For the past few weeks, customers at our Day Opportunities centre in Cambridge have been running their own tuck shop.
It started with a few customers asking about starting up the tuck shop, something they used to do many years ago. Since then, it's taken on a life of its own, with customers planning everything from stock to prices.
The group sat down a few weeks ago to brainstorm ideas. They then went out to the shops to have a look at some food they could add to their shop. The staff supported them on various trips out until they had decided upon a core group of healthy food items to sell.
There was a lot for customers to think about. Once they had decided on their stock, they had to think about what the price of the items would be. They wanted to keep things affordable whilst also turning over a small profit to help keep the shop running.
Steve, one of the centres Activities Facilitators, suggested they use an app to keep track of their supply and what they had sold. After trialing a few different apps, they found one that was easy to use and could track their prices, stock and supply.
Since then, the shop has been running on a daily basis, with the customers meeting once a week for planning. Although it's only been running for a short time, the aim is for the group to be led entirely by customers and self-funded. The initiative has been a chance for customers to work on their independence, and they've made incredible progress so far.