Community Shop, Leeds: New social supermarket and local hub backed by Asda opening in Swarcliffe this week
A social supermarket offering customers “deeply discounted surplus products, affordable hot meals, skills workshops, and further learning opportunities” is set to open in Leeds this week.
Community Shop will open its latest store in Swarcliffe this Friday (March 28) as it continues its mission to “build stronger individuals and more confident communities”.
The new store at Stanks Gardens will open at 9.30am, with local dignitaries and representatives from Asda, which is supporting the project, and Community Shop cutting the ribbon, before welcoming local people into the new store.
New members can sign up now or on the day, and will be able to access discounted products and also find out more about the upcoming workshops and programmes
Community Shop, which has so far opened 13 stores in the UK, aims to tackle the root causes of poverty and food insecurity by empowering members to develop skills and build a positive future for themselves.
For the last decade, Asda has donated surplus products to Community Shop and will continue to provide stock for the Swarcliffe store. The supermarket giant has also provided funding towards the fixtures and fittings.
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.”
The store will be made up of three distinct but interconnected spaces - Community Store, Community Hub and Community Kitchen.
The store will provide members with access to discounted food and essentials, including fruit, vegetables and bread for only 20p.
The profits from the store will then be reinvested into Community Hub, which will deliver holistic support and development programmes for people across the local community to help develop their own capabilities.
Finally, the Community Kitchen will enable people to connect with others and learn through food, as well as providing home-cooked meals for the community, with kids eating every day for free.
Since its inception in 2013, Community Shop has supported over 73,000 families through this model and saved members over £50 million on their regular food shops. Community Hubs have delivered more than 218,000 development programmes and Community Kitchens have fed over 880,000 children for free.
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.”
The Community Shop team has been working in partnership with several local organisations such as Leeds City Council and the Swarcliffe Good Neighbours Scheme for more than a year to design and create the new community hub.
Councillor Mary Harland, Leeds City Council’s executive member for communities, customer service and community safety, said: "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. For more information visit the Community Shop website.