The Leeds pantry supporting families in this pandemic as Omicron overshadows Christmas – Vanessa Brown

InterACT is a charity formed from a partnership of churches in north Leeds, which has been co-ordinating activities for local people for more than 15 years, including weekly youth club, community café, craft sessions and holiday events.

When Covid-19 arrived, our usual operations pretty much came to a standstill. The only thing that looked set to remain was support for local people facing difficulty. In the end, it turned out we had a very specific role as part of Leeds City Council’s pandemic response. We co-ordinated volunteers in Moortown and Meanwood to deliver food parcels, carry out bespoke shopping for people who couldn’t leave home, make befriending phone calls, walk dogs and pick up prescriptions.

We were honoured to work with so many willing and caring volunteers, but after the peak of the second wave we caught our breath and wondered: what next? It was clear the effects of the pandemic would be long-lasting – too often, we were supplying the same people week in, week out with long-life food just to help them survive, and it was too simplistic to suggest they could or should budget more effectively. Life is not always black and white.

The pandemic has uniquely highlighted what we should never forget that we can all fall on hard times. One redundancy, one bereavement, one period of ill health, one spiteful landlord – that’s all it can take before any of us is picking up the phone or scouring the internet to find out what to do when we can’t pay an electric bill or put a decent meal in front of our children. For people without the huge advantage of a good support network and credit rating, the peril is even greater. We received calls from self-employed people who had lost almost everything, people whose anxiety levels were so extreme they could not step outside their door, people in very different circumstances but with one thing in common: they didn’t want to feel like “charity cases”. People wanted to contribute, and people wanted the dignity of choice.

That’s when we came across the concept of food clubs or pantries. Unlike food banks and other community food projects, pantries are set up like shops and members are in control. In July, we took delivery of a shipping container and turned it into a Your Local Pantry shop, one of more than 60 across the UK but – for now – the only one in Yorkshire.

It’s a farmshop-style store outside Meanwood Community Centre, open three times a week. Members pay when they visit (£3.50, or £5 if they have a large household) and they choose groceries worth five times as much, including refrigerated and frozen items and fresh fruit and vegetables, which people were crying out for.

It’s run primarily by local volunteers, many of whom are also members, and we’re very proud of what we’ve achieved together. Members’ situations vary: some have long term health issues, some have lost work through the pandemic, some have found themselves with debts they are working to repay. Others have lived on the poverty line for years, with no other support networks locally.

The pantry is a significant money saver, but it’s also much more. One member commented that the shop was a place to find space and peace. For others, there is a growing sense of community. People are trying foods they have never tried before, encouraged by recipes and cooking tips shared by fellow members.

Together, we share the stories of our weeks and our food discoveries. Other local residents donate food or money, businesses get involved, and because much of our food comes through redistribution charity Fareshare, we help to prevent waste.

Five months in, we are supporting 115 local residents and the number is rising. Across the country, the Your Local Pantry network is supporting 41,000 people, loosening the grip of poverty, fostering new relationships, strengthening community and reducing the likelihood of hunger. For neighbourhoods looking to take positive, proactive, dignified action, it’s a proven win-win approach.

Here in north Leeds, the value already far exceeds our expectations. We can’t wait to see what opens up in the next year for our growing community and, hopefully, for other communities in Yorkshire as well.

Vanessa Brown is Community Development Project Manager of InterACT Church and Community Partnership in north Leeds, and co-ordinator of the Pantry.

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