Home > About Us

Headington Fairtrade Co-operative

Vision and Aims

• To promote the sale of fairtrade goods through stocking a range of goods and encouraging people to switch to fairtrade generally, with a range of literature available to encourage and inform.
• To trade profitably, thus enabling customers to make a difference to people in the developing world by buying goods that are guaranteed to be giving a fairer deal to producers.
• To run a healthy, sustainable and ethical business within a co-operative structure, reinvesting profits in developing the business or supporting other organisations within the fairtrade movement.
• To be a visible presence for the churches in the centre of Headington - a place of contact for people who would normally not go near any church building.

The venture is not a church-based organisation, but it has the support of many of the churches in Headington, and many of the volunteers are involved in the local churches. We have the support of senior local figures such as city councillors for the Headington, Marston and Barton wards and the Bishop of Oxford.

Structure

Structure of Headington Fairtrade Co-operative (trading as ‘Headington Fairtrade’).

Headington Fairtrade Co-operative Limited is established as an Industrial and Provident Society (Registration Number 30543R) and is organised as a community co-operative.

Membership is open to any person or corporate body:

• who supports the aim of the Society;
• who purchases one share;
• whose application for membership is approved by the Management Committee.

No one member may hold more than 20% of the total shares issued by the Co-operative. Each member holds one vote only on each question to be decided, regardless of how many shares he/she holds.

Founder members: we are a group of local people with a long-term commitment to fair trade, and between us we have many years’ experience of promoting and selling fairtrade goods in a variety of contexts. We also have many years’ experience in advising small businesses.

Management Committee: the Committee is elected each year by the members of the co-operative at the AGM. Currently the committee members are:

• Ian Alexander (Secretary)
• John Coyle (Treasurer)
• Kate Upcott
• Rachel Walding
• Elizabeth Whitwick (Chair)

Headington Fairtrade Co-operative is a member of Co-operatives UK, the national ‘umbrella’ organisation for co-operatives of all kinds.

Profits

Headington Fairtrade Co-operative Limited is constituted as a business, not as a charity, and as such we need to make a profit to be viable. It is only by trading profitably that we can continue to make a difference to people in the developing world, and promote the idea that fair trading should and could become ‘the norm’ rather than the exception.

However, trading to cover costs is very different from trading for gain. In the early stages of the enterprise, much of the profit from sales will be needed to cover expenses (rent, rates etc). Further profit will be ploughed back into increasing stock levels, used to repay initial loans, and used for improving or expanding the business. If at a later date profits are made surplus to the company’s requirements, these will be reinvested in the fairtrade system through distribution to related charities (eg Traidcraft Exchange).