Funding will be available until 31 March 2027 or until the budget is fully allocated.
A Community Pantry is a community led initiative that provides free food and essential household items to local residents, while helping to reduce food waste.
Community Pantries:
- are operated for community benefit and not for profit
- are usually unstaffed
- provide open access to food and essentials
Community Pantries are not required to be open at all times, however they must be easily accessible as much as possible to allow regular and convenient drop off and collection of food by the local community.
The Community Pantry Grant provides up to £400 per project for capital costs to support:
- the creation of a new Community Pantry
- the expansion of an existing food bank or food hub to include a Community Pantry element
Funding is intended to support long term accessibility rather than short term food distribution.
Applications will be accepted from:
- Parish and Town Councils
- Constituted community groups with a bank account
- Informal or unconstituted groups, with written support from:
- their Parish or Town Council, and/or
- one or more South Cambridgeshire District Councillors
Payments can be made to all eligible applicants, including informal groups with the required support.
Applicants may apply for funding towards capital items, including (but not limited to):
- shelving and storage units
- indoor or outdoor food cupboards
- refrigerators and freezers
- minor adaptations to a venue
- signage, publicity, or promotional materials
Applicants must include a clear breakdown of anticipated costs. Quotes are welcomed but not required.
Where part funding is requested, the total project cost and the element being funded must be clearly identified.
Where demand exceeds available funding, the Council may offer partial awards. Eligibility does not guarantee funding.
The grant cannot be used for:
- food banks or food hubs operating limited opening hours and/or distributing fixed food parcels
- costs already incurred prior to grant approval
- projects where food or essential items are sold for private profit
- activities that promote political or religious beliefs
- purchase of food stock.