Food co-op secures home on 15th birthday

A Sheffield co-operative has celebrated its 15th birthday by purchasing the building they have been based in since opening.

Regather was founded in 2010, growing fruit and vegetables from a farm in the Moss Valley and running a vegetable box scheme and other community projects from their base in Sharrow.

Last year, when their landlord decided to sell the Regather Works building on Club Garden Road they managed to secure a £250k government grant to purchase it.

Gareth Roberts, co-founder and director, said: "I wept with joy when we heard, 15 years of work is vindication, somebody somewhere thinks what you're doing is worthwhile."

The co-operative which was shortlisted for a BBC Food and Farming award in 2023 has grown substantially over the years.

Rachel Boyce has been involved since 2015, primarily managing finances but also helping out with deliveries and at the farm.

She said: "We started off really small and have grown ever since, two weeks during the pandemic we doubled our veg box orders when everyone was stuck at home."

In recent years Regather expanded to offer a venue space, educational farm visits for schools and even flowers for weddings.

According to Ms Boyce, when the landlord announced they were selling the building it was a "huge shock".

"It was totally out of the blue. It was a huge ask for us to find the money needed," she said.

The co-operative hastily applied for Community Ownership funds set up by the previous Conservative government as part of their Levelling Up funding

"We gave up two-and-a-half weeks around the Easter holidays filling in the application form with an 80-page business plan" said Mr Roberts

"My son found me asleep in a piece of toast."

An anxious wait ensued when it was unclear whether the new Labour government would honour the funding.

But, in December 2024, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Raynor announced that 85 "local treasures" would be saved and restored. Regather were notified and completed their purchase earlier this month to coincide with their birthday.

Ms Joyce said it was a "huge" development for them.

"It means no rent payments, we can make changes to the building and expand for new events and explore wheelchair access," she added.

Mr Roberts admitted he had feared the "awful" impact of losing the building.

"It would have taken away our security, worst-case scenario, a new landlord may have set the rent very high," he said.

Now the co-founder believes the future of Regather is on a "sure footing" with hopes to purchase the co-operative farmland in the Moss Valley, where an "agreement" has been made.

He said: "The community has built this resource, they came out for us in their droves, over a thousand people contributed to our funding application and this is the sum total of that effort, this is their home."

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