The Landport Larder opened in April 2021, and now has over 300 customers. It offers residents in Landport, Portsmouth, the opportunity to purchase food at a fraction of the cost of supermarkets.
For just £3.50 a week, people can select 10 items from a selection of tins, chilled items, and fresh fruit and veg. This would cost an average of £15 from the supermarket.
The larder has been set up by Enable Ability at Landport Community Centre, with support from Abri.
97% of customers say it’s helped them save money, and three quarters say they feel more connected to their community. Around half have made new friends, and 67% are eating more fresh fruit and vegetables.
Pauline Stewart has lived in Portsmouth for over 20 years. She first started coming to the larder in October 2021, and now volunteers there.
“The larder is a brilliant way to get some nice food and meet new people. It’s not just the shopping, it’s the community spirit that the centre and larder bring with it. I love meeting people after being locked down for so long,” said Pauline.
“I chose to volunteer so I could meet people and help the community. I’ve always really enjoyed meeting new people in the community in previous roles, and love to give something back. I help customers with their shopping, sign up new members, take their payment, and advise on what items are in stock for the day. For anyone considering visiting a larder or community pantry, I’d say do it!”
Alan Jenkins, Landport Community Centre Manager, said the initial plans were just to run the larder during the pandemic. “However, it became readily apparent that the need for a service in this part of the city was ongoing, hence the need to continue the service this year (and probably beyond),” he said.
“The press surrounding the energy crisis and the #heat or eat' headlines definitely caused a recent upturn in membership and new customers quickly became regular customers.
“The Centre sits in the heart of the Charles Dickens Ward, in one of the most deprived areas in the UK. As such the larder not only helps provide subsidised food but also encourages healthy eating with free fresh fruit and vegetables available most weeks. The larder also links into our new monthly cooking classes and regular keep fit sessions, both of which are free.”
The larder is supported by a group of four volunteers, who help out most weeks. “One is a university student who is a refugee from Afghanistan, one a single mother looking to help between studies and child minding to give her a sense of purpose, another is the parent of one of our Enable Ability participants, and the fourth is a lady who lives next to the centre and wishes to put something back into the community within which she lives,” added Alan.
“Abri has donated enough funds to continue the larder for a further year and are also financially supporting the cooking and keep fit ventures. These schemes sit perfectly alongside the fortnightly Job Club at the centre, with is a joint venture between Abri and SEHCO, and is again a free service to local residents.”
You can find out more about the Larder here.
