Gawler
community
cooperative
We're proposing Gawler's very own cooperative:
locally owned, surplus for purpose, building community.
Why now? Well, Gawler Books is up for sale and a cooperative is a great way for people to pool resources and jointly own a business they care about. Eventually it could gather and grow a number of businesses and brands which are part of Gawler life.
A cooperative is a type of company which is owned by its members, who benefit from its services, and make decisions together. Other nearby cooperatives include the Barossa Co-op and Solar Harvest. There are seven principles to cooperatives which make them well suited to achieving the purposes of local ownership, surplus for purpose, and building community.
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Cooperatives can be big or small, for-profit or for-purpose, producer focussed (like agricultural cooperatives), retail focussed (like the Barossa Coop), or investor focussed (like Solar Harvest). We are proposing the following features for the Gawler Community Cooperative:
01
Locally Owned
Retaining and growing local retail businesses and brands, which are owned by the people who use them. We don't want to see more Gawler shops closing, replaced by big chain stores.
02
Surplus for Purpose
Generating a surplus to be reinvested locally, not to some distant shareholder. We don't like the term 'not-for-profit' because the business must be self-sustaining.
03
Community Building
A Gawler community where businesses are locally owned, sustainably run, and connected by a common interest, will be more resilient and help maintain our unique identity.
turtle books
We believe independent bookstores are a great gathering place for people, and stimulate the intellectual and cultural life of a community.​
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By gathering members and establishing the Gawler Community Cooperative, we can buy the stock and shelves of Gawler Books and start the next season of its life as Turtle Books.
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We propose to locate it in Evanston alongside Vadoulis Indoor Plants and Blending Our Futures coffee. Indoor plants, coffee, and books - a winning combo!
Members of the cooperative would get benefits such as discounts on purchases. We love Gawler Books, and want to make it even better with reading spaces, book clubs, and curated recommendations. A true community!
What's next
Setting up a cooperative is pretty straightforward, and the process is overseen by Consumer & Business Services of the SA Government. There's model rules provided, and a formation meeting which requires five members.
We estimate we will need around $150,000 in member capital to start the business and fund the first three months of operations. Capital is raised by members buying shares in the cooperative. Members may buy more than one share, but no single member can own more than 20% of the shares. Members may sell shares back to the cooperative in the future, with approval of the Board.
If you would like to help us establish the Gawler Community Cooperative as a Founding Member please get in touch! We are looking for people to join us in the core team, for volunteers to help move and setup Turtle Books, and for members to buy shares and raise the capital