RESIDENTS feeling the financial pinch are invited to join a community buying scheme.

The initiative in Rose Hill and Iffley was started by three residents about three years ago and has grown to about 10 households who regularly club together to buy in bulk from a wholesaler.

By placing large orders, the group has found that households have secured large discounts on food and household essentials.

One of the organisers, Jack Pritchard, of Hunsdon Road, Iffley said: “It is about keeping the costs down and it has saved us having to shop in supermarkets for the big items.

“We have about 10 households who are friends of friends and we just decided we could buy wholesale foods and get cost reductions with it.

“It has slowly expanded over the last three years.

“We want to see if there is this interest to try and do something bigger and whether people are interested in it.”

He added: “It reduces our reliance on supermarkets and minimises the resources needed to transport food around the country.”

The residents use Brighton-based Infinity Foods, which sells organic and natural foods at wholesale prices. Organic camargue long grain brown rice is £1.46 per 500g when bought in bulk, rather than £1.9 from a supermarket. .

Organic avocado oil is £5.17 instead of £6.89 and a box of wild berry cereal flakes £2.16 instead of £2.89.

Mr Pritchard said: “It is about keeping the costs down and it has saved us having to shop for the big items.”

At the moment the group is made of young professionals in their 20s and 30s in house shares, but Mr Pritchard said this could open up to other age groups and families who are interested . He said: “It would be lovely to get more people involved.

“Everyone in the house pays the same and it saves all the arguments.

“It has just been cheaper and saves all the hassle – you don’t have to think about ‘have you got any rice.’”

He said the scheme could eventually lead to a community shop opening in a house in the future.

Any residents interested in joining or finding out more should email Mr Pritchard on pritchard237@gmail.com