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Sharing centre - Food cooperative

Page history last edited by Social Policy Library 2 months, 2 weeks ago

Homepage - Brotherhood timeline  | Service areas - home | Community development - home

 

1981

The Sharing Centre for low-income people opened in the building previously occupied by ARC (116 Fitzroy Street, the original St Mary’s Mission at the rear of 67 Brunswick Street).  This provided opportunities for low-income people to contribute their time and skills in shared activities and to participate in the provision of services such as cooking community lunches, packaging, pricing and ordering in the shop. The Sharing Centre expanded the role of the old Material Aid Service.

 

Fitzroy and ARC Credit Union, run by an independent board of directors, operated out of the Sharing Centre premises with the BSL providing 90% of its funding.

 

Small food cooperatives and a consumer buying service arose from the work of Sharing Centre staff with a number of other groups.  The BSL was instrumental in forming the Food Cooperative Support Group. (BSL Annual Report, 1983-1984, p.5; BSL, 1972, Overview and history of income supplementation services, no. 2, p. 12)

 

1982

Review of the Sharing Centre, given the high demand by over 300 people each week, led to splitting the developmental aspect of the project from the provision of residual support services.  An upgraded material aid service operated in Fitzroy with less discriminatory eligibility criteria, less rationing of goods and more choice.  The food shops became the Under Current Cooperative supported by the BSL and run by a community management committee.

 

1983

In a time of deepening recession, a major review of the Sharing Centre decided that the various activities could not be maintained under the one management and the service was split in April.  The shops selling second-hand and new goods became the Under Current Cooperative. The Material Aid Service continued to provide free essential goods to increasing numbers of people.

 

A research study by the BSL into food cooperatives and assessment of their needs was funded by the Ministry of Employment and Training.

 

The staff of the Sharing Centre assisted around 20 groups to establish food cooperatives in Melbourne and in the country. They included Princes Street food co-op in Carlton, Northcote food co-op, Benalla community co-op, CYSS groups interested in food co-ops and Debney Park Community (who operated a clothing co-op).

 

The Sharing Centre closed at the end of 1983 and the Material Aid Service moved to a shop at 79 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy.  The food project continued with a “fairly basic version of a food cooperative” and the coordinator (Tony Fitzgerald), funded by the Brotherhood, continued his work, helping other groups to establish food cooperatives.  This was “in line with the BSL’s policy of supporting other groups who perhaps find it hard to get funding, but who work in areas considered important.”  Help was given with information on where to buy, how to structure a cooperative from a business point of view, working with volunteers, how to get funding, and where to find premises

 

The first recipient of support from the G.T. Sambell Memorial Trust for work experience in the Brotherhood’s services completed his year in October.  Richard Marsh came out from England after completing theology at Oxford University and during his time with the BSL worked with the community educator in Poverty Education, in the Material Aid Service of the Sharing Centre, spent several weeks at St Mark’s Community Centre, and had two experiences of aged care at Sambell Lodge and Sumner House

 

1985

Resources and support provided to the collective of low income food cooperatives to establish a food cooperative warehouse and resource centre, with the hope of State Government funding under its anti-poverty program.

 

 

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