Young entrepreneurs bring inspiring story of innovation and sustainability to Chipping Norton

A family of young entrepreneurs, authors and innovators visited OurCoop’s Chipping Norton store to meet local customers and members and share their remarkable journey.

Kadii Hamilton and her family visited the store on Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd August, bringing their books and sustainable coffee body scrubs and talking to the local community about the projects they have developed together.

The family’s story began with a simple family tradition: putting problems into a ‘problem box’ and working together to find creative solutions. What started as a game has since led to books, businesses and environmental projects.

One of the family’s projects involves collecting used coffee grounds and transforming them into body scrubs, helping to give coffee waste a new purpose. The family says they have now saved more than eight tonnes of coffee waste through the initiative.

Kadii has also written ‘Kadii and the TechniBus’, a children’s book inspired by her visit to Techniquest in Cardiff and her ambition to help bring science and technology opportunities to more children. The family has since developed what they describe as the world’s first ‘Cinematic Book’, a multi-sensory experience that combines storytelling with animation. This was pioneered by Kadii’s younger brother, Maven Hamilton, for neurodiverse readers as he also suffers from Dyslexia and Dysgraphia.

Their work has attracted support from a range of well-known names and organisations, while their books and environmental products are now stocked by independent retailers.

During their visit to Chipping Norton, the family sold 132 books and 57 Glow and Go coffee body scrubs. The sales will enable them to donate £1,000 worth of books to Acorns Children’s Hospice and Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

Kadii Hamilton said: “It was a dream come true to showcase everything we have been up to in the last 3 years at FoodCoop this weekend. The best part of our weekend was when a customer brought a book on Friday and came back on Saturday to tell us how much their children enjoyed the story and animations the night before. They asked if we had other books coming out soon - which we do! Everybody has been so welcoming, and it has kept us motivated on our journey to impact a million lives!”

Cataleya Hamilton added: “If we all can do something to save the planet, then together there is no way the planet can’t be saved.”

The visit also gave local customers and members the opportunity to hear directly from the family about their approach to entrepreneurship, sustainability and using creativity to tackle problems.

Cam Jones, Store Manager at OurCoop’s Chipping Norton store, said: “It was wonderful to welcome Kadii and her family to our store and see our members and customers engage with their story. Their passion, creativity and determination are inspiring, particularly the way they have turned problems into opportunities to make a positive difference. It was fantastic to see the local community get behind them and support the important work they are doing.”

The event reflects OurCoop’s commitment to supporting the communities around its stores and creating opportunities for people to connect, share ideas and make a positive difference.

Kadii and her family received a warm response from those who visited the event, with one customer describing it as “so great to see children actively taking action with saving the planet”, while another said it was “an inspiring family venture”.

OurCoop’s food stores aim to be at the heart of many communities, providing not only a place to shop but opportunities to connect with local organisations, community groups and initiatives.

The Chipping Norton event is one example of this approach, giving the local community a chance to discover the work of a young family turning their ideas into action, and supporting them to make a difference along the way.