Day 12 - Learn how you could start a food co-op

The Cost of Living Crisis might no longer dominate the headlines, but, for many of us, it continues to be an ongoing struggle. We can see how, while supermarket bosses pocket their annual bonuses, staple food items become increasingly unaffordable, and food bank use is growing.

We can sometimes feel powerless to make a big difference by ourselves at the mercy of rising prices, but some local communities are fighting back by joining the growing movement of food co-ops.  

There are currently 35 Cooperation Town food co-ops in the UK, with more joining every month. By organising together, food co-op members save significantly on their weekly shopping, all while meeting new people in their area and learning new skills.  

Cooperation Town co-ops are led by their members - usually a group of neighbours or people who belong to the same community group (for example, people who attend the same church or mosque or send their children to the same school).  

Food co-op members are not professional organisers, and most have no prior experience of running a community group or a food business. They’re parents, couples, and single people doing their best to manage in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis. They’re people who know that the best way to do it, is to do it together!  

Members learn the simple steps of how to run a co-op, from speaking to neighbours, facilitating meetings, securing a local organising space to finding ways to access bulk and surplus food.  

For Day 12, we are asking you to watch this informative video to see food co-ops in action and think about how it could work in your local area.