‘It’s definitely tight trying to budget on maternity leave’
A new low-cost community food pantry has opened in Sheffield as the city reports that tens of thousands of households cannot cover essential costs. Customers say rising food prices and reduced income, including during maternity leave, make it difficult to afford food, childcare and clothes.
The Woodseats pantry is run by The Message Trust and Ikon Church, with annual membership costing £1 and food and household staples starting at 50p. A Sheffield City Council report cites Citizens Advice estimates that 47,500 people have negative budgets, while around one in three children in the city live in poverty. The pantry is open to everyone and aims to offer affordable food alongside support such as debt advice and mental health help.
- Sheffield pantry offers food from 50p.
- 47,500 people are estimated to have negative budgets.
- Around one in three Sheffield children live in poverty.
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Food pantries sell groceries at reduced prices and can help people manage when their income does not cover basic costs. In Sheffield, pressures include rising food prices and costs such as childcare, while some parents have less income during maternity leave.
The Woodseats pantry is run by The Message Trust and Ikon Church, and is open to everyone. Its £1 annual membership allows customers to buy food and household staples from 50p, with support such as debt advice and mental health help also available.
The need reflects wider financial hardship in the city: Citizens Advice estimates that 47,500 people have negative budgets, meaning their essential costs exceed their income. Around one in three children in Sheffield live in poverty.