
Dear un_rap Supporters,
Thank you so much to everyone who came to our event at The Poly on Friday - there was a fantastic turnout of over 60 supporters, including an appearance from MP Jayne Kirkham!
Below is a summary of the main points and a link to the survey. Please fill in this survey and share it far and wide - we need these answers to show community support for becoming a Community Benefit Society (aka co-op).
Survey Link:
**Please note this survey is just an indication of people’s interest in contributing time and/or money to the co-op, but it is only to gather information at this stage, it doesn’t tie you to your answers and is not legally binding in any way!*
Once we have officially registered as a CBS (Community Benefit Society) we will launch our official crowd-funder, and you will be able to buy membership of un_rap. We will also set up Whatsapp groups to coordinate volunteers.
Please read below to understand more:
What is a CBS?
A CBS (Community Benefit Society) is the legal structure of a co-operative. Other co-operatives can be Community Interest Companies or sometimes charities. Other examples of local CBS include Perranwell Stores and Soul Farm.
Why is un_rap becoming a co-op?
So that Falmouth’s zero-waste shop can continue to thrive and provide sustainable solutions to the local community. Instead of the entire business resting on Hannah’s shoulders, the business will be co-owned by the community and the responsibility will be shared. We hope this will make the shop more resilient and sustainable long-term. The ethos and shop will not change, but we hope to grow and improve whilst keeping prices low and increasing accessibility and education to the wider community.
How do I become a member?
We are suggesting membership for the un_rap co-op be a one-off £20 fee, which will be non-withdrawable and non-refundable at least to begin with.
What do I get as a member?
You will get to vote on important decisions affecting un_rap at meetings (AGM).You will get a vote on who is on the board of directors.You can run as a director of the board.You will also be part-owner of a unique eco shop!
un_rap will still be open to the public and will not become members-only. But if you join membership – you help keep the shop on the high street!
Can I buy a share in the business?
Co-ops operate as a one-share one-vote system- so you are welcome to donate more than your £20 membership, but this will not give you any extra votes/shares than someone who just gave £20. You can donate as much as you like to our crowd-funder to help us keep un_rap running!
There may also be an option to buy “withdrawable” shares of up to £2.5k - however a CBS has strict rules around this - you are only allowed to earn interest on this share, and only under certain conditions (e.g. up to 3% interest after 3 years, if un_rap is profiting by a set amount decided by the board).
How much needs to be raised?
Our initial fundraiser will aim to raise £25,000 for the community to buy the business.
How can I find out more?
Once we have collected the survey answers and officially registered as a CBS, the crowdfunder will be launched with links to all the official rules of a CBS. We will provide full transparency on membership, shares, donations, and more at that stage.
Or pop into un_rap and have a chat!
How else can I get involved?
We need volunteers to help in three key areas:On the shop floorBehind the scenes admin (HMRC, PAYE)Background logistics (deliveries, collecting cleaning products, washing tea-towels, etc.).There will also be a two-day a week paid role for the shop floor.
What will happen to un_rap in the future?
Our main goal is to keep un_rap accessible, affordable and resilient as a business. With the support of the community, we hope to expand what we provide, for example deliveries by cargo-bike, a dishwasher for jar donations, and of course a Nutella/Vego machine!
Please fill out the survey online or pop into the shop for a paper copy. We have also attached some info for you to share with friends. The more the merrier!
Kind regards,
Hannah & Co

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