We know that lots of people and families are feeling the impact of rising costs, especially for everyday essentials like the weekly food shop. That’s why our charitable arm, VIVID Plus, continues to work with food pantries across our communities to ensure local people have access to affordable food and a safe space to seek support. So far, we’ve worked with 13 different food pantries and banks, and donated over £72,000 to aid their amazing work.

Food pantries provide access to fresh food at a lower cost than supermarkets and shops. Unlike a food bank, no referral is required, meaning anyone can become a member and make use of the service. Usually, for a cost of £5, you’re able to get around £15-£25 of food.

Food pantries also aim to reduce food waste. They often partner with organisations such as FareShare to ensure food surplus from supermarkets and businesses are redistributed. Some also offer support services and social interaction for anyone feeling lonely.

Derek Streek, Head of Communities, Standards & Partnerships of VIVID said, “We’re proud to continue to work with food pantries to support our customers and other residents. VIVID Plus supports a several initiatives tackling food and health inequality, with the aim of helping our customers to live better lives. We'll soon be supporting food inequality projects further through our new Crowdfunder platform. We hope that this platform will encourage the wider community to pledge their support too"”

How do I access my local food pantry?

Anyone can access their local food pantry - you just need to sign up to become a member. Memberships are managed through each pantry directly.

Here are links to different networks of pantries. Please note some pantries do have waiting lists.

• Connect4community pantries
• Your Local Pantry
• Marketplace (Southampton)