Community Shop Kirkdale, is celebrating five years since opening on Walton Road, Liverpool, during which time its impact and support provided for the local community has been invaluable. In just five years, it has supported more than 3,400 families, delivered nearly 37,000 development programmes through its Community Hub, and collectively saved members in Kirkdale £4,357,244 on their shopping.

The store, which was opened at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic thanks to the support from partners including Nestlé, Ocado, Riverside, Everton in the Community and Onward Home (whose former offices were transformed into the Community Shop), has brought much needed support for thousands of families in North Liverpool.

The Kirkdale store follows Community Shop’s unique model, which brings three interconnected spaces together under one roof. Its Community Store offers deeply discounted surplus food and essential household products, while a Community Hub, where store profits are reinvested, delivers life-changing support and learning opportunities such as cook clubs, budgeting sessions and interview skills. Its Community Kitchen serves wholesome, affordable meals in a welcoming space where people can connect with others and, over the past five years, the Community Kitchen has also served more than 58,000 free children’s meals.  

Community Shop is the UK’s first social supermarket, powered by surplus food that would otherwise go to waste. In Kirkdale, this model has become a clear example of what redirecting surplus can achieve nationwide, with the equivalent of 4,677,898 meals created.

By capturing products and reinvesting profits directly back into the community, the store has not only eased the strain on household budgets but also created a self-sustaining model of support. At a time when food insecurity is at an all-time high across the UK – with almost 10 million people experiencing food insecurity, 2.7 million of these being children – Community Shop’s model is more important than ever. Community Shop Kirkdale’s 5th birthday is a chance to celebrate a different way of tackling food insecurity: one that looks beyond the short-term sticking plaster of food banks, offering members dignity, choice and the long-term support needed to build lasting resilience.

Joanne McGrath, Regional Community Wellbeing Manager, said:
“Community Shop Kirkdale opened at a very challenging time, during the Covid-19 pandemic, and I’m incredibly proud of what we have achieved since. Many individuals and families across the area were experiencing deep social isolation and disconnection and Community Shop has become a vital hub, helping to rebuild those connections and provide a safe inclusive space where local people can come together, feel part of something, and access help and support they need.

“Providing dignified access to affordable food is just the starting point for the support we offer our members. Through our Community Hub and Community Kitchen, we deliver life-changing holistic programmes that empower people to build their skills, confidence and resilience, helping them to create a positive future for themselves. We look forward to continuing this work and building on the impact we’ve made in the years ahead.”

Membership remains free and open to local people on welfare support, ensuring families have access to affordable essentials and the holistic support they need to thrive.