The Food Connect City Cousin in West End is the Spiral community hub at 192 Boundary Street, who have been with us since 2005. Here are some words from them:

Spiral community hub is a community development co-op based in West End. We work in many different areas of Brisbane although we always link locally, partnering with local groups. Our aim is to build just and sustainable local communities and we do this through a range of project work such as enterprise development work, savings and credit groups, community gardens, modelling sustainable built environment approaches and through an emerging local community enterprise hub in West End. We work closely with indigenous people, refugees and people with disabilities exploring ways for the most marginalised people in the community to access sustainable livelihood.  

Spiral began work back in 2001 with the Simple Options for Sustainability Kurilpa Ethical Consumer guide which aimed to promote, unearth and develop sustainable community action and sustainable enterprise approaches in the West End area. The organisation registered as a co-op in 2003 with the goals of creating sustainable and innovative approaches to community development practice. Our current programs include: enterprise development program; sustainable development program, community enterprise hub and community employment program. 

Justice Products, the fair trade store based at Spiral, aims to address the imbalances between consumers in the first world and producers in the majority world. Fair trade is all about giving producers a fair deal – not just in a financial sense, but by putting resources back into the local community. Applying fair trade principles closer to home, Justice Products also stocks goods by local producers and organic, environmentally sound Australian products.

Steph Zannakis told us, ‘Becoming a Food Connect City Cousin has given Spiral and Justice Products a fabulous opportunity to extend our connections with the local community. Being a City Cousin means we can support Food Connect and growers, enjoy fresh fruit ‘n’ veg and meet like-minded people!’