Community Shop Swarcliffe has officially opened and will provide hundreds of local people with access to discounted surplus food and household items, as well as affordable hot meals, skills workshops and further learning opportunities.
The new store is the 14th in Community Shop’s network of social supermarkets, each of which tackles the root causes of food insecurity in communities experiencing social inequality, offering members a hand-up, not just a handout.
This latest store opened thanks to the support of Leeds-based Asda, who have supported Community Shop’s other stores for over a decade through the donation of surplus products. Asda provided funding to convert the Swarcliffe building into Community Shop’s unique three space format and will continue to donate stock to provide the community with access to quality food.
Since its inception in 2013, Community Shop has supported over 73,000 families through this model, embedding resilience within communities and improving peoples’ circumstances for the long-term. Community Store has saved members over £50 million on their regular food shops, whilst the Community Hubs have delivered more than 218,000 development programmes and Community Kitchens have fed over 880,000 children for free.
Community Shop Swarcliffe is made up of three distinct but interconnected spaces - Community Store, Community Hub and Community Kitchen. The store will provide members with access to deeply discounted food and essentials, including fruit, vegetables and bread for only 20p. The profits from the store will be reinvested into Community Hub which will deliver life-changing holistic support and development, empowering people across the local community to develop their own capabilities and deliver a positive future for themselves, providing members with the personal tools they need to improve their own circumstances and address the causes of their food insecurity, in a supportive, safe environment. To complete the interconnected spaces, Community Shop Swarcliffe will have a Community Kitchen, a café that enables people to connect with others and learn through food, as well as providing home-cooked meals for the community with kids eating free every day.
Kris Comerford, Chief Commercial Officer at Asda, said: “As a Leeds-based business, we’re excited to be supporting the local community in Swarcliffe through our work with the new Community Shop. Through discounted products and the learning opportunities on offer, we hope this store can provide life-changing support and make a lasting difference to those in the area.”
Gary Stott, Executive Chairman of Community Shop, commented: “For the past 12 years, Community Shop has not only provided our members with access to deeply discounted goods but also delivered life-changing programmes and holistic support so that our members develop their own capabilities and deliver a positive future for themselves. We’re delighted to continue our mission, empowering individuals, families, and communities across the Leeds area and I thank Asda for their support in helping us open this new store.”
Councillor Mary Harland, Leeds City Council’s executive member for communities, customer service and community safety, said: "I am delighted that a new Community Shop has opened in Swarcliffe. As a Council we remain committed to tackling poverty and inequality and so initiatives such as this are a key part of helping us support residents while at the same time reducing the amount of food going to landfill."
The store operates on a free membership basis and will be open to those on means-tested benefits who live in the local area.
