Redcar Community Grocery: Feeding Families, Building Community
Some of the wonderful Community Groceries Team at Redcar Baptist Church
At Redcar Baptist Church on Park Avenue, a simple but powerful idea has been making a real difference in people’s lives. The Redcar Community Grocery is helping families stretch their budgets, reduce food waste, and connect with a welcoming community.
Run in partnership with The Message Trust, the Grocery is designed to act as a bridge between food banks and supermarkets—supporting households who may be struggling with rising costs while offering dignity, choice, and connection.
A Growing Impact in Redcar
Since opening in April 2021, the Redcar Community Grocery has supported 2,784 households across the local area. Thanks to partnerships with organisations like FareShare and other food suppliers, food that might otherwise have gone to landfill is being redirected to families who need it.
The impact has been remarkable:
1,040,030 estimated meals provided to local households (WRAP guidance)
437 tonnes of food waste saved from landfill
Over 36,000 visits since opening
Today, the Grocery serves 866 active households, with around 190 people visiting each week. Every month, this equates to around 22,926 meals provided and 9.63 tonnes of food saved from waste.
Much of the food on the shelves is surplus that is close to or just past its best-before date but still perfectly safe to eat—helping both families and the environment at the same time.
Affordable Food with Dignity and Choice
Becoming a member is simple. For just £1 per year, members can shop regularly and choose the items that work best for their household.
There are several shop sizes available:
Small shop: £5 (12 points)
Medium shop: £7.50 (18 points)
Large shop: £10 (24 points)
Extra-large shop: £12.50 (30 points)
Members can shop multiple times each week, helping them save money on their food budget while still enjoying choice and variety.
Pay It Forward
One of the most heartwarming parts of the Grocery is our Pay It Forward scheme. Members who are able to contribute can purchase a pre-paid shop and leave it on our Post-It board. This allows other members who may not have enough to afford a shop to access groceries when they need them. It’s a simple way for the community to look out for one another, spreading generosity and care across Redcar.
More Than Just Food
While affordable groceries are a huge help, the Community Grocery has become much more than a place to shop. It’s a place where people are welcomed, friendships form, and lives are supported.
Andy, who manages the Grocery at Redcar Baptist Church, has seen this first-hand:
“One of the things I’ve noticed over the last month or so is how many new members are joining. Many say friends or family have told them about this place, others that they’ve seen us on social media. It’s really great to meet new people and see many of them looking visibly better after joining and doing a shop. I always try to ask members how they find shopping here and without fail the response is positive and enthusiastic.”
The impact extends to the volunteer team as well.
“The volunteers are such a great bunch of people. Anita told me coming here has changed her life. Mike is finding more confidence and becoming more proactive. Liz says she really looks forward to her shift days and enjoys chatting with Grocery members and café customers. It’s a special place.”
Supporting the Whole Person
The Grocery also acts as a gateway to wider support and community opportunities. Members have shown interest in a variety of activities and courses, including:
Community events and groups
Mental health and wellbeing support
Volunteering opportunities
Youth and children’s provision
Exploring Christianity
Financial advice and life skills courses
Some members have even gone on to join Alpha courses at the church, exploring faith and building deeper connections with the community.
For the team at Redcar Baptist Church, this is a key part of the vision: not just helping people with food today, but supporting them towards a stronger and more hopeful future.
A Community Effort
The Redcar Community Grocery works thanks to the dedication of volunteers, the generosity of food suppliers, and the partnerships that make it possible. Together, they are helping ensure that no one in the community has to face food insecurity alone.
And as more people hear about the Grocery through friends, family, and social media, its impact continues to grow—one conversation, one shop, and one relationship at a time.
Heavenly Father,
We thank You for the gift of community,
for the hands that serve, the hearts that give,
and the lives that are touched through Redcar Community Grocery.
Bless every volunteer, every member,
and every family who walks through its doors.
May they experience not only nourishment for their bodies
but also hope, encouragement, and Your love.
Help us all to see the needs around us
and respond with generosity and compassion.
Amen.
Reflective Question
How could I use the gifts, time, or resources God has given me to support others in my community—even in small ways—so that no one feels alone or overlooked?
