Brynteg Food Co-op is taking place at the Community Cafe on Darby Road and is coinciding both with the unveiling of the cafe's refurbishment and with its St David's Day celebrations.

Between 11am and 2pm people can place orders for a bag of fruit at £2.50 or a bag of vegetables at £2.50 and volunteers will phone the total order through to local suppliers Farmfresh of Ruabon. They can collect their orders on the following Thursday between 1pm and 4pm and place their orders for the next week.

"This is the first co-op in Wrexham funded by the RRU and set up under myself and the only one that's still going," said the Rural Regeneration Unit's North East Wales food development worker Debbie Neale.

"The co-op will also accept Healthy Start vouchers, so those people entitled to the vouchers (previously known as milk tokens) can access free fruit and veg through their co-op.

"Seventy-five per cent of food co-ops are in Communities First areas but they can be set up in other areas where people are interested. I'm in talks with Barracks and Caia Park about opening co-ops there and I hope the Barracks co-op will be open within the next month."

The Community Cafe will be celebrating St David's Day with free cawl for visitors, Welsh cakes, bara brith and singing Welsh songs.

"We're also unveiling our refurb, we're giving the cafe a new look," said community development officer for Brynteg Julie Hughes.

"We're currently open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10am to 1pm and mainly do breakfasts but from Friday we will be open on those days until 2.30pm.

"We're having a fuller menu too with homemade soups and cakes. The cafe is run by volunteers, everything is done free of charge and the money goes back into the community."

So far the cafe's profits have paid for training for residents, a Thursday luncheon club for pensioners, a baby club, special needs arts and crafts, support for people who can't read or write and support for new businesses.

The RRU runs the Community Food Co-operative Project Wales as part of the Welsh Assembly Government's response to Health Challenge Wales. Food development workers assist groups wishing to start a food coop by providing the necessary basic equipment, posters, and if required, training. If you think that your community would benefit from having its own food co-operative, or would like further information, please contact Debbie Neal on 01978 851581.