Talk about a crazy popular idea!!!

Nearly everyone wants to be a part of the Community Space & Shop project, which is brilliant!!

1 – Local Artisans – Just in case you missed it, we are wanting to lease the old Oh So Natural shop and make it our community-run shop and space. The shop will showcase local art, craft, food and ugly produce, with artisans paying a weekly flat rate. This way, we know we can cover the rent. Artisans can display their own goods and are welcome to volunteer in the shop to reduce their fee.

So, we need artisans who want to be in shop. We already have some applications, but if you want to be a part of it, message me asap because we don’t want too many double ups. There is a selection process, but don’t miss out. Once we have enough artisans on board, we’ll rent the building!

2 – Shop Assistants – we need people who will volunteer to work in the shop. Under 16’s welcome, they’ll just need an adult with them. When you volunteer your time, you’ll receive discounts on workshops. Ah, which leads to the question, who wants to put on a workshop, or who wants to learn a particular skills? Message me your ideas. We already have a long list of wants and offers for this, but we need a space. In fact, the Community Space will be supported by the Community Shop so we can host these workshops. Some groups also want to use the space on a regular basis. Again, groups can pay or volunteer their time to look after the shop.

3 – Renovations – we need people to volunteer to renovate the shop. Experience, or no experience, we need everyone’s help! Plus, any donations of furniture will be very, very welcome! Don’t forget the little outdoor area too. A kitchen garden?

4 – Food – we’ll be selling drinks (organic tea and coffee??) and healthy snacks. More fundraising to support expenses like electricity and wi-fi. Can you help?

We want the shop to be always changing, and for us to always be trying new ideas. Canvas & Canape nights, artists in residence, lots of music! – whatever you want to do, we’ll try it!!

Message me to go on the list. We need commitment so we can lease the building.

Please also come to our catch up meeting at 2pm on Tuesday at The Cherry Tree. Quite a few people couldn’t come last Wednesday night when we discussed all this, so come along to talk about your ideas and how you want to fit in.

Stumbled across this article last night about upcylcing furniture. http://www.transitiontowntotnes.org/2013/11/dartingtons-new-refurnish-store/

Wouldn’t this be great if we could get together to have a “repair cafe” as they call it, or a working bee really, to repair and upcycle donated items which can then be sold in the community shop?? I love doing stuff like this but really need someone helping me with the more practical side of things. It could even extend to upcycling clothes and selling them in the shop too!!

Maybe we could partner with The Men’s Shed?

The article: “A new social enterprise allowing opportunity for artists to create and sale works which involves upcycling is now getting off the ground in Dartington…. The project will undertake the repair and upcycling of damaged and out of fashion furniture, donated to Refurnish otherwise be destined to be landfilled or recycled.

As well as reducing waste, there is also very much a social side to the project. Project Coordinator, Adrian Porter explains ‘The property not only includes sales space but also a separate workshop area. With this the project provides opportunity for skilled local creative individuals to display and earn an income from their creations, and to also to lead others in undertaking their own repair and upcycling projects.’

It is hoped that this will also lead on to the hosting of regular ‘repair cafes’ allowing people opportunity to bring in household items for repair by local experts on publicised days. All profits will be reinvested back into the enterprise and to support the wider activities of Refurnish.”

The DAGs was initially founded by people with mental health issues who also had an interest in art for wellbeing. Now the weekly meetings are open to everyone and provides a safe, inclusive environment and place to hang out. Some people paint or draw, while others just like the company and shared morning tea.

Corina Graham, president of the DAGs, was keen to see how Warwick Collective Inc and her organisation could work together as we shared similar values of supporting wellbeing and the values of respect, inclusion and integrity. They are searching for a new space since theirs is an old corrugated shed with no power.

I’d never been to a community garden and learnt a lot, thanks to Suzette and Valerie who showed us around. Most of the plots are communal, while they have plots for rent for personal use as well. The produce is shared among the members with excess produce being sold at the monthly markets. (Any other home gardeners are invited to sell their excess on the day as well.) The old Qld Rail buildings are obviously very handy with a meeting shed and some other sheds for the greenhouse, storage shed and worm farm.

The Community Exchange meeting was just as interesting when Carleon explained the system to a packed room of willing participants. She explained it to be a community-based exchange system that provides the means for its users to exchange their goods and services, both locally and remotely, without the use of currency. There are groups in Clifton, Toowoomba, Tamborine Mountain, Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, and that’s just in our area! So, you can exchange services/goods within your own area (which would be Stanthorpe, Warwick & Tenterfield) or with other groups in Australia or the world. Joining is free, and I think it sounds great, so I’m giving it a go. Here’s more information if you’re interested: http://www.communityexchange.net.au/.

I was interested to attend to see if we’d like to run a similar (but not exact system) for Renew Warwick. To make it fairer for those who donate their time, they might get discounts or free lessons etc. So, if someone works in the garden 5 hours a week, perhaps they can trade their points for a weekly French lesson. It might work well too for younger participants who don’t have money to do a street art workshop or drumming lessons, they might choose to do some volunteer work in the garden also, or maybe helping younger students with maths homework.

Just ideas at this stage! But thanks heaps Carleon for inviting us both out! It was a fantastic day.