How it works!

Overview¶

A work in progress. Please comment bellow, or log in and make changes

A group works best when it has broad shared aims. A system works best when it is fully inclusive and respectful of the needs of every member. And food works best when it is shared and cooked with love!
We have two documents in which we can voice our concerns and the opportunities we think the co-op will bring.
Our most basic aim is to have a system that works more easily that buying food individually. :O)

Because some of the 17 of us aren’t interested in total food sharing, we have split our system into two basic parts which people are in one, or both of. ‘Buying’ and ‘Sharing’. (we are glad to say the system is also inclusive enough for people to be part of neither and STILL join us for a shared meal!)

The basis of our system comes from a coop called ‘some friends’ which existed for 30 years in east london. The documents of their system (including what they bought together) is archived in the east london along with Karl Marx’s diaries! Radical.

Buying¶

This is easy to explain! Some people are only sharing the buying part of the system with us. They will look at the suppliers we are ordering from and ask us to order them some items as well. They then pay us the money. Easy. Food delivered, less packaging, less shopping trips, more ethical, and cheaper too.
This page lists the people we order food from and account detail.

Sharing¶

The items bellow are agreements from the poll that we should all be able to reach consensus upon.

• we will collectively order everything we need to have to make delicious meals together.
• we will inform new people who move in that they can be part of this system if they wish regardless of which part of the house they live in.
• we will make sure other people will be able to continue as normal with their own cupboard and fridge space.
• we will take remaining cupboards and shelve and share them together. We will take the remaining fridges and share them together.
• we will leave space for individual items that we want for yourselves to be stored with our name on.
• we will store the food safely and healthily.
• we will order things that individuals want, safe in the knowledge that we may want something that others don’t eat
• we will order dry goods periodically (maybe once every few months)
• we will order fresh produce often (every week)
• we will buy anything we need that we do not have like bread when it’s needed, and enough for everyone. This will be noted down and subtracted from our monthly fee.
• we will keep track of what runs out from the shared food to order more.
• we will cook together if we wish, and have a list of who want’s to eat on a particular night
• we will keep track of what meals we ate at so that we can pay for their set amount.
• we will allow guests to eat with us and pay for their meal
• We will put up an initial amount of money to get us started
• we will not bankrupt our selves by over ordering
• We will allow a ‘half meal’ or ‘light lunch’ to be recorded if people feel that is what they ate. Maybe just pudding for instance! :o)

Practicalities and finance¶

We have set daily meal costs at a lower rate than we felt we where paying currently without the food coop. Our estimation was £35.00 – £50.00 pounds a week. This excludes meal out in london and lunches bought from shops. The system bellow, which includes many-many wise (!) estimates, sets the weekly payment for half the week’s possible meals at £21.00

6 of us are putting in £165.00 to start it up and are going to eat using the coop (an estimate of 50% of our meals)
We expect that this initial money will be returned within six months (but can be requested at any time)
We expect that more people will be persuaded to eat from the co-op as 10 people currently share the kitchen. This will benefit us all.

Jobs or roles that participants need to take on.¶

These can be rotated when ever people feel like a change.

• Money Person (accountant) -
  at the end of the month works out total number of meals eaten and cost for each person.
  then works out deductions for other items bought during the month
  then collects money based on these accounts
  updates food person (bellow) and then the group about the current situation.

• Food person (buyer) – (not first order)
  holds account details with suppliers
  compiles a list of new items for dry and fresh food to order
  makes the new orders for dry and fresh food
  keeps archive of orders for dry and fresh food

• Admin
  will be a point of contact for things that have run out
  Will be a point of contact for new ideas of food
  will make sure there are new meal/cooking/pest/idea sheets available

• Pest Control
  will collect peoples experiences of mice and moths and other wildlife to discuss solutions at the next meeting