Country Markets LtdDunston House Dunston Road Sheepbridge Chesterfield Derbyshire, S41 9QD, United Kingdom, 01246 261508, info@country-markets.co.ukOur backgroundhttp://www.country-markets.co.uk16:30 10-Sep-2010• Country Markets Ltd is a membership-based co-operative social enterprise operating throughout England, Wales and the Channel Islands. It is registered under the Industrial & Provident Societies Act, and is run by a democratically-elected voluntary Board of between six and nine Directors. • It has a membership of sixty-five regional Market Societies. • Between them, these regional Market Societies operate around four hundred separate co-operative Markets, selling the goods of approximately twelve thousand producers, all of whom are members of the Societies. • Country Markets Ltd enables individual producers to sell their home-made, home-grown and hand-crafted items locally and co-operatively, directly to the public. These producers (aged between 16 and 100) come from all walks of life. • The roots of Country Markets go back to 1919, when the Agricultural Organisation Society (now DEFRA) sponsored the setting up of co-operative markets to sell surplus produce. Country Markets Ltd now has an annual turnover of around £10 million, around £9 million of which is returned to the producers. For further information, see the 'Becoming a Producer' section. • Country Markets Ltd also provides a training, information and education service for its producers, researching and disseminating information regarding current legislation from DEFRA, Trading Standards Officers, Environmental Health Officers and other regulatory bodies. |