Camden Catalyst Partner: Cooperation Town
Cooperation Town is a movement of community food co-ops, self organising on streets and estates across the country. There are over 70 autonomous co-ops in our network, 16 of which are organised by Camden residents through our hub in Gospel Oak.
Cooperation Town co-ops are small neighbourhood buying groups, providing their members with free and affordable groceries, sourced in bulk and distributed at a very low price. Cooperation Town food co-ops are owned by their members and run according to local needs. Members decide collectively on how to organise and are responsible for the day to day running of the co-op.
While each Cooperation Town co-op is independent, the network is designed to share resources and support across the movement.
Our vision is for a food co-op on every street, in every town!
Camden Catalyst partner work
Cooperation Town works with partners across the borough to develop, host and support community food co-ops and works directly with residents who want to self-organise on their street or estate.
Alongside offering logistics support to 16 Camden food co-ops , Cooperation Town Hub in Gospel Oak also hosts:
- the Gospel Oak Living Room - a free space for neighbours to socialise, get advice, join activities and share a freshly cooked meal, six days a week
- Community Power Wash - a free laundrette run by its users
- A Menopause Cafe - self organised by local women
- Cooperation Town Learning Garden - supporting neighbours to grow a variety of food crops 12 months a year
- A free therapy project delivered in partnership with the Albatross Collective
- Cooperators Workshops - members' mutual learning sessions
- Autonomous groups self organising around local and wider issues
What is your role as a catalyst in Camden's food system?
As Catalyst partner, we bring our ethos of 'thinking like a movement', rooted in system thinking and community organising principles, to work with Camden groups and organisations, in order to strategically increase cooperation, organisation and logistical capacity.
How to join or start a food
co-op in your community
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