Who are we?

We are Community Roots, a not-for-profit Community Interest Company based in Porthtowan, Cornwall. Our overall goal is to save the planet (because why wouldn’t it be?). We work towards this by growing food and community in planet positive ways.

Why are we Crowdfunding?

This year, as the Hungry Gap* looms we find ourselves in a very precarious financial position. In order to keep doing what we’re doing and to have the time to develop all the amazing things we know we could be doing, we desperately need an injection of cash. The money we raise from this Crowdfunder will relieve the financial pressure we find ourselves in and will take away that awful stress for the coming year, leaving us free to continue to grow and expand the valuable work we do.

What do we do?

Four years ago we took on an acre of bare agricultural land, and with the help of an incredible and ever-expanding team of volunteers we've turned it into a thriving market garden, feeding around 70 families a week with delicious produce grown in nature friendly ways. 

We sell our veg through a weekly veg bag scheme, with a 4-tier pricing structure which means those that can afford it pay more so that we can offer lower price bags to those who otherwise couldn’t afford them; we believe good quality, locally grown food shouldn’t cost the earth (literally or metaphorically).

We work hard to create a space where we hope absolutely everyone can feel welcome, can contribute meaningfully to our project, and can leave knowing they’ve helped make Community Roots what it is. Our volunteers range from 2 to 92 years of age, and we have jobs to suit all abilities.

Why do we need money

Sadly, growing food and community in planet positive ways simply isn’t financially viable. The income we can generate from selling our veg doesn’t cover our expenses, and we can't afford to spend time developing all the projects which will both make money to help us survive and help us to save the planet.

Last year we were lucky to receive Shared Prosperity Funding to build us an amazing new space "The Big Shed", a large open plan venue with a professional kitchen, covered veranda, rodent proof storage and a state of the art "Changing Places" toilet, to help us to be as accessible as possible. We're incredibly excited about the opportunities this building offers us; we can use it as a space for learning and teaching, for food prep and preserving, for using our surplus produce which might otherwise end up on the compost, for community events, for almost anything really! (More detail on what we dream the Big Shed will do below for those who haven’t already heard enough).

The Big Shed will be a game changer for us at Community Roots, and we’re incredibly lucky to have it. We know that The Big Shed will help us become financially secure, but before it starts making us any money, it’s going to cost us some. Our insurance has skyrocketed, the Changing Places hoist needs checking twice a year which costs hundred of pounds, and we still need to kit the building out and get it ready to be used by people who might want to rent it. We also need to be able to pay for the time it takes to develop socially, environmentally and financially valuable activities in this wonderful space.

We know what we’re doing is good; it’s essential work, it's joyful work, it’s rewarding work. This work gives us hope for the future, showing us just how beautiful the world is when a community of people come together to take care of each other and Mother Nature. We wish that this work was recognised financially in the system we live in but it just isn’t, so we find ourselves needing to ask for your help. Anything you can spare makes a huge difference to us, and if you can’t donate, sharing our project with others is also a huge help. Thank you for reading.

Antonia, Matty, Nicky, Manda and everyone at Community Roots

xxx

*The Hungry Gap is the time of year when there are very few crops available in the UK; the winter veg (like cabbages and cauliflowers) are all starting to flower and the stored crops (like carrots,onions, potatoes and squash) have run out or are losing quality but the spring and summer crops aren’t producing yet.

 Ideas of things we can do with the Big Shed if we can just have the time and money to make it happen:

• Make our food systems more resilient, offering and hosting courses on growing food sustainably, eating locally and seasonally, and wider environmental issues.
• Make our project more accessible, offering a year-round, warm and dry work space where volunteers can contribute to the project, whatever their age of abilities.
• The Changing Places toilet means that everyone, regardless of their access needs or disability or reliance on the assistance of carers or specialist equipment, can use our toilet facility with dignity and hygienically.
• The kitchen will allow us to process our own produce, making products we could sell and share and reducing waste by including veg that aren’t good enough to sell but have lots of life left in them (think broken carrots, nibbled leaves, damaged squash, split tomatoes).
• The Kitchen will also allow us to run cooking courses, helping people learn how to cook and eat seasonally and healthily (think 101 things to do with a beetroot!).
• Offer a space for others to host courses and events which align with our aims and values