BURNLEY is to get a food co-op - 150 years after the Rochdale pioneers started the world's first co-operative.

The new-to-Burnley scheme will focus on providing cut-price fruit and veg in one of the town's most depressed districts - the Hargher Clough, Stoops and Barclay Hills estates areas. It is the idea of the South West Burnley Community Development Trust, which has spent the last eight months working on the scheme, to be officially launched at an inaugural meeting on November 20.

The plan is to organise local people to buy food in bulk and sell it throughout the 4,000 population area on a non-profit-making basis. Orders will be taken and goods left at selected drop-off points in the district.

If the scheme takes off, organisers are hoping to extend the range of products on offer, says Chris Black, the community development team leader. He says a trial run two months ago proved successful and showed there was local demand for quality products at the right price. To gear up to the co-op business, the trust has already held food hygiene courses for volunteers and more are planned. Bids have also been made for grant backing for the new co-operative.

The inaugural meeting takes place at the Parkside headquarters on Myrtle Avenue at 12.30pm.

It is open to anyone interested in becoming customers or helping on a voluntary basis. A management committee will also be elected on the day.

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