Business is booming at High Peak non-profit grocery shop owned by community

After just 20 weeks of trading the Chinley Coop, in the Lower Lane Arcade, sales of food, toiletries and other home goods are raking in around £1,000 a week – the break-even target for the group’s third year of trading.

The figures have more than repaid the faith for the 110 shareholders in the community benefit society behind the operation, but they will not be laughing all the way to the bank.

Jill Stocks, the society’s co-chair, said: “Our shop is set up and run by local members for our surrounding communities to help us live sustainably and ethically at a fair price.

“We use the words “fair price” to convey the idea that we make no profit, we only mark up our products as much as we need to pay our rent and bills.”

She added: “Many of our products are cheaper compared to the equivalent quality of product elsewhere, as a consequence of bulk buying and our low mark-up. Nonetheless there is a cost to protecting the environment and treating workers well but you can be certain that Chinley Coop is not adding to that cost.

“Through the products we sell we hope to help reduce child labour, worker exploitation and slave labour, packaging and single plastic use, our carbon footprint and fossil fuel usage, contamination of water supplies, deforestation and improve air quality locally and globally.”

The organisation’s financial and ethical commitments mean shareholders must wait until at least year three to see a return – in the form of low interest payments – or sell their shares on. Any surplus will be reinvested in community projects.

In the meantime, many are finding other joys in the project, helping with renovations and volunteering in the shop for a total 50 hours per week alongside Chapel High School students on the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme.

They have also been busy selling homemade crafts and cakes to order, and building relationships with neighbourhood suppliers like Chinley’s Wayside Eggs and Designed for the Planet shampoo company and Buggy Honey in Brierley Green.

Volunteers’ workload has been made slightly easier following the recent arrival of self-service scales, thanks to £7,100 from Derbyshire County Council’s Derbyshire Grants programme which will also fund electric heating, a wheelchair ramp and replacement flooring.

A further windfall came from volunteer Violet Barrow, who hosted two needle-felting workshops at the shop over the summer, raising £750, enough for six weeks’ rent.

On the downside, the cooperative has recently said goodbye to management committee members Stella and Lawrence Moran, and key volunteer Oliver Theaker – all three are moving out of the village.

Jill said: “We will miss them, and their contributions to the shop, very much and hope they return sometime. We are always happy to add to our volunteers and please do get touch if you or anyone you know might be interested in joining us. There is no obligation to commit to a regular time or number of shifts.”

The shop opens 11am to 2pm on Mondays, 10am to 4pm on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and 4-7pm every Thursday. For more information, see chinleycoop.org.uk or @chinleycoop on Facebook.

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