People & Planet have just launched new resources to support student food co-ops, based on our food co-ops toolkit. These include leaflet and poster templates, as well as all the resources available through Sustain's food co-ops project, such as our toolkit, banners and bags. Sustain will be running a workshop and hosting a student food co-ops networking event alongside People &
Planet and Slow Food on Campus at P&P's Shared Planet event on 12-13 November. We may be able to subsidise the cost of student food co-ops attending so if you're interested please contact foodcoops@sustainweb.orghttp://peopleandplanet.org/goinggreener/scoop
Southmead Community Shop
Southmead is one of the latest food co-ops to have started trading. Based at a community centre in a deprived area of Bristol the food co-op is bringing fresh, affordable fruit and veg to an area with little access to it. Launched on 12 July the co-op already has 49 customers on it's list and virtually sold out on the second week of trading. On the launch day 10 people also signed up for
Cooking from Scratch courses. The scheme has attracted a lot of media attention and hopes to go from strength to strength. This is the second co-op to open in Bristol in recent months, Avonmouth
Food Co-op started trading late in 2010. Two further food co-ops hope to be open later this year.
Ipswich Food Co-op
Ipswich recently celebrated its 4th birthday. They are applying for the council's Retail Start-Up
Scheme which would mean trading from the Test Trading Shop Unit in Tower Ramparts in
September. They also traded from the Cornhill market place during Co-operatives Fortnight in
June. They held a bread making workshop on Loaves for Lammas day in July in partnership with the Real Bread Campaign: www.sustainweb.org/realbread/ . They have also just developed a spoken advert which is aired daily on Ipswich Community Radio and are partnering with the film department at Suffolk New College whose students are making a documentary about the food coop see www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEIV0GAurZQ
Don't forget to check out other food co-op videos on our Youtube page - we are currently making more films which will be on-line soon www.youtube.com/user/Foodcoops
As part of the Making Local Food Work programme, Sustain and the Soil Association are working with Essential Trading in Bristol to arrange free visits for food co-ops on Thursday 29 September
2011. The visits will provide both existing wholefood and fresh food co-ops with an opportunity to learn more about Essential and meet some fresh food producers, with a view to helping them to add fresh or dried produce to their range of goods supplied. The day will be split in to two:

10am-1pm for Wholefood Co-ops who want to have a tour of Essential, meet some fresh food producers and learn how they might start to supply fresh food

2pm-5pm for Fresh Food Co-ops who want to have a tour of Essential and find out more about starting to supply wholefoods
Lunch will be from 1pm-2pm for both groups, to give wholefood and fresh food co-ops a chance to meet. Both events will cover: an introduction to Essential and their links to international co-ops; a

tour of the warehouse; a look at the online ordering system; promoting your food co-op and increasing your range of produce; a case study and questions and answers. If you would like to attend contact: alison@sustainweb.org
We are also organising a similar visit to Suma on 15 October 2011 - to find out more email: leon@sustainweb.org
An event for staff and volunteers from new and established food co-ops, community food enterprises, and food access projects to help further develop sustainable co-operative enterprise in the North of England.

Learn about each others activities, and share ideas and information
 A variety of workshops including ‘How and why to set up as a co-op’, ‘Volunteer recruitment and support’ and ‘Good meetings, communication & facilitation’, plus more!

Advice and support from Sustain, The Co-operative, Co-operative Enterprise Hub, CooperativesUK and regional co-op councils , and others…
This is a FREE event, with a tasty lunch made with local, organic and seasonal produce.
Booking is essential! To reserve your place, please contact: lizzie@sustainweb.org
if you're from
Yorkshire & Humber; kirstin@sustainweb.org
if you're from the North
East; debbie@sustainweb.org
if you're from the North West
The Enterprise Support programme run by the Plunkett Foundation is organising regional workshops for trading community based food businesses, such as co-operatives or social enterprises. The workshops will be interactive and aim to utilise the trading experience of the participant businesses. For this reason they aren't suitable for pre-start or just started businesses.
Morning Workshop - Manage money: Will your business make enough money to enable you to achieve your goals? Learn how simple financial forecasting is a powerful planning tool that gives you control of your finances and could help prevent your business from running out of money.
Afternoon Workshop - Make money: Are you looking for better sales but aren’t sure where they will come from? Learn in jargon free language how to use a marketing approach as a sure-fire way to increase sales. Expect interactive and practical sessions bringing you tools and methods that you can employ immediately.
To find out more and dates and locations visit: http://betterbusinessworkshops.eventbrite.com
Other regional events coming up include:

Food co-ops / Veg bag scheme event in Kent - 28 September 2011 contact sara@sustainweb.org

Getting Started event in Chesterfield - 5 October 2011 contact leon@sustainweb.org
Remember to see all our latest events and other food co-ops news sign up to our Facebook page www.facebook.com/foodcoops