Run your own fair trade box scheme, building up regular orders from teachers, parents and friends.
Take the orders, pack them up and deliver them – a great way to sell those products that most families need, and a great way to learn how to run a business with good community connections and good motives.
Schools can be an ideal venue for box schemes because at daily ‘drop-off’ and ‘pick-up’ times for the pupils, there is a receptive audience of adults who may find it convenient to pick up their weekly essentials!
Setting up a fair trade box scheme
Box clever. Young Co-operatives offers a package consisting of:
- £100 of ‘family favourite’ starter stock – tea bags, coffee, cookies
- Access to Young Co-operatives’ online shop
- One full day’s training for staff and pupils
- Glossy, bound copy of Young Co-operatives ‘Co-ordinator Kit’
- Design-your-own web site facility
- Certificates for all participating pupils (on request)
- Monthly e-bulletins and printed newsletters three times a year
The full package costs £320, from the Young Co-operatives (see below).
Collect orders from parents. To avoid the problems of storing and keeping fresh fruit, why not get parents and teachers to pre-order from a list of fair trade or local fruits you can get hold of near you. Package them up nicely in a hamper and offer a pick up service at the school gates, or in the hall.
Order from a fruit and vegetable box scheme near you. Your young co-operative can set up an organic fruit box scheme by visiting Big Barn http://www.bigbarn.co.uk/ just type in your postcode and it gives you details of local box schemes near you!
CASE STUDY! We did it!
If you have a success story to tell about when you ran a fair trade box scheme please contact Hannah Williams by emailing: hannah@sustainweb.org
More information
Young Co-operatives: To register for the Young Co-operatives Box Clever package sign up online at http://www.youngcooperatives.org.uk/
Registered charity (no.