Gawler
community
cooperative
We are Gawler's very own cooperative, a locally owned, surplus for purpose, social enterprise.
Why start 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 social enterprise.
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). The Gawler Community Cooperative has the following features:
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 will be self-sustaining and re-investing.
03
Social Enterprise
A business which is sustainably run for the benefit of the Gawler community and economy, growing resilience, and helping to maintain the unique identity of our town.
turtle books
We believe independent bookstores are a great gathering place for people, and stimulate the intellectual and cultural life of a community.
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.
We've got a site in mind, alongside some wonderfully complimentary Gawler businesses and we're working on approvals and designs right now.
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
The Gawler Community Cooperative Limited has been formed and is in the process of being registered.
Capital is raised by members buying shares in the cooperative. Members may buy more than one share - that's how we're raising the money needed to buy and set up Turtle Books - 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.
We are looking for people to volunteer to help move and setup Turtle Books, and for members to buy shares and raise the capital. If you would like to help us establish the Gawler Community Cooperative please sign up for our mailing list.