Shepton Mallet Nub News aims to support our community, promoting shops, businesses, charities, clubs and sports groups.

We will be profiling some of these businesses and organisations regularly in a feature called 'Up Close in Shepton Mallet'.

We caught up with Sarah Crocker, the Member Pioneer Co-ordinator for Pilton and Evercreech. Co-op's Member Pioneer Co-ordinators help Member Pioneers bring together its Members, colleagues and Local Causes to help its communities.

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Amazing, supportive and inspiring – three words that many wish applied to their job and workplace.

However, that is exactly what the Co-op Member Pioneer Co-ordinator for Evercreech and Pilton, Sarah Crocker, uses to describe her role with the Co-op, and that of the Member Pioneers she works with.

Member Pioneer Co-ordinators are a team of 100 across the UK who line manage and support the 1,000-strong group of Member Pioneers. Based from home and with a variety of skills and backgrounds, they connect with communities and the Co-op businesses such as Food Stores and Funeralcare, where they run and attend local meetings to support community-based initiatives.

Their particular spotlights are those which support the Co-op's vision, Cooperating for a Fairer World, where the business looks to work to improve the following areas: Fairer Access to Food; Mental Wellbeing; Opportunities for young people. The Member Pioneer Co-ordinator's mission is to bring this to life in the local communities.

A Member Pioneer is needed for the Evercreech and Pilton area, plus Castle Cary, and the role involves connecting with your local community and Co-op businesses, linking those organisations together so the Co-op can help and support community initiatives through local and national policies.

Sarah said: "It's an amazing role, ideal for someone who is passionate about improving and contributing to their local community and wants to be part of a co-operative business that values them and listens to its colleagues and members.

"It's very flexible and based from home and would suit a natural communicator with great IT and social media skills. I also have roles available in other areas (Wincanton and parts of Wiltshire) so would recommend searching for Member Pioneer roles at communityspirit.co.uk."

Member Pioneers support the local community in a variety of diverse ways, which are often driven by the community itself, such as what its needs, interests or focusses are. Finding that information and linking the Co-op into support is part of the challenge (and reward!) of the Member Pioneer role.

"Member Pioneers typically support projects such as Foodshare (redistribution of surplus food items from food stores), Local Cause fund applications and selection processes, Fairtrade events, and local community events such as litter picks, easter egg hunts, etc," said Sarah.

"The previous Member Pioneer for this area was involved in the establishment of a community larder. He was able to connect with the group spearheading this project, involve the local store and promote information on social media and through his network of community contacts."

Member Pioneers support local causes in a variety of ways, sometimes in a practical way by visiting the cause and actively contributing, or by helping local causes apply to the Co-op's Local Community Fund, where they can access funding for their group, or by linking them to local stores who can often help with small adhoc donations of stock or funding. This could be awareness raising opportunities in store and connecting them with others in the community by promoting their information and highlighting their upcoming events on social media.

One of the ways a Member Pioneer helps the local community is through Co-operate (co-operate.coop.co.uk), a platform where causes can register their contact details and forthcoming events.

Sarah said: "Anyone can then access this and reach out to that cause, so it's a wonderful, free tool for anyone to use.

"We use Co-operate ourselves to link and connect with local causes so we can support them and any events they are running by promoting their cause through social media and within store."

Then there is Foodshare, the Co-op's process for redistributing any surplus (especially perishable) food items to local groups supporting food distribution schemes such as Foodbanks, Community Fridges/Freezers and Larders for example, and to reduce waste. Member Pioneers are very involved in helping stores connect with local groups, so that all Co-op Food Stores have Foodshare partners.

Most are in place but for some areas, the Member Pioneers have had to be quite creative and find community groups to take pastries or church groups to take cut flowers for example.

And what about Sarah herself, in her role as a Member Pioneer Co-ordinator? What made her want to take on the challenge?

"I wanted a role which was flexible to fit around my childcare needs and that helped support local communities both individually and through a team," she said.

"After years in corporate and civil service environments, I really wanted a role which gives back to the community and to be part of an organisation that truly values diversity, allows you to be yourself and listens to all colleagues and members through democratic and membership processes.

"With Co-op, as a Member Pioneer Co-ordinator, I have found that. Would you believe that I was shopping in my local Co-op, where I picked up the in-store magazine, mainly for the delicious recipe ideas, leafed through it later that evening and saw the Member Pioneer advert? A quick check on communityspirit.co.uk, lead me to the Member Pioneer Co-ordinator role and the rest, as they say, is history.

"The best part of the role so far has been meeting so many inspiring people, both in my team and in our communities. I am always humbled at how dedicated so many people are in giving of their time to help others and make a difference to their communities.

"It's my privilege to work for an organisation which seeks to support that through the Member Pioneer role."

You can contact Sarah at [email protected].

If you've got any ideas on how Co-op could help your community, or want to know what Co-op is doing near you then contact the Co-op Member Pioneer Co-ordinator for your area, who will then put you in touch with your local Member Pioneer.

Become a Member Pioneer. Apply online at communityspirit.co.uk.