Cost-of-living initiative is empowering lives and independence

09 Feb 2026

A cost-of-living initiative which supports people who are at their “lowest point” and then helps lift them back up, has worked to help around 350 people in its first year.

Unlike a food bank, people who come to the Newmarket Community Pantry Shop run out of The Racing Centre in Fred Archer Way, become members and then pay for their items - £3 for a shopping basket of food. The initiative which has received support from West Suffolk Council, is designed to help people to retain their dignity rather than feel they are surviving on handouts.

But as well as cheaper food, members are also given support to help them address the root causes of their hardship whether that is debt, income and managing finances, mental health, housing or other challenges in their lives. The aim is to help people improve their situation, reducing their dependency on the shop.

“Usually when someone first comes in, they are at their lowest point,” said Evan Thomas-Mansfield, who manages the pantry shop with the support of volunteers. 
“We build up a rapport with people and gradually many of the people we see will reduce how often they need to come here as their situation improves. Sometimes we won’t see someone for ages and you start to worry about them. We’ll phone them up or run into them by chance, and they will say how well they are doing and that’s just such a lovely feeling.”

West Suffolk Council supported the project including with £22,969 from money allocated to the Council from the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

The project was conceived collaboratively between John Gilbert at The Racing Centre and Cllr Donna Higgins, West Suffolk Council’s Cabinet Member for Families and Communities and based on a similar initiative at the Bridge Community Church in Bury St Edmunds which was then tailored to the needs of the community in Newmarket.  

 

Cllr Higgins, said: “Our ambition is for everyone in our West Suffolk communities to have the opportunity to thrive. This fantastic project is working with people during their time of personal crisis, helping their immediate need for access to nutritious low-cost food while maintaining both their dignity and their health. But the major success of this project is how it also works to support people with their finances, their mental health and other challenges. Through this it is empowering people, strengthening their independence and reducing their need for the pantry shop.”

Jane, not her real name, has been using the Pantry Shop after an accident left her unable to work and struggling with her finances. She is now on the road to recovery following an operation and hopes to return to work soon but is grateful for the support of the pantry shop.

“It has been a definite lifeline. They also helped with my energy bills which was great,” she said.

While the pantry shop is currently helping around 350 people from 140 households, less than half of those are dependent on it for a weekly shop.

And each month, around a third of members households have been supported to a level whereby they no longer feel they need help from the pantry shop.

John Gilbert from The Racing Centre said: “This demonstrates the success of our work with individuals and families to address the causes, empowering their lives with greater resilience and independence. We have seen many success stories with individuals in our first 12 months. But there are many in our community still in need of our help and we are seeing new households coming to us in needs of support. My thanks to Evan, the volunteers and all those who donate or support this ongoing effort to help people in our community.”

Some need longer term help. Another customer of the pantry shop who we will call Matt said: “It’s a great help. I couldn’t manage without it really.”

Annie Moran one of the volunteers said: “It’s a shame that it's necessary but there are lots of people that need help. People come here feeling desperate. They are upset and feeling embarrassed and humiliated. I think it's my job not just to help them with their food shop, but to give them confidence in themselves again. This could happen to any of us at any time. I feel that what we do here is really important.”

That friendly approach is appreciated by Kelly who has been coming to the pantry shop for around six months. “With all the price increases in shops, it has been a real help to me at times when I need it the most. They are such lovely people,” she said.

The community pantry shop is supported through a mix of donations as well as low and reduced cost items from shops and supermarkets. That enables it to then sell discounted low-cost nutritious food including fresh produce – helping people who are struggling financially to maintain a balanced diet, while recipe cards to help support people’s skills, confidence and self-esteem.

The Community Pantry Shop runs alongside the Centre’s welcoming cafe and community hub which helps forge friendships to reduce feelings of loneliness and social isolation.

More information is available on The Racing Centre's website 

---