Our community pantry makes a difference every week during these difficult times.

Since last summer, we’ve been sourcing good quality, in-date  food that would otherwise go to waste and redistributing it to our local community via our pantry.

The pantry is for anyone – whether somebody is short of cash that week for groceries, could use a little easing on their finances, wants to stop food going to waste or support our project by paying-what-you-feel for food.

We don’t ask people intrusive questions or require any proof of need, the pantry is just like any other shop you can just walk into – we also always place food outside for people who might be too shy to come in, also to enable folks avoiding indoor spaces to still use the pantry.

The whole project works in the spirit of mutual aid rather than charity, and many people who use the pantry when things are rough will make donations when money is less tight, creating a lovely ecosystem of kindness.

Although the food is diverted surplus, we still have to pay a fee to access it and have it delivered to us. We also need to pay crew to open and run the pantry, do the admin – and of course there’s the rent and bills on top of that.

We were lucky to access funding for six months, which helped cover a lot of the costs, but that funding has now run out.

You are able to support the pantry and make a real difference by:

Becoming a supporter on Patreon for even just the price of a coffee each month.

Making a one-off donation here using PayPal

You can transfer money to our bank account or set up a regular standing order:

The Art House Southampton
Sort code 089299
Account no. 65287334, (The Co-operative Bank)

You can make a donation when you visit us, cash or card.

We also do regular shout outs for directed donations, which enable you to pay forward coffees, chilled meals, groceries or toiletries to people using our pantry here.

You can also drop in date, unopened toiletries in to us any time the pantry is open. These are very much appreciated by our regulars, as toiletries can put a real dent in a already stretched budget.

The pandemic can often make us feel helpless, the sheer scale of it, but we believe that small acts of solidarity and generosity can make a big difference. It isn’t just about the money saved or the food not going in the bin, but the sense that people still look out for one another in this crisis.

Thanks for reading and for your support and encouragement, it means a lot!

Stay safe and well