Common Cause Common Cause Co-operative

About us

Common Cause Co-operative was established in Lewes, East Sussex in 1991 to promote community development that is co-operative, supports the local economy, and is environmentally sustainable. We are currently working to support sustainable farming, facilitate wider access to local foods, and encourage more direct involvement in growing food.

Common Cause has initiated or been involved in a wide variety of projects since its beginnings, some of which now continue independently:

We started by setting up a Local Exchange Trading Scheme (LETS) and a permaculture course, followed by Caburn Housing Co-operative to make use of derelict housing and provide affordable accommodation. We set up Just Trade, an ethical/organic bulk food-buying co-op and helped establish the Ashurst Organics veg-box delivery scheme run from a local farm. Art for Employment provided exposure for local under-employed artists and the well-established Furniture Now! charity was started in 1993 to keep useable furniture out of the waste stream and provide it where most needed. In 1997 we produced a local produce directory to link farmers and growers with shops and restaurants. We held a Sustainable Lewes conference in 1998 on issues including transport, energy, housing, food, and waste, and later that year started the Lewes Farmers’ Market, one of the first in the country. We commissioned a pedal-powered blender, built from bicycles by a local artisan, on which children make fruit smoothies at fetes and healthy-eating events.

Sussex Organic Link, which we established to provide farm work-experience and training courses, was developed in 1999 into the Organic Agriculture Training in East Sussex (OATES) and after an assessment of the needs of organic producers in the Sussex area, this led to the conception of the Netherfield Centre for Sustainable Food and Agriculture which opened in 2003.

We developed numerous initiatives as part of the Food & Health Partnership to increase use of local food in the public sector, including improving school menus and creating a college-level cookery course. In 2001 we produced a booklet of ideas on making full use of a veg-box, later followed by The Friendly Vegetable Book, and the Beet That! card game based on nutrients in fruits and vegetables.

The Lewes Organic Allotment was cleared and planted in 2004 and has become a site for workshops and programmes including the Lottie Project for schoolchildren. The Compost Doctor scheme was started in 2004 to give practical help and advice on home composting and in 2006 we helped to establish a new community orchard growing varieties of apples and pears in Ringmer.


Common Cause is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, registered in Sussex no. 2900270. Membership is open to all who share our aims to support:






Common Cause Co-operative Ltd
The Green Room
20 North Street
Lewes
East Sussex
BN7 2PE
tel: 01273 470900
Email
Company House Registration No. 2900270

Common Cause Annual Reviews
Annual Review 2002
Annual Review 2003
Annual Review 2004
Annual Review 2005
Annual Review 2006