which attracted substantial investment from 750 members. The money raised was used to refurbish the shop, which is situated on Radford Road in Nottingham, and it opened in May with a limited range of stock.

Finance from The Co‐operative Loan Fund supplements the money raised in this share issue, and the co‐operative is using it to broaden and diversify the range of products on offer in the shop. AfriCo‐operative currently stocks produce from three countries in southern Africa, but the members aim to eventually cover the entire continent. The co‐operative is passionate about supporting poor communities and farmers, and is working towards sourcing 80% of the stock directly from African producers.

The co‐operative hopes that the shop will become a hub for members of the African community in Nottingham, helping to integrate African culture and tradition, providing an information point, and improving overall quality of life for people in the area.

AfriCo‐operative also received business advice from The Co‐operative Enterprise Hub, making it one of a number of co‐operatives to have benefited from the services of both The Hub and The Loan Fund.

Osmond Okungbowa, a member of AfriCo‐operative, said: “We needed the loan to support the advice and guidance we received from the Hub; to help us diversify our range of stock and allow us to cater for people from all over Africa. We would not have been able to do this without their help.”

The members of AfriCo‐operative want to copy their model elsewhere in the country. After the Nottingham shop has become well established and integrated with the community, the co‐op plans to open another branch in London.
Ian Rothwell of The Co‐operative Loan fund said: “I was very impressed with the support the co‐operative got from the local community. The Co‐operative Loan Fund was delighted to supplement the very substantial sums already raised.”

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Co‐operatives co‐operate to support new community counselling service

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A unique co‐operative in Tyne and Wear which will offer a variety of different counselling services, will be up and running throughout the region this autumn thanks to support from The Co‐operative Loan Fund and other co‐operative organisations.

Community Counselling Co‐operative will provide a variety of services that are tailored to the needs of people who have little or no access to therapeutic support. This will include working in schools in deprived areas, working with offenders, male victims of domestic violence and children separated from drug user parents.

The finance from The Co‐operative Loan Fund will go towards developing publicity materials for the co‐operative including leaflets, brochures and a new website. They hope that the site will act as an online ‘hub’ for their clients, providing a space for them to meet and interact online, access resources and find out about events.

Community Counselling Co‐operative is a group of five counsellors based in North East England, who came together as a co‐operative earlier this year after recognising a need for their services in the region. The members are delighted to be operating as a co‐operative, and believe it will have a positive effect on the way they do business.

Simon Campbell, one of Community Counselling Co‐operative’s directors, said: “The help we have received from organisations like SES, The Hub and The Loan Fund has been invaluable. Working as a co‐operative allows us to practise what we preach in terms of empowerment and respect.”

Community Counselling Co‐operative received business advice from The Co‐operative Enterprise Hub, making it one of a number of co‐operatives to have benefited from the services of both The Hub and The Loan Fund. The group also had assistance from local co‐operative organisation, SES (Sustainable Enterprise Strategies), which offers business and consultancy support to co‐operatives.

Ian Taylor of The Co‐operative Loan fund said: “It’s great to see a co‐op working with a network of co‐operative organisations like SES and The Hub, The Loan Fund is very pleased to have added to that support. This is a good example of co‐operation between co‐operatives.”

maracuja

Maracuja

We are pleased to report that a disused carpet shop in Rochdale has been transformed into a new site for an Anglo-African cultural and community centre, thanks to financial assistance from The Co-operative Loan Fund.

The finance supplements money raised by the investment of 123 Rochdale residents in a community share issue. The renovation of the building – which is situated on the edge of the town centre near the historic Rochdale Pioneers museum – began in April 2012, and Maracuja (meaning ‘passion fruit’ in Portuguese) moved in August 2012.

The new premises acts as a community hub aiming to raise awareness of Anglo- African culture. It houses a cafe specialising in African cuisine, which will support local food growth and source food from local providers where possible.

The renovation also provides an exhibition space for local artists, offers a function room available for hire and an advice service focusing on employment and training skills for disadvantaged local people. Maracuja is in talks to work with local colleges to offer apprenticeships and training to students. The centre also offers a consultancy service aiming to assist other local organisations.

The nearby Rochdale Pioneers Museum is keen to support the venture and offered Maracuja gallery space in the museum, as well as space to use for training and classes.

Maracuja participated in the annual Feel Good Festival where the members hosted an African food stall for two days. Maracuja also secured a contract with African charity Nestac, catering for over 400 people at their annual event. In October 2011, Maracuja catered for 100 people at a wine and cheese event in Manchester organised by The Co-operative.

Peggy Mulongo, one of Maracuja’s founders, said: “The money from the Co-operative Loan Fund has allowed us to move forward with the renovation of our new building. It is an ideal space for Maracuja – situated just down the road from the museum – and the renovation has been vital to our project.”

Maracuja also received business advice from The Co-operative Enterprise Hub. It is one of a number of co-operatives to have benefited from the services of both The Hub and The Loan Fund.

Ian Rothwell of The Co-operative Loan fund said: “There is a lot of support for the group from public bodies, charities, and the co-op sector. They are seen as the next generation of Rochdale Pioneers.”

For futrhter information about Maracuja, visit: www.maracuja.coop

dunbar-bakery

Dunbar Community Bakery

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A Scottish town can continue its 150 year baking tradition by opening the only bakery in the area, thanks to financial assistance from The Co-operative Loan Fund.

The community of Dunbar has a lot to be excited about, thanks to the opening of their new community-owned bakery in October 2011, the only one in town. It all started in 2008 when the long-standing Smith’s family bakery, which had been serving the residents since the mid-1800s, closed when the owner retired. Market research was carried out to determine the need for fresh bread in the area, and the findings were summed up by the sentiment that every high street needs a bakery.

Meetings were held, attracting dozens of people. With the help of the local development trust, the plan to reopen the former Smith’s bakery as a sustainable, community-run enterprise was realised. It would be called Dunbar Community Bakery, and attracted 300 community members who raised almost £40,000 through the purchase of community shares.

Dunbar Community Bakery found a location on a well-located high street spot in a former newsagents shop. The Co-operative Loan Fund gave the bakery a loan to help with renovations and to pay for new, professional baking equipment, including state-of-the-art ovens.

Dunbar Community Bakery specialises in high-quality artisan traditional bakery products with no additives, using quality, locally sourced ingredients. The staff consists of three professional bakers with 65 years of combined experience, along with an appointed front-of-house team.

Aside from providing warm tasty bakery products, the bakery has a social agenda as well. It plans to provide training and employment opportunities for locals, along with developing apprenticeships and support to local schools to share baking skills. Beyond that, all profits will be reinvested back into the community.

Janet Barnes, committee-member and business development consultant and trainer said: “Many of us wanted to be involved in developing a certain bakery, not a chain, that would serve good old-fashioned bread and develop the community at the same time. Without the loan finance it wouldn’t have gone ahead, the assistance has been vital.”

Dunbar is a small, coastal town east of Edinburgh and just north of the English border.

Ian Taylor of The Co-operative Loan Fund said: “Dunbar Community Bakery is the story of a community that has stuck at a plan through thick and thin. I am confident the bakery will be a success, it is run by professionals, located in a good spot and will no doubt bake delicious food.”

For further information about The Bakery Dunbar visit: thebakerydunbar.co.uk