Our Future

Our Future Plans

We are always looking to the future! Our current goal is to create a one-stop community wellness hub - including a demonstration kitchen and education space. This will enable us to broaden our range of classes available and open up the co-op to even more people. Education is one of the core co-operative principles and therefore high on our agenda! The social enterprise aspect of our business is increasingly acknowledged and brings many opportunities going forward. Our new premises is bigger and better, and we hope we can fulfil our expanding vision here, as well as providing a bigger and better shopping range for all our members.

We are always seeking our members' opinions on how to make the co-op better.
We hope to expand the membership, expand our range of wholesome affordable food and encourage new suppliers to join us.

We have strong links with our sister co-op, Dublin Food Co-op, and regularly seek their advice. Co-ops helping co-ops is a core co-operative principle!

We hope to forge further links with other international co-ops. We welcomed a group from two Polish co-ops last September.

We have been very grateful for the advice and help received from a number of successful co-ops, notably Park Slope Food Co-op in New York.

Below are video clips from the Park Slope Food Co-op presentation, held in Limerick on 12th July 2014. They feature Ann Herpel, General Coordinator in Park Slope discussing various aspects of their cooperative business.

Also below is a podcast of an 8 minute radio interview which Ann gave to TodayFM (Sunday Business Show) on the week prior to her presentation in Limerick. Here Ann gives a good overview of the aims and operation of the Park Slope Food Co-op business model - PLAY RADIO INTERVIEW.

The video catalog is as follows:

1. Introduction to the Seminar - 6 mins.
2. Introduction to Co-Operatives - 9 mins.
3. Overview of the Park Slope Food Co-op - 12 mins.
4. The Financials - 14 mins.
5. The Rota System - the mandatory member labour system - 18 mins.
6. The Paid Staff - 13 mins.
7. The Reasons for Their Success - 6 mins.
8. The Legal Structure - part 1 - 20 mins.
9. The Legal Structure - part 2 - 22 mins.
10. The Agenda Committee - 10 mins.
11. Q&A - part 1 - 25 mins.
12. Q&A - part 2 - 20 mins.
13. Park Slope Food Co-op - own promotional video - 7 mins