By Jill Stocks
Business, individuals, schools and churches are all taking part in a big effort to help Horsforth Community Pantry with its Harvest donation and awareness drive.
The pantry originally came about as part of a lockdown project with Horsforth Community Assets Project and Abbeylands Team at St Margaret’s, Horsforth who collaborated on a food project for families in need. There was also a partnership with Kirkstall Valley Development Trust but a permanent home was always the ambition.
That home was found at the current purpose built premises next to St James Church which opened in July 2024, just one year after initial discussions between Rev Nigel Sinclair (then St Margarets) and Rev Johnathan Cain (St James, Woodside), local councillors and Claire Evans, then ABCD Community Builder for Horsforth.
The pantry works with other local organisations, such as MHA Communities Horsforth, Children’s Services and the Children’s Centre, who refer those in need of a little help. For a weekly membership cost of £6 families and individuals who visit the pantry take home an average of £25 worth of goods including food items, toiletries and cleaning products.
Ruth Dent, from Horsforth Community Pantry, told us how the project works in helping the community: “It’s based at St James Church on Low Lane and we’ve been there for a couple of years now. We’re open on a Tuesday morning. We probably have about twenty odd people come every week to do their shopping with us. It’s a subsidised shop rather than a food bank.
“People pay £6 and they can come into the shop and pick out things that they want from the shop. We usually reckon that they take around about £25-£30 worth of food for their £6.
“We rely on donations from individuals and we have a contract with Fairshare, which is a company that goes round markets picking up excess food from the food industry. So we have a delivery from them every week, and we never know what we’re going to get so that’s exciting.’
The pantry would welcome more local businesses and members of the community who would like to get involved in supporting them.
Ruth said: “We just want Horsforth to own the pantry really. For people in Horsforth to be aware it’s there. For people in Horsforth who are able to support it by donating to do that. It is a success but it would be even better if it was even more successful. And there for the people who need it.”
Currently the pantry is encouraging donations to support its Harvest donation drive. Ruth told us: “We do a push this time of year. The local schools are really good at supporting us so often they do something for Harvest. And the churches obviously do Harvest as well. So that is the sort of push we do this time of year.
“Last year Featherbank School did something with cereal boxes. They asked the families to bring in cereal, nothing else, and they made a domino of cereal boxes through the school and all the kids were there watching. It was fantastic. The kids all loved it.”
Lyndsey Acaster from the Old Kings Arms on Town Street told us how they were getting involved with the pantry:
“We did a wing eating competition on the Bank Holiday Sunday in August and it was £5 entry and every level got hotter. Every entry was donated to the Horsforth Community Pantry.
“And we’ve also donated some extra stock that we’ve got left over from all the festivals and stuff that we’ve done. But we are now looking to work with Horsforth Pantry on a more permanent basis.
“We’re going to be doing a collection for Harvest but we will also be doing a collection for Christmas. And then we might just think about doing one all year round as well.”
Craig Timson from the pub added that the whole team were pleased to get involved:
“It’s a natural fit for the Old Kings Arms. Our customers are very much engaged in the community. And I think if they know that there’s something they can actually do to help then they absolutely would.
“The Old Kings Arms it’s very much an old school community pub. A pub is at the heart of a community and I think through that, through our customers, we can hopefully help raise awareness, donations, and just let people know that service is available.
“People might not know or might be a little bit embarrassed to ask. So if we can help facilitate a non risk, non committal place where people can find out that information, get involved, either as someone who might need that food, or can give food, we can work together towards that.”
A little further up Town Street Horsforths newest venue are also getting involved with supporting the pantry, acting as a donation point and developing a cocktail for their menu with profits going towards the pantry.
Noel Johnson from Beyond The Red Door told us: “We got involved about May. I’m really keen to support local. I went and met Ruth and Johnathan. They showed me round and we had a chat.
“We decided that we’d have a collection point but we’ll also have a cocktail that we’re developing that we’ll donate a pound from each cocktail to the pantry. If we can do something to support locally we will. And then as we grow and develop we’ll do more for them.”
If you have a business and would like to support the pantry you can get in touch by email. Or if you would like to donate food to the pantry to support their Harvest 2026 collections you can drop off items at St James Church on Monday to Thursday mornings or get in touch for other options.
All tinned and non-perishable goods are welcomed, such as soup, pasta, rice, tea, biscuits, jam and cordials, as are cleaning and household products and toiletries. The pantry is particularly in need of tinned fish and meat, cereals and porridge, tinned vegetables and fruit, cooking oil and pasta at the moment.
The pantry is open on Tuesdays from 9.30am to 11.30am. Volunteers are always welcome to help out or if you are in a difficult financial situation and finding you may need some help get in touch.