Community Pantry Faces Closure Amidst Rising Demand and Falling Donations
A Sheffield-based community pantry is at risk of closing due to a significant increase in demand coupled with a sharp decline in financial and food donations, volunteers report.
Volunteers at St. Paul's community pantry in Norton Lees, Sheffield, are expressing grave concerns about their ability to continue operations, citing a precarious financial situation exacerbated by a drop in donations and a surge in demand for their services. "They look pretty grim at the moment," said Tina Sampson-Smith, a volunteer at the pantry, when asked about the outlook for the coming weeks.
This year's challenges are particularly acute, Sampson-Smith noted, with one recent day seeing 204 people seeking assistance. The pantry's freezers are largely empty, impacting their capacity to provide essential food items and meals, including those for school holidays. "It's always tough from September to November, but this year is tougher than ever," she stated.
Jay Judge, co-founder, described the situation as a "day to day battle," emphasizing that the number of individuals seeking help represents many more people, including families, who are experiencing food poverty. "For every person that turns up at the pantry there's a family behind that," he explained.
Nationally, the Trussell Trust reported that over 2.2 million food parcels were distributed in England in 2025, a 56% increase compared to 2019. Jenny Farrall-Bird, an area manager for the Trussell Trust, highlighted that this time of year is especially demanding for food banks. She noted that families on the lowest incomes are often forced to make difficult choices, such as prioritizing their children's meals over their own, skipping meals, or foregoing heating.
Farrall-Bird also pointed to the rising cost of food as a contributing factor to the decrease in donations. "Food banks are having to do more fundraising and to get income to buy food stock so they can pass that on to people," she said.
Beyond food provision, St. Paul's community pantry also offers a space for individuals to connect with cost of living and family hub workers. Sampson-Smith appealed for continued support, stating, "We really want to continue. We don't want to stop what we're doing."