Bryan found affordable food and a place to belong at the Round About Café

The community pantry has made a real difference to Bryan’s day-to-day life, especially when it comes to managing his finances. Like many people, he’s felt the impact of rising prices, particularly on everyday essentials like chicken and butter. Being able to pick these up through the pantry at a lower cost has helped take some of the pressure off, making it easier to stretch his budget for the things he needs.

Bryan joined the pantry about a year ago after hearing about it from someone locally, and it’s quickly become part of his weekly routine. What he really appreciates is how relaxed and welcoming it feels. There’s no stigma, just a community space where people can buy the essentials without worrying about the cost at the checkout.

His experience has been so positive that he’s encouraged others to get involved too, including members of his own family. For Bryan, it’s not just about saving money, it’s also about feeling part of a place where people look out for each other and where just visiting can brighten his day.

If there’s one thing he’d change, it would be to have more space: a bigger café could mean more meals and even more opportunities for locals to come together. Bryan finds so many practical and social benefits from a trip to the Round About Café, and wishes there was room for more of the Mansbridge community to feel at home here and feed their families for less.

This year, ongoing cost of living pressures have continued to affect many of our customers, highlighting the importance of providing early practical financial support to help people manage household costs, maintain their tenancies and avoid reaching crisis point.

Last year our Tenancy Sustainment team , secured £9.1m in additional income for our customers, a record amount for the group and an increase of £1.4m compared to the previous year. This support helps customers access the benefits they’re entitled to, sustain their tenancies, better manage household finances, and feel more secure and confident in their home.

This year, we also introduced the Housing Perks app to support customers in new ways. Funded through our social value initiative, the free app helps customers save money on everyday shopping, with the option to put those savings directly towards their rent. By the end of the year, more than 1,300 customers were actively using the app. App users have saved on essential purchases and contributed nearly £8,300 to their rent accounts helping to support more stable, sustainable tenancies.