admin, Author at Church Action on Poverty

The Your Local Pantry network is growing rapidly.

There are now more than 100 Pantries, across all four nations of the UK from Portadown to Portsmouth, Edinburgh to Ebbw Vale.

Food is integral to all Pantries, but we have learnt over the years that Pantries are about so much more than that. They bring huge positive changes to people and neighbourhoods.

Here is a quick round up of seven ways Your Local Pantry shops make a meaningful difference.

1. Your Local Pantry strengthens communities

One member in Birmingham told us: “It’s community spirit all the way, it brings the community together and it makes people feel part of something.”

And a volunteer said: “I have made new friends, learned new skills and my confidence has increased. I have gained valuable work experience. I really enjoy being a volunteer.”

74% of Pantry members say they now feel more connected to their community.

2. Your Local Pantry membership leads to friendship

Pantry membership leads to improved physical and mental wellbeing. Access to new friends, community, good food and new opportunities all contribute to this.

Barbara, a Pantry member in Chingford, told us: “I have made a lot of friends here. I am now a member of the wellbeing cafe and social club.”

Another member said: “I was very lonely and going to the Pantry helped me make friends who support my mental health as we talk outside the Pantry.”

Ellie, a volunteer, said: “Friendships are one of the biggest benefits that people get from the Pantry.”

66% of Pantry members say they have made new friends.

3. Your Local Pantry improves health and wellbeing

Many Pantry members report feeling better after joining a Pantry – physically and/or mentally.

Pantries provide a wide range of foods, including fresh produce, making it easier for people to maintain the diet they want to, and the community and dignity of Pantries are cherished by members.

Don, a Pantry member in Leith, told us: “The free vegetables and fruit is great. I’m on a limited income so I was buying processed food as it’s cheaper, but it’s not as good for you.”

68% say Pantry membership has improved their physical health, and 83% say it is good for their mental health.

4. Your Local Pantry improves household finances

On average, Pantry members save £21 on groceries each time they visit. That means members who attend weekly can save more than £1,000 a year on shopping bills.

One member told us: “Being a carer limits my finances, this allows me to stretch further with
two grown-up children at home.”

Another said: “I now have peace about my finances, and especially about providing meals for my family. If I start to feel concerned again I just think – Wednesday is coming – don’t panic! I no longer feel shame about my financial situation, I feel proud of how it has changed – I have my dignity back.”

97% of members say Pantry membership has improved their household's financial situation.

5. Your Local Pantry shops prevent food waste

The sheer vastness of national and global food supply chains mean there’s always a risk of some food going to waste.

Pantries are an efficient and ethical redistribution route for surpluses, via national charity Fareshare or through direct relationships between individual Pantries and businesses local to them.

One member told us: “I hate food waste. This along with affordability were my two main reasons for joining. What I got in return, that was unexpected, was community and friendships.”

98% of Pantry members say tackling food waste is important to them.

6. Your Local Pantries nurture dignity and agency

Charities and community projects don’t always manage to maintain people’s dignity when it comes to food access. Pantries are different, as members testify.

Natalie in Liverpool told us: “Some people feel ashamed going to food banks, you feel like you are getting labelled. In the Pantry you are actually paying for stuff. It makes me feel, I have paid for me shop.”

Another member in Birmingham said: “I feel happy and don’t feel ashamed going in here, or feel like I’m being judged. Everyone is treated the same.”

A member in Leith said: “At the Pantry, you have choice, which is important. You can choose what you want.”

7. Pantries are a route to so much more

Food is often what brings people to Pantries. But once there, members find so much more.

Every single Pantry in the network offers some form of additional support or connection.

Sometimes that is helpful introductions to other services.

Sometimes it means bringing other services and opportunities into the Pantry.

Sometimes it means bringing members together to start making change happen themselves – such as in Peckham, Epsom and Portsmouth, where there are member steering groups, and where members are looking to take part in Speaking Truth To Power projects, opening the doors to many new opportunities.

100% of Pantries connect to wider services or opportunities

5 February 2021

Neighbourhood food pantries can be at the heart of Britain’s pandemic recovery, strengthening communities, improving health, and loosening the grip of poverty.

The Your Local Pantry network today [Friday 5 Feb] launches its 2021 impact report, charting the difference its pantries are making to members and their communities.

In the past year, the number of pantries has risen from 14 to 42. More than 6,800 UK households, including almost 12,000 adults and 8,000 children are now members.

Niall Cooper, director of Church Action on Poverty, which runs the network, said:

“The rapid growth of the Your Local Pantry network offers a beacon of hope, demonstrating that communities can be at the forefront of developing practical and sustainable long-term responses to the pandemic. The network has grown exponentially and is rapidly becoming a key component of community-led recovery across the country. It could easily double in size again in the next two years.

“Of course, we need urgent action by Governments and employers to ensure households have access to secure and adequate incomes, free from the grip of poverty. But at the same time as pressing for such action, our goal over the next five to ten years is to help develop a national network of Local Pantries building dignity, choice and hope at all times for thousands more people. They can help drive the rebuilding of neighbourhoods, and ultimately strengthen the voice of communities who are too frequently overlooked, neglected, or stigmatised.”

Gillian Oliver, Your Local Pantry Development Worker, said:

“When people get in touch about starting a Pantry, they usually have experience of charitable food projects of one kind or another. In 2020 many were councils, grappling with food provision in a national emergency and looking for something new: something local people can lead, something that isn’t constantly grant-seeking but which pays its own way. And that’s what a Pantry is – it’s not charity – it’s not a food bank. It’s a food club that helps your money go further. You can join without being referred and remain a member for as long as you wish.”

The impact report, Dignity, Choice, Hope is based on interviews and surveys with 490 members from 19 pantries, and on stock data and volunteer and member stories.

Findings include:

95% of members said being in a Pantry had improved their household finances
70% feel more connected to their local community
69% say their physical health has improved
76% say membership has improved their mental health
57% say they have made new friends
59% say they now eat less processed food
54% say they now eat more fresh fruit & veg

One member at St Andrew’s Pantry in Liverpool said: “The Pantry is helping me a lot financially to make fresh healthy meals, leaving me more able to pay my bills, which was something I was struggling to do. I was eating a lot of frozen food and struggling to put gas and leccy in my meter. Thanks to the Pantry this is no longer an issue.”

Another in Birmingham said: “I feel happy and don’t feel ashamed going in here, or feel like I’m being judged. Everyone is treated the same.”

The report shows that pantries have been instrumental in increasing resilience, building community, saving money, and promoting health and well-being for thousands of people.

The past year’s growth has been fastest in Liverpool, where the St Andrew’s Community Partnership has opened ten new pantries with total membership of more than 2,200, supported by Liverpool City Council and Together Liverpool. There has also been rapid growth in the West Midlands, Edinburgh, Cardiff and London, and pantries have also opened in Lowestoft, Dover, Salisbury and Dorset.

Members join pantries by paying a small weekly subscription (typically around £5), which entitles them to £20 or more a week of groceries, meaning members can save more than £780 a year. Stock comes through FareShare and local suppliers, and a key principle of pantries is that people have access to a good choice of high-quality food. The choice is central to sustaining dignity, but the research shows membership benefits extend far beyond food access and saving money.

The past year has seen a wide range of organisations support the pantry model, including Liverpool City Council, Burgess Hill Town Council in Sussex, Oasis Academy Trust in the West Midlands, Peabody Housing Trust in London, a GP-surgery in Dorset, a local arts centre in north Edinburgh and many smaller neighbourhood organisations and faith groups.

The Your Local Pantry model was pioneered by Stockport Homes in 2013, and developed into a national network by Church Action on Poverty.

Elena Vacca, Community Food Officer at Foundations Stockport (part of Stockport Homes Group), said:

“I’m glad that the model we created has been rolled out across the UK by Church Action Poverty and therefore it’s had the chance to help support more people throughout the pandemic in terms of accessing food but also in tackling social isolation. In Stockport, residents have been grateful to get access to the food they need with dignity, providing a hand up rather than a hand out.”

Notes to editors

The impact report, Dignity, Choice, Hope can be downloaded here. It includes quotes from many pantry members and volunteers.
The report is authored by Dr Naomi Maynard of Rooted Research in Liverpool and Dr Fiona Tweedie of Brendan Research in Edinburgh.
If you have any queries or to arrange interviews with pantries in any particular area, email gavin@church-poverty.org.uk
Your Local Pantry was formed by Stockport Homes Group in 2013, and developed into a national network by Church Action on Poverty. The roll-out is supported by Thrive Together Birmingham, St Andrew’s Community Network Liverpool and Faith in Community Scotland.
Pantries are run along cooperative lines, by and for their members and are run as neighbourhood shops, with uniformed staff, helping to reduce the stigma.
They are open to anyone who lives in the local area, with no need for referral, and there is no time limit on membership.
Members can choose what they want, using a colour-coded system to ensure access to a balance of fresh, packaged and higher-value foods.
Your Local Pantry insists on good quality food, including fresh fruit and vegetables, frozen and chilled food, including meat and dairy products, alongside tins and packets.

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Rev Jules Middleton, Associate Vicar at Trinity, Lewes, responds to the child hunger debate

This summer I, my colleagues, and an army of amazing volunteers ran the Food Hub in Lewes to help the local foodbanks cope with the overwhelming number of referrals coming in – due to the pandemic. I believe a key reason the church is here, is to help, support and love those in our community – all, not just those who come to church. But running a food hub is not something I really want to celebrate and here’s why…

We already have 3 foodbanks in Lewes, a town that most people assume is affluent. Of course it’s not inner city London, our problems seem small compared to larger areas but they don’t feel small to those who face not being able to feed their families, or pay the bills, on a daily basis. Running the Food Hub I have heard first-hand the real life struggles of those who need to use a foodbank, I’ve seen parents in tears or overwhelmed with shame, pathetically grateful for a few carrier bags of tinned goods that most of us would take for granted. It’s been frankly, heartbreaking.

Let's think before judging

It’s so easy to think that this sort of thing only affects them over there, “the poor” and people often assume those on benefits are bludgers, lazy or stupid. Frankly if anything is stupid or lazy, it’s taking that view without doing some homework, because the reality is that unless you’re earning a super salary, or have some decent savings, any one of us could end up needing Universal Credit or a foodbank.

People find themselves needing support in this way for lots of reasons, perhaps an unexpected bout of ill health – short term or long term, loss of a job or being made redundant, self-employed and can’t work for a period of time, having a child, having a child with extra needs, worldwide pandemic… For most people it only takes one thing to change their stable situation. One missed payment means a fee, possible bank charges and often no way to make them up, so next month adds on another charge, and another fee, and so on ad infinitum. It’s very easy to slip into debt quickly.

We could have so much more compassion

So it was deeply saddening to hear that the voucher scheme for free school meals in the holidays is not going to be extended and, more so, to read some of the negative and judgemental comments posted online.

So many of us view things from a place of privilege or from our own experiences. We talk a lot about privilege in this day and age but how many of us actually recognise it? How many of us actually bother to try and put ourselves into the position of the person we are idly judging and try to understand what life is like for them? I wonder how many of us have actually spent any time at a foodbank? Or have actually met those struggling with the shame of having to ask for help to support their families?

How many of us have chatted to those who have had some bad luck – lost a job or suffered an injury and been unable to work? If we all did this a bit more I am sure we would have so much more compassion and understanding for each other. And indeed it was so encouraging to see that in response to the news of the voucher scheme ending many cafes and restaurants have chosen to offer free meals for children though half term.

Imagine...

If you genuinely want to know why parents can’t budget better, imagine what it is like if your income is so tight it’s down to the last penny and any tiny thing could throw it out. What if the washing machine breaks (and that’s assuming you could afford to buy one in the first place), or your child has a growth spurt and suddenly needs new clothes, or someone gets sick and you need the public transport fair to get to the hospital?

Or you may ask, why can’t people shop for cheaper food, grow their own food or even forage?! This assumes choice and time, it assumes the time needed to do any of these, it assumes choice of shops and the ability to get to them, or to be able to buy in bulk. It assumes owning or having the money to buy garden tools, seeds and plants, or even having a garden in the first place.

Are you wondering if the benefit system or food banks breed reliance on ‘the system’? Well, if you’ve ever had to apply for benefits you’ll know how hard it is, the paperwork is lengthy and intrusive – and mostly now online. Did you know many digital forms cannot be filled out on a smart phone? And before anyone notes the expense of a smart phone, ask yourself how you would live your life with no access to the internet or even a phone line? Imagine you can’t get a contract for a landline because you don’t have a good credit rating – because of those bank charges that were not your fault? Don’t think that anyone ‘wants’ to rely on this.

All of this is also to assume that a person needing help has no physical or mental health concerns that might affect how they live and whether they are actually able to find out what support they can get, let alone apply for it.

Marcus Rashford, a footballer who has been campaigning for free school meals, was accused of ‘celebrity virtue signalling’ by an MP this week. But isn’t it a shame that he or any other celebrity even needs to highlight issues like these? Wouldn’t it be much better if our leaders led by example, in helping us all to think about how others’ lives might be; who might encourage us all to look out for one another. A bit like a version of herd immunity where we all protect each other by our love for one another, and with the recognition that sometimes bad stuff happens for no reason and no one is to blame. Isn’t that the sort of society we want to be?

I know some will say I’m simply a ‘bleeding heart lefty’ but you know, I believe Jesus Christ bled and died for each of us, so if my heart is aching for those who are suffering, I’d say that’s a pretty good label.

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This autumn, Church Action on Poverty will be working harder than ever to challenge poverty, and we hope you’re up for joining us in this urgent task.

By our director, Niall Cooper.

We will be joining with others on three national campaigns to speak truth to power over the next two months. With others, we will be making the case for urgent Government action to ensure that the millions of families who have been swept into poverty and debt as a result of Covid 19 are offered a lifeline to keep them afloat through the rough seas ahead.

Quite literally, millions of people have been swept into poverty, unemployment and debt as a direct result of the economic impact of Covid 19. People who were previously able to keep their head above water are now in severe difficulty. Others, who had been just staying afloat, now face being overwhelmed by circumstances entirely beyond their control.

1: Rishi Sunak can provide struggling families with a lifeline

Amongst all the other measures the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, has taken over the past months, few have been more important to struggling families than the extra £20 a week on the basic rate of Universal Credit.

This has been a lifeline for many families as they’ve struggled to get through the coronavirus storm. However, it is due to end in April 2021, whipping the vital lifeline away. In October, the Chancellor has a chance to do the right thing and announce that hard pressed families will be able to keep the extra £20 a week on a permanent basis.

2: Marcus Rashford: Speaking truth to power on child food poverty

As the schools re-open this week, there’s much more to be done to ensure children are able to focus on their studies – rather than having to worry about where their next meal is coming from.

It’s this goal – ending child food poverty in Britain – which Manchester United and England footballer, Marcus Rashford, now has in his sights. Marcus himself grew up in poverty in Wythenshawe in south Manchester, and knew as a teenager what it was to go without food. That is what is motivating him to speak truth to power

“Food poverty is contributing to social unrest,” he wrote, reflecting on a series of recent meetings with families in need of the same support he counted on as a child. He described “watching a young boy keeping it together whilst his mother sobbed alongside him, feeling like he has to step up to protect his family and alleviate some of that worry. He was nine years old.”

“I know that feeling,” he wrote. “I remember the sound of my mum crying herself to sleep to this day, having worked a 14-hour shift, unsure how she was going to make ends meet. That was my reality.”

Marcus is backing calls on the Chancellor, to fund the implementation of three key policy recommendations from the national food strategy, a Government-commissioned report highlighting huge economic and health inequalities, which will be aggravated by the coronavirus crisis. These include:

extending free school meals to all families in receipt of Universal Credit
rolling out the Holiday food and activities programme, designed to tackle the growing problem of ‘holiday hunger’ nationwide.

3: Challenge Poverty Week

The first ever Challenge Poverty Week in England and Wales will run from October 12th to 18th, modelled on the successful Challenge Poverty Week which has been running in Scotland for the past seven years.

Challenge Poverty Week will provide an opportunity to celebrate the work that a wide range of organisations are doing to challenge poverty across the country It aims to:

Raise voices in unison against poverty and show that we all want to live in a more just and compassionate country.
Show what is already being done at community level to challenge and alleviate poverty.
Build awareness and support for long term solutions that focus on enhancing the dignity and agency of people in poverty themselves.
Change the conversation around poverty and help end the stigma.

The website will be launched in the next few days, but for now please follow our twitter feed, facebook page and instagram account.

Opinion and insight

The Your Local Pantry network is growing rapidly.

1. Your Local Pantry strengthens communities

2. Your Local Pantry membership leads to friendship

3. Your Local Pantry improves health and wellbeing

4. Your Local Pantry improves household finances

5. Your Local Pantry shops prevent food waste

6. Your Local Pantries nurture dignity and agency

7. Pantries are a route to so much more

Read more about the full impact of Pantries in our So Much More report...

5 February 2021

Notes to editors

Rev Jules Middleton, Associate Vicar at Trinity, Lewes, responds to the child hunger debate

Let's think before judging

We could have so much more compassion

Imagine...

This autumn, Church Action on Poverty will be working harder than ever to challenge poverty, and we hope you’re up for joining us in this urgent task.

1: Rishi Sunak can provide struggling families with a lifeline

2: Marcus Rashford: Speaking truth to power on child food poverty

3: Challenge Poverty Week

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