Farmacy Co-op is a not-for-profit social enterprise that has prioritised secure access to:

• Locally Produced Organic Food 
• Natural Essential Items That Are Locally Produced  
• Local Essential Services

These items & services will be:

• Affordable 
• FREE to people who can contribute to our work - meaning EVERYONE will have secure access
• Solutions focused - regenerating health & nature and creating resilient communities

We are helping to build new local economic systems for our families & friends.

Here is an overview on our work:

• We're currently packing 500+ boxes (organic food & essential items) every 4 weeks
• Connected with & using 30 certified organic farms in the UK 
• Support or launch new community farms & market gardens that are nature-friendly & regenerative 
• Creating a community-owned distribution network that connects local communities all over the country
• Launching Community Hubs - with local packing/picking, warehousing, distribution, retail, eatery, health services & community events/services
• Encouraging local production of all essential items - supporting local people with their small businesses
• Offering Health Programs - supporting people & focused on diet, lifestyle & personal empowerment 
• Providing opportunities for education & employability in disadvantaged communities. We’re creating the support networks for communities - making sure people always have secure access to healthy food & essential items - even if they do not have any money

We are helping to create local economic systems that are focused on:

• Localisation
• Decentralisation & Co-operative (community) Ownership 
• Not-For-Profit Models
• Building Strong Communities Resilient To Any Crisis
• Regenerating Nature & Biodiversity
• Improving Health & Wellbeing

We are focused on strengthening communities and helping people to lead healthier, happier lives and give them an opportunity to look to the future with confidence.

The Problem

We all know that rising costs are making a lot of lives harder.  There are a number of reasons why we’re in an ever worsening cost of living crisis:

• Price increases on food & essential items.  
• Food systems instability.  Due to the reliance on global systems & industrialised farming, global food shortages, local farms going into bankruptcy & global supply chain issues 
• An impending energy crisis.  Due to the centralised control of energy production & prices 
• Knock-on effects to the economy from the lockdowns.  The injection of £billions of new money has led to the highest inflation & interest rates seen in many years

This has led to huge increases of people and families depending on food banks (over two million). Unfortunately, most experts are saying we're heading towards another recession - the biggest we have ever seen. Things are only going to get harder for many millions of people and families, many of which are already struggling to get by. 

Community connection & support is more vital than ever.

Our Solution

We are focused on community resilience & community security - offering solutions that bring people together in each community and offer them opportunities to always have secure access to healthy food & essential items.  

We’ll offer tools to help people become more financially resilient & independent.  Giving people many ways to reduce their shopping bill & create extra income. 

We’re creating local economic systems that don’t need to be linked to the inflated pound & profiteering corporations.  Our local economies do not need fiat currency to operate & thrive - they just need the community (people to contribute time) and access to natural resources (which we’re  focused on producing & having secure access to).

Community Hubs

We’re launching Community Hubs in as many communities as we can that bring people together.  These spaces will offer:

• Zero/Minimal Waste Retail - secure access to healthy food & essential items 
• Eateries - pre-made local food, juices & smoothies
• Health Products & Services - local practitioners, natural medicine & support products
• Events Space - workshops, community services & events 

We’re offering people that need help the support & network (secure infrastructure) around them locally.

Education

We want to educate and impart skills to people so they can support and engage in their local economy & take control over their lives.  We’ll arrange workshops that show people how to:

• Grow In Any Space - Fruit, Veg, Salads, Grain & Pulses
• Cook Affordable & Healthy Food
• Produce Needed Essential Items
• Improve Their Health & Wellbeing 
• Create Local & Secure Systems That Serve The People

Time Contribution

Members of the community can contribute their time to our project and we'll reward them with free boxes.  So people always have secure access to healthy food & essential items - no matter what their situation is.

• Packing boxes
• Local & Regional Drivers
• Business Support - many ways you can help
• Rewards Program - tell your family & friends about us and then earn free boxes as a thank you

Extra Income & Small Business Creation

• Firstly, we’ll offer ways for people to create extra income for their family - producing items that we’ll buy and sell to our members.  This could be fresh fruit & veg, food items (sauces, jams, soups etc.) or essential items (cleaning products or toiletries & more).
• Secondly, we can help people set up their own small business.  Farmacy Co-op would be one of their customers and we can help them grow their new business.

Work Opportunities

We’ll create paid work opportunities for our community.  As we expand and generate more capital (grants, investment & sales revenue) - we’re going to be recruiting for a number of paid roles.

How Will We Use The Money

Funds we will pay 3 X Coordinators that will be focused on:

• Expanding our distribution network - more drivers (national, regional & local) & local collection points (using venues like pubs, cafes, churches, community centres, social clubs)
• Increase the no. of boxes packed by 300% - 500 to 2000
• Creating more nature-friendly farms - our own or partner with existing groups 
• Launching many Community Hubs - focused on bringing people together.  
• Community Hubs will offer: Zero Waste Retail (secure access to healthy food & essential items that are locally produced), Eateries (pre-made local food, juices & smoothies), Health Services (local practitioners) & Events Space (workshops, community services & events)
• Create blueprint for launching more hubs
• Implement the Marketing plan (video, online, social media & print)  
• Create & launch a new website
• Launch, promote & coordinate plans for volunteer recruitment & management (increase the team of volunteers from 40 to 200), Rewards Program (there are many ways people in the community can contribute time - earning free boxes of organic food & essential items) & Community Producer Network (through research & analysis we’ll map out the sustainable local economies)
• Develop IT systems to support the logistical infrastructure & operations
• Convert from a Worker-Co-op to a Multi-Stakeholder Co-op (so everyone owns the organisation)
• Launch an investment campaign through Ethex & community share offering