Community pantry
Tuesday and Friday mornings. Choose fresh food, tins and household basics from the shelves, much as you would in a shop.
Food, friendship and a fair start, close to home
Open Hands is a community trust in the east of town. We run a pantry twice a week, a hot meal on Thursdays and youth programmes for ages 8 to 18. Volunteers make all of it happen, and there is room for you, whether you can give two hours once or a morning every week.
2 daysa week the pantry opens
8 to 18ages in youth programmes
2 hoursthe shortest volunteer shift
- A community pantry twice a week
- A hot meal every Thursday
- Youth programmes after school
- Volunteers of every age
What we run each week
Every programme is open to anyone living in the area. Nobody needs a referral, and nobody is asked to explain their circumstances.
Thursday kitchen
A hot two course meal cooked by volunteers and eaten together at shared tables, with a vegetarian choice every week.
Homework club, ages 8 to 13
Monday to Thursday after school, with snacks, quiet tables and volunteers who help with reading and maths.
Youth evenings, ages 13 to 18
Sport, music and cooking on Wednesday and Friday evenings, led by trained youth workers with volunteer helpers.
Holiday activity days
Outings, games and a cooked lunch on weekdays in the school holidays, so the long break is something to look forward to.
Friendly calls
Volunteers phone or visit older neighbours who live alone, for a chat, a hand with shopping or a lift to an appointment.
Our safeguarding promise: everyone who works with children, young people or older neighbours goes through the vetting and training our country requires before starting, and a named safeguarding lead takes up any worry raised. Where someone is at immediate risk, phone your local emergency number straight away.
Food support with dignity
The pantry is set out like a small shop, so people choose what suits their household instead of receiving a packed bag. On a first visit a volunteer notes your name and roughly where you live, and that is all.
Fresh fruit, vegetables and bread come from local growers and bakeries each week. Tell us about allergies, baby needs or faith based diets, and we set suitable items aside before you arrive.
- No referral and no forms to fill in
- Fresh food alongside tins and household basics
- Halal, vegetarian and allergy aware choices
- A quiet word with a volunteer about other help nearby
How volunteering works
Most people start within three weeks of signing up. You choose the role and the hours, and you can change either whenever you need to.
Sign up
Tell us which programmes interest you and when you are usually around. Volunteers start at 16, with a parent's consent under 18.
Come for a welcome
A relaxed hour at the centre on the first Monday evening of each month, with a tour and a chance to meet the team.
Checks and training
Roles with children or older neighbours need the vetting our country requires, plus a short course that we run in house.
Your first shift
You work beside an experienced volunteer until you feel ready, and a coordinator checks in with you after the first month.
Ways to give your time
Pick something that fits your week. Plenty of volunteers try two or three roles before settling on a favourite.
- Pantry shifts
- Thursday cooking
- Setting tables and washing up
- Homework helpers
- Youth sports coaching
- Collecting food from shops
- Driving deliveries
- Friendly phone calls
- Gardening at the centre
- Translating and interpreting
- Fundraising events
- Office and admin support
Businesses and schools can also bring a team for a single day. Send a few possible dates and the size of the group, and we plan a day where the extra hands help most.
How to give
Gifts of food, time and money keep every programme running. This website does not take payments, so the simplest way to give money is to get in touch, and we explain the options that work where you live.
Food can be dropped at the centre during pantry hours; tins, rice, pasta, cooking oil and toiletries are always useful. Charity registration and any tax relief on gifts work differently from one country to the next, so ask us what applies before you give.
- Food dropped off during pantry hours
- Regular gifts arranged with our office
- Fundraising events and sponsored challenges
- A yearly report on how every gift was used
A week at Open Hands
Kitchen evenings, homework afternoons and early collection runs, with plenty in between.
Words from our community (example reviews)
Tuesday mornings at the pantry are now a fixed point in the diary and a real joy. The team is kind, the training was clear and nobody minds when a shift has to be swapped.
Choosing food from the shelves, rather than being handed a bag, made a real difference when money was tight. Always treated with respect.
Our son started homework club shy and behind in reading. A year on he helps the younger ones, and the youth workers know him by name.
Questions we are often asked
Who can use the pantry?
Anyone living in the area who is finding food costs hard. There is no referral, no means test and no limit on how many weeks you come; we only ask that you choose for your own household.
How old do volunteers need to be?
Most roles start at 16, with a parent or guardian's consent for anyone under 18. Driving and roles with children carry extra requirements, which we explain when you sign up.
Do volunteers need experience?
Not for most roles. Each new volunteer has a buddy for the first few shifts, and roles with children or older neighbours include training before the first session.
How are children kept safe?
Staff and volunteers in youth roles are vetted and trained as the law in our country requires, two adults are always present, and our safeguarding lead follows up every concern. Children under 11 are collected from homework club by a parent or carer in person.
Can we donate money online?
Not through this website. Call, email or use the form, and we explain how to give in a way that suits you. Rules on charity registration and tax relief vary by country, so we tell you what applies here.
Can our company or school volunteer as a group?
Yes. Team days run on weekdays for groups of four to twelve, usually in the pantry, the kitchen or the garden. Send a few possible dates and we suggest a day.
Volunteer with us or get in touch
Tell us how you would like to be involved, or what help you are looking for. Someone from the team replies within two working days, and questions about food support are always answered first.
- Shifts from two hours, at times that suit you
- No experience needed for most roles
- Food support without a referral
Find the community centre
The centre is by the market square, with level access, a lift to the first floor and bike racks outside the main door.
Contact
The community centre on the east side of town, by the market square and a short walk from the bus station
When we are open
| Monday to Friday | Office 09:00 to 16:00 |
| Tuesday and Friday | Pantry 10:00 to 13:00 |
| Thursday | Kitchen 17:30 to 19:30 |
| School holidays | Weekday activity days |
Need help today?
If there is no food in the house today, call during office hours and we arrange something the same day wherever we can. For anyone in danger, the right call is your local emergency number.
Send a message