Goals
- To provide the Buninyong community with minimal packaging, quality local and organic dry foods, and fresh home produce. Local goods in the future.
- To become a trusted, financially sustainable, not-for-profit project.
- To expand product lines, and then support more sustainable community projects with any excess funds.
Working Group
- Paul Duggan - Manager, Ordering, Liaison with other collectives, BREAZE liaison
- (vacant) - Member/volunteer manager
- Kristy Gainger - Manager, Grants
- Sam Blanchard - Manager, food handling advice, shop advice
- Hayley Quach - Stock advice, food handling advice, shop advice, admin, newsletters
- Bel Wardle - Manager, Venue liaison
- Jill Clarke - Web support, newsletters
August 2018 - A group of sustainably minded people (including Boomerang Bags Buninyong volunteers, Buninyong Sustainability, and BREAZE people) discussed the possibility of a collective or co-op, with Hayley Quach (who had run a private business selling local, organic wholefoods) we set up a "Pledge" form (See below) to see how much interest there was in taking part. September 2018- The pledge was put together, with an invitation to a "Start up" meeting on Sunday the 9th of September, at 1pm. Initially, 51 people responded and about 25 people made it to the first meeting. With this encouraging start, a project proposal was put toghether to present to BREAZE, so that a sub group could be formed, and insurance cover obtained, before continuing. October 2018 - Venue organised, start up stock ordered, first members signed on, shelves and tubs organised, food handling certificate organised, stock collected. Sign on days were organised: Tuesday 23rd October 2018 - Membership Day (at church 9:00am -10:00am & 5:00pm - 6:00pm) Wednesday 24th October 2018- at Boomerang Bags - 1:00pm to 3:00pm, rear of 407 Warrenheip Street - Community House Sunday 28 October 2018 - Join the Collective @ Buninyong Spring Market 9:00am to 2:00pm Collective to Open - November (Tuesdays 9:00am - 11:00am & 5:00pm - 7:00pm)
Tuesday November 6th 2018 - shop opened at 405 Scott Street Buninyong
Olive Oil from Manna Hill, Mount Egerton. Olives, lentils from Mount Zero, The Grampians Spelt Flour and Spelt Pasta from Powlett Hill Campbelltown Victoria. Bread Flour - Laucke Flour Mills, Bridgewater on Loddon, Victoria, and Strathalbyn, South Australia Sultana Girl Sultanas Almonds, Basmati Rice, Rolled Oats, Cashews, Sugar - Raw, Sugar Rapadura, Yeast Flakes, Chick Peas Honey - Enbom Honey, Dunnstown Walnuts - Wellwood Organic Walnut Orchard, Wallace Coffee - Charisma Coffee, run from Wendouree 22nd November 2018 - 32 paid up members. Tuesday 11th of December - We held a Celebration "Come and join us on the 11th December for a pot luck dinner and food swap. In conjunction with our normal sales on this Tuesday, we will be running a Food Swap and Pot Luck from 5:00pm – 8:00pm. So come and mix with all the new members, some you already know, and some are like minded people waiting to be friends! Give us your ideas to make our new venture even better!" January 2019 - membership continues a slow steady growth, more stock chosen 25th February 2019 - We have a great time talking to Buninyong locals at the Smart Building and Living Expo, and raised $700 for the collective from Buninyong Sustainability's raffle! (Thanks to Bel and Jill for all the raffle work.) We used it to increase our stock options. March 2019 - Boomerang Bags Buninyong joins us every Tuesday Morning to sew bags for the community. We add Mount Zero products to our stock. March 2019 - Kristy applies for City of Ballarat small equipment grant, for more shelving, more food grade storate, and admin tools. June 2019 - 50 Paid up members, and still looking for a Volunteer manager! March 2020 - collective changes to an ordering system and deliveries, due to 🦠 COVID-19 🦠
62 Responses - we had wanted 50 or more to decide that it was worthwhile going ahead. Buninyong Community Collective Pledge Survey Join us! Please note that the costs and hours of work may vary, depending on the level of support from the community. To actually run this project, we will need from YOU: Thank you to the Buninyong people who are getting this together for the rest of us - Hayley, Paul, Sam, Kristy, Jaimy, Kari, Belinda, Jill Q1. Email address *
We are launching! - Collective News Last Updated: 23 October 2018 Our management committee has been working behind the scenes to sort out the essentials. More than 60 people have pledged for the Buninyong Community Collective, and now people ar turning up with cash to get it all going. Where: Anglican church - 706 Warrenheip Street. Our "shop" will be in the hall at the rear, Scott Street 400 block. We need your membership money to get started! As soon as we have the BSB and Account number from our Buninyong Community Bendigo Bank, and the Membership process, we'll let you know how to sign up - meanwhile, come and see us at our Membership sign up days: Tuesday 23rd October - Membership Day (at church 9:00am -10:00am & 5:00pm - 6:00pm) Wednesday 24th October - at Boomerang Bags - 1:00pm to 3:00pm, rear of 407 Warrenheip Street - Community House Sunday 28 October - Join the Collective @ Buninyong Spring Market 9:00am to 2:00pm Collective to Open - November (Tuesdays 9:00am - 11:00am & 5:00pm - 7:00pm) We will initially have a limited selection of goods. 27th Sep - Report: The agreement with The Anglican Church of Australia hall in Scott street is coming together, insurance rules are being checked, and ways to collect your pledge money will be arranged soon! 10th Sep - Report: we are over our 50 start-up pledges now, and have held an initial meeting. The management team has been elected, and is working on finding a LOCATION for the collective, in Buninyong. The Anglican Church of Australia hall in Scott street is being investigated as a possibility. Liaison with the other local food collectives is continuing. To actually run this project, we will need from YOU: Thank you to the Buninyong people who are getting this together for the rest of us - Hayley, Paul, Sam, Kristy, Jaimy, Kari, Belinda, Jill
Buninyong Community Co-op Project Proposal 05.08.2018 ─ Buninyong Community Co-Op Overview The people of Buninyong are committed to reducing their use of plastic, by not buying any in the first place. A bulk buy co-op that enables zero waste provision of goods is needed. A proposal from Hayley Quach, Samantha Blanchard, Belinda Wardle, Jill Clarke - via board member Paul Duggan. Goals Summary High Impact Risks - Getting a premises - Getting sufficient members - Members buying enough goods Tasks to start up A list of the actions, plans and documents that need to be in place to enable this project to begin and flourish. Initial premise needs to be 6? 12? months to establish the business The rent will need to be supported by the financial plan Looking at: Empty shops in Buninyong 1.The bottle shop building Ask the Buninyong Business Network- Belinda Ask Lisa Cressy about the Pop-Up_Shop arrangement? -Jill Grants: 2. City of Ballarat Community Impact Grant - Small Equipment Grants - set of scales, Bags, scoops, storage Membership - Price of membership will be defined by the financial plan - BREAZE funding?? 10% markup, but for people who do more than 10 hours volunteering get dropped to a 5% markup. Brown Hill - Wholefood Collective input - they started small, and built to 200 people. Paul’s spreadsheet - estimate average $300 a week of sales Membership 1. Pay $50 to join, then $20 a year 2. Work 6 hours 3. Work 10 hours or more per annum to get a 5% discount! Shelving - Second Hand? - Men’s Shed? Rodent proof Apply for Level 4 food vendor certification 3 BREAZE for public liability - Paul will be the Board liaison person. Extra insurance for stock on hand? - self insure up to a value? $500 - $1000. When stock is worth more than $1000, get insurance. Keep a reserve of cash in the bank that is our “stock self insurance”? Ongoing Issues & Tasks , Brainstorming three blocks of 2 hours. 5. 10 hours of volunteer work, get a purchase at cost price. 6. Marketing - logo design 7. Purchasing 8. Tag and test, Weights & Measures 9. Sales/Opening hours - School drop and pick up times Volunteers to pack and clean up Purchasing work - 2 hours week Meeting 9th of September 1pm - 2pm at the 408 Community House. To begin a management committee to get the work done. 4 Ideas for logo Spec: open source fonts, outline of the mount, Buninyong Community Co-opHistory
Our start up Products and Suppliers
http://www.mannahilloliveoil.com.au/
https://mountzeroolives.com/
http://powletthill.com.au/
https://www.laucke.com.au/
https://www.sultanagirl.com/
https://www.goodness.com.au/wholesale-distributors-organic-food
http://www.enbomhoneys.com.au/
https://wellwood.com.au
http://charismacoffee.com.au/
February 2019 - Local Fresh Food arrives - member Georgie, from Sunny Patch Produce, brings her fresh veggies along to the morning sessions. Another member Silke, arranges a trial of delivered Veggie Boxes to Buninyong, and a 10% discount for our members to try it out.
Notice re COVID-19 changes
https://www.facebook.com/SunnyPatchProduce/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/223283658382610/Pledge Form - August 2018
1. SIX hours of volunteer labour (made up of three x 2 hour shifts, over a year)
2. $50 membership - our start up funds! (updated to $20 at the end of 2020)
*This form is collecting email addresses.
Pledge your support, and volunteer hours to enable the creation of a Buninyong Community Co-op
Aims:
a.To provide the Buninyong community with minimal packaging, quality local and organic dry foods, and fresh home produce. - add other Local goods in the future.
b. Long term, become a trusted, financially sustainable, not-for-profit project.
Q2.What will you pledge?
Level 1 Support - $50 membership and 6 hours of volunteer work
Level 2 ( includes Level 1 above) plus willing to be in the organising group
Other…
Q3.Do you have specific knowledge, skills, equipment that you can donate to the co-op?
Q4.Can you come to our start up meeting on Sunday the 9th of September, at 1pm?
Yes
No
Unsure
Q5.Name
*
Q6.Do you wish to be added to the email list to be informed about our progress?
*
Yes
No
Q7.Comments (if you need to add anything)Pledge result
Depending upon membership take up we will have around 10 varieties of goods.
This is based on the most popular goods sold at the other local collectives.
The Ballarat and Creswick Wholefood Collectives have been encouraging and we are discussing reciprocal rights for members.
Once we get settled we will look at a wider range of goods.
Thanks for being a part of it - our involvement as a community will ensure our success!
1. SIX hours of volunteer labour (made up of three x 2 hour shifts, over a year)
2. $50 membership - our start up funds!Project proposal