Who we are:

Manly Food Co-operative is a community-owned not-for-profit business providing organic, bulk, waste-free shopping as an alternative to mainstream supermarkets. Our main guiding principles are:

1. •The good health of our customers
   

2. •The good health of our planet
   

3. •Community involvement
   

4. •Community involvements includes:
   

5. •Having a community owned store
   

6. •Developing relationships with our regular customers
   

7. •Involvement in local events focussing on environmental and sustainability issues
   

8. •We are open to the public, but anyone can buy a share and become a co-owner of the business. A co-owner (member) is entitled to a 10% discount on all goods purchased.
   

Members are encouraged to volunteer their time and expertise and become actively involved in the daily running of the store. Those members are rewarded with a further substantial discount on purchases (see "How We Work" below).

Our goals:

1. •to make available at reasonable cost high, quality food and other goods
   

2. •offer the best health option food possible, that is, organic or biodynamic; and if that is not available, offer the next best thing e.g. chemical-free
   

3. •offer food that has been produced with environmental sensitivity
   

4. •purchase in bulk, thus offering customers the best price available on goods
   

5. •avoid waste created by over-packaging by encouraging customers to re-use jars, bags and containers
   

6. •be a part of our local community and offer service in an old-fashioned, personal way
   

7. •be an active participant in events that help raise awareness of environmental issues
   

How we work:

Anyone may purchase goods from the co-operative, however, membership entitles the member to a 10% discount on all products. To become a member, a share is purchased at $5 and an annual fee of $17.60 (gst inc) is paid.

Members who contribute their time and skill are entitled, via a system of “Energy Points” to a discount on all purchases. Each hour of work entitles a member to one Energy Point. 3 Energy Points entitles the member to shop at the co-op at real cost price. "Real cost price" (currently 40% off the full price) is calculated quarterly and is the price at which the co-op can buy goods plus a minimal mark-up to cover overheads such as rent and electricity.

The co-op depends on volunteers to remain viable. Volunteers perform a wide range of tasks such as acting as Treasurer, computer management, organising events, rubbish removal, washing tea-towels, making cakes, banking.

Amongst the Co-op‚s vast membership there is a great range of extraordinary skills. If you have abilities in any area which might help the Co-op, please come forward and get involved in the day-to-day running of our shop, or join the Board and assist with the long-term management of our not-for-profit membership-based community organisation.

If you have graphic design, journalistic, or marketing skills we invite you to join our marketing team and work co-operatively with other members to help promote the Co-op, and what co-operatives represent, to the wider community.

Alternatively you may wish to do what some other talented members have done and set up a blog, an e-mail list, or website. If you do, please let us know so we can link to it here.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please contact our Volunteer Co-ordinator.

Our Structure:

The Board

At the Annual General Meeting each year, up to 8 members are elected to the Board. Directors are elected for a period of 2 years, with half the Board retiring each year.

The Board is responsible for the financial and legal affairs of the co-op, general management and overall policy. They meet monthly and are required to keep minutes of meetings.

Task specific teams

The Board facilitates the formation of task-specific teams from time to time comprising of members assigned to a specific task e.g. marketing. The Board is responsible for monitoring, guiding and co-ordinating the efforts of the teams. Members providing these services are entitled to „energy points‰.

Co-ordinators

Shop co-ordinators are volunteers who keep the co-op running on a daily basis. They are the "check out" operators and as such, are the „face‰ of the co-op. The success of the co-op largely depends on the quality of service provided by volunteers to everyone that shops with us. They are also responsible for assisting other volunteers and making their experience with the co-op a happy one.