Lucy’s Pantry is Moving to Bigger Premises at Saddlers Shopping Centre with Support from Walsall Council

Walsall, UK — June 2025

We are excited to share that this summer we will be moving into larger premises at Saddlers Shopping Centre! This is a huge step forward for us and the community we serve. Thanks to the generous support from Walsall Council, the new Lucy’s Pantry will be more than before, offering expanded services, greater food choices, and a warm, welcoming space for everyone facing food insecurity in Walsall.

Since we started in 2021 as Walsall’s first community food pantry, we have grown into a vital lifeline for many residents. Being included in Walsall Council’s Community Shop Network Initiative is a huge honor and aligns with our shared goal to find long-term, sustainable solutions to food poverty across the borough.

Walsall Council has committed £200,000 to support community pantries like ours, emphasizing community ownership through volunteers who form the heart of our work. Over the next year, we plan to reach more people, reduce barriers to access, increase the variety of fresh, chilled, and frozen food, and strengthen ties with local growers and food redistributors. We’re committed to providing wraparound support in an inclusive space where everyone feels valued.

How Lucy’s Pantry Works

Membership is open to everyone,, no matter your circumstances, and you don’t have to be on welfare benefits to join. For just a £5 yearly membership fee, you can shop for affordable, healthy food in a supportive, volunteer-run environment that respects your dignity. At our new Saddlers location, we’ll be open five days a week, staffed by passionate volunteers who care deeply about our community.

Our members will have access to a wider variety of items including fresh fruit and vegetables, cupboard staples, toiletries, and chilled and frozen goods, all priced far lower than supermarkets or convenience stores.

But Lucy’s Pantry will be more than just a place to shop. Members will have access to our seed library to grow food at home, cooking classes with easy recipes, and a children’s book library where kids can take or swap books. We will continue to offer our Pay It Forward scheme, allowing members to support others in need, along with a community fridge providing free end-of-day food exclusively for members.

Our mission remains the same: to provide a dignified way for people to access nutritious, affordable food and build resilience and wellbeing across Walsall.

As our founder Lisa Lucy Gakunga says, “We started Lucy’s Pantry in 2021 with a simple goal: to make good food accessible to all, with dignity. Our new space at Saddlers Shopping Centre will help us grow with the community’s needs and deepen our impact, with invaluable support from Walsall Council.”

Volunteers Needed

To help us serve even more people in our new space, we’re looking for volunteers who want to make a real difference. If you’re interested, please get in touch: info@bluuprint.co.uk

For media inquiries, interviews, or to support Lucy’s Pantry, contact:

Bluuprint Communities Team

Email: info@bluuprint.co.uk

Phone: 07845 533604

Website: www.lucys.co.uk