Daily Bread Co-operative

Daily Bread Co-operative is Located in Northampton, England, Daily Bread was the first Workers Co-operative to register under what is now known as the 'white rules' and is known as Co-op no.one under the Industrial Common Ownership Movement (ICOM) which now forms part of Co-operatives UK. Roger Sawtell one of the founders of Daily Bread was the first chair of ICOM, which is now part of Co-operatives UK.

History

It is a Christian based business which took its name from the Lords Prayer. Another founder member was Michael Jones who did own the family firm of jewellers in Northampton. He became involved in the Co-operative model of doing business and to that end he effectively gave the business to the workers by converting his business to a co-operative. Daily Bread started life in the Northampton parish of St Peters, Weston Favell. A group of nine friends - four married couples and a bachelor - formed the idea of taking their Christian beliefs and values into a simple business environment.

To set the ball rolling, Daily Bread Co-operative (DBC) was registered as a limited company in March 1976, the first business of its kind to adopt a new set of Model Rules for Common Ownership. The name and rules themselves were the brainchild of Roger Sawtell, a man of vision who played a very big part in getting it started. Daily Bread, the name, was taken straight from the Lord’s Prayer “Give us this day our...” It was a further four years before trading started, on 1st October 1980, in what was once the laundry of St Andrews Hospital, the largest privately owned psychiatric hospital in the country.

How to generate wealth without compromising the teachings of the gospel? How to balance individual freedom and creativity with collective responsibility to care for the business, each other and the wider world community? How to provide work for people who might not find work elsewhere? These questions occupied the thoughts of the early Daily Bread pioneers.

Social aims

With many social aims its main product was wholefoods which was packed and sold on the premises. Its concern in supporting people with mental health issues, providing health foods, and being Christian as gain it much respect.

Currently with a workforce of over 25 and a turnover of 1.3million it has demonstrated that it is possible to run an successful business with good social aims but still be able to trade and be completive in the 'real world'.

Daily Bread as a [Co-operative] in common with other Co-operatives runs the business with the principle of 'one person one vote' which means that the members are all equal and have a say on how the business is run. Daily Bread is unique in many other ways, such as very a wage structure that each person is of equal worth and to that end the wages are basically flat with the members each getting the same wage. If the Member has children they will get an extra 'dependant allowance' as they resynchronise that the needs of the family may be greater than a single person.

Providing employment and support to people with mental heath needs is another aspect and always recognising needs outside the Co-operative they have a small Community fund fund to support local needs in Northampton but also a Third World by giving money via Strive (overseas) ltd to causes outside the Co-operative. These funds are directly linked to turnover, so go up or down depending on sales.

Product range

Its product range of basic wholefoods has seen an increase from about 12 in the first few months to an increase of over 5,500 products now stocked. Products include environmental friendly cleaning materials, body care products and much more. Selling organic and fairtrade products and other food products such as gluten free food for example. With still a large portion of products packed on the premises, Daily Bread despite the name does not actually bake any bread and only buys in a few loaves as part of its wide product range. It does bake flapjacks and also its well-known Golden Granola.

Preamble

Preamble: The Objectives of Daily Bread The Preamble is a statement agreed by the members of Daily Bread, to be regarded as the long term basis on which the enterprise is to be developed. The means by which the Preamble is put into practice will vary with changing circumstances but the fundamental statements of purpose will not change.

Daily Bread Cambridge

Many other Co-operatives have used Daily Bread as a model when starting their business such as [Grocery], but in 1992 Daily Bread Cambridge opened with one ex member from Northampton and 4 other full time members. Its structure is very similar to Daily Bread Northampton and was allowed to trade under the name Daily Bread and have use of the logo etc. For this to happen there is a licence agreement that as long as they stick to the social objectives and other requirements that Cambridge can use the good name of Daily Bread. This gave them a good start with a known reputation and history from Northampton.

References

faithworks unicorn-grocery enterprise-solution

External links

• Daily Bread Co-operative