Over the last 12 months, Community Shop has helped more people in more communities than ever before, supporting over 36,000 families. Its Community Store provides dignified access to affordable food and household goods and has helped members save £12.7 million on their shopping bills. Profits from the Community Store are reinvested into its Community Hubs and Community Kitchens, enabling the social enterprise to deliver life-changing personal development opportunities.

In 2025 its Community Hubs have delivered 63,000 personal development programmes and helped 4,100 people into higher education opportunities. A further 4,000 people went through its ‘Progress Academy’ supporting them back into employment.  

Through its Community Kitchens, 34,000 Cook Clubs were delivered helping people learn new skills and cook with confidence. At a time when families who are experiencing food insecurity are struggling more than ever, more than 180,000 free kids meals were provided in the Community Kitchens.  

However, these Impact Report numbers only tell part of the story, with recent research from Community Shop* exposing the mental health crisis that is being driven by food insecurity. With a third (32%) of people experiencing food insecurity saying it has negatively impacted their mental health, and three in ten (28%) saying it has affected their self-esteem, there is an urgent need to address the emotional and psychological impact of food insecurity; yet of the estimated 9.4 million people who have experienced food insecurity, more than a quarter (27%) say they have not used any support system at all. 

Through its own member research, which surveys over 1,200 members each year, with additional qualitative research also undertaken, Community Shop has a robust representation of the challenges people are facing and what they feel about the support that Community Shop provides:  

• 89% of people using its services have experienced an increase sense of opportunity, giving them multiple opportunities to socialise.  

• 92% said their social welfare has improved since using Community Shop.  

• 95% said it has helped them to connect with other people. 

Gary Stott, Executive Chairman of Community Shop, says: “The impact of food insecurity goes way beyond just having enough food to support yourself and your family, and the negative impact it can have on all aspects of people’s lives must be acknowledged and addressed. At the heart of Community Shop is a belief that with the right support, everyone has the power to shape their own future, even in the face of these challenges. Our research findings show that people need a variety of support options, from help with creating positive mental health to practical skills. Community Shop exists to help people make sense of their story and regain confidence in themselves and their potential, which is why we are honoured that our members wanted to share their stories as part of this year’s Impact Report.”

*Research conducted by Opinium. 

Having recently moved to the UK from Pakistan, she does not have a lot of family or friends in the area and was struggling to integrate, so started going to the Community Shop where she has been learning about different cultures in the area and improving her English.

“The kids and I have taken part in lots of the activities and my nine-year-old loves the baking. The affordable food is great but what really made the difference was the people. As a Muslim family, it is important for us that food is halal and that cultural and religious practises are respected. Jenny has always been very thoughtful and mindful of this. For example, she arranged an Eid celebration where we were able to cook for the community and made sure halal meat was provided. Being part of this community has built my confidence and helped my children become more outgoing too. It isn’t just somewhere to shop - I couldn’t live without it.”

She is unable to work due to her health and with two children, needed to keep the costs down - but in her own words, she was ‘embarrassed’ to used food banks. Her first few visits to Community Shop were solely for the retail element as she admits:  

“The prices were amazing,” but then says what really started to make a difference to her life was the rest of the opportunities on offer. "I’d been going through a difficult period and struggling with my mental health,” she says. “Slowly I started coming to groups, bringing the kids, and then joining in myself. Now I do the walks, the craft groups and even cooking clubs. It’s helped me get out of the house and brought me out of my shadow. I love being here so much, I even offer to help when I can. It’s made such a difference to the local area, I’ve come so far, it has helped me so much.”