The idea
The Sunflower Cooperative would like to expand our work providing access to affordable fresh fruit and vegetables from Church Street Market by sharing recipes, stories and crafts inspired by a variety of different cultures!
'Our Family Enterprise Saturdays' will bring our community together over a combination of both shared experiences and broadening horizons with new recipes passed down by generations, exciting fresh flavours and developing crafting skills such as soap making and sewing so we can chat, eat and create together!
Our team will focus on going to the market and safely collecting and delivering food and craft supplies to our members - leaving items on doorsteps at a safe distance when necessary. So our members can focus on what matters.
Our sessions will involve gathering together at Church Street Library each month to share recipes, try new crafts and ease isolation. These creative gatherings can be held online for those shielding or less able to get out.
What we'll deliver
- A space to share cultural recipes and craftwork (e.g. soap & candle making)
- 'Family Enterprise Saturdays' events that encourage the community to support local enterprise in Church Street
- Access to affordable fruit and vegetable from Church Street market
- Training volunteers from the community
Why it's a great idea
Combating isolation and loneliness by bringing people together
Integration of multicultural communities and community cohesion
Budgeting and living well on a budget
Getting fresh produce on affordable prices through the Sunflower cooperative work
Encouraging income generating activities at home through the Family Enterprise Saturdays where people can sell or buy from each other products
Creating a Self sufficient community in church street
Recruiting and engaging volunteers from church street communities
Learning new hand crafts such as soap making, candle making and sewing
Steps to get it done
- Hiring the Derry Hall for Fruit and vegetable sorting, packing and distribution
- Hiring the Church Street Library for Family Enterprise Saturdays
- Recruiting volunteers
We endeavour to build a sense of belonging to the Church Street area and create local engagement through training on handicrafts, arts and culture.
We encourage commitment and responsibility through cooperatives where members pay £5 annually to subscribe and pay £5 for a box of vegetables and £5 for a box of fruits every month.
We are a safe space for creators and community in the Church street area to express their ideas, identify their needs and achieve goals through Family Enterprise Saturdays.
Under less strict restrictions, members of the cooperative will be encouraged to attend the Derry Hall Community Centre and Church Street Library to socialise, learn new skills through a variety of workshops, receive support and collect their fresh fruit and vegetables in person.
We build trust, break barriers and overcome challenges. It helps ease isolation by bringing people together and helping them to build wider networks.
