By Andy Dalton
The Leeds City Mission Compassion Centre in Mistress Lane, Armley has been adding up its statistics as they prepare their annual report for last year.
They have seen donations to their Pantry Project rocket in 2025 as they have tried to cope with the demand from the general public.
Many of the visitors to their Compassion Centre are struggling on limited budgets and an increase in the cost of living.
Between January and December last year a total of 279 food parcels were given to people in need.
Over 1,800 packets and tins of food were donated by churches, philanthropic individuals, supermarkets and businesses to the Pantry Project.
Hundreds of other items were added, financed by financial donations and grants. 95 different families and individuals in need received these food parcels consisting of tins, packets, hygiene and other items.
During the course of the year the City Mission has also introduced a “Food Table” as part of the Pantry Project.
In 2025 Leeds City Mission received a staggering 1,300 large supermarket trays of food donated by High Street supermarkets. These trays consisted of surplus short life food such as bread, confectionery and vegetables. Many visitors were able to visit and receive these vital food supplies to eke out their family budgets.
Volunteers at the Compassion Centre have given over 400 hours to collect, sort, display and pack the food. Food from supermarkets has been collected on a daily basis and within hours it is snapped up by desperate visitors to the City Mission.
Pantry Project manager Sinclair Martin said that many visitors to the foodbank were either on fixed incomes, benefits, unemployed and finding it hard to get paid employment. Others were in jobs with zero hours contracts or low pay. Rising prices and pressure on family budgets were key factors explaining the significant rise in demand.
Leeds City Misson Development Worker Andy Dalton observed that donations of tins and packets of food had increased by 28% compared to the previous year. Staff and volunteers had been astounded by the growing numbers finding their way to their Compassion Centre near Armley Library to request and receive help.
He said: “All this is about putting enough food on the table so that people can eat and navigate their lives through increasingly challenging times.
“Leeds City Mission offers a range of services – in addition to Pantry Project it offers a Welcome Space for the isolated, volunteer opportunities for those trying to reconnect with mainstream living, a clothing bank, a free shower facility for those living on the streets as well as other projects.”
The Pantry Project at Leeds City Mission Compassion Centre is open Monday to Friday, between 10am and 3pm. Telephone 0113 345 3118.
Leeds City Mission is one of the oldest charities in the city being in continuous existence since 1837. It works with marginalised people and those struggling with life. It is a multi-church agency and the Compassion Centre in Mistress Lane.
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