The Pantry Food Service

How Heronsbridge School created an affordable food service that supports families, reduces food waste and gives pupils valuable real-world employment skills.

Building on the success of Ty Cwtch, the school’s pre-loved clothing shop, Heronsbridge School has transformed another part of the space into a community Pantry. The service provides affordable groceries for staff and families while helping the school tackle food waste and promote healthier, more sustainable choices.

Run by pupils and staff, the Pantry is more than a shop. It provides valuable opportunities for learners to develop practical skills, take responsibility and contribute to their school community, while supporting families with the cost of their weekly food shop.

What did you do and how did you involve the whole school?

Having successfully set up our Ty Cwtch pre-loved clothing shop in a house on the school grounds, our pupils and staff wanted to make further use of the space to support our school community.

Our Environmental Review highlighted reducing food waste and promoting healthy eating as priorities for us as a school. We therefore partnered with the charity Baobab Bach to establish a Pantry service, which we named Ty Cwtch Pantry.

The scheme is run by pupils and staff from our Leavers and Centre for Autism departments. It allows staff and families from across the school to visit the Pantry and purchase 12 items from the shelves for a low fee of £5.

The project brings together different parts of our school community, giving pupils the opportunity to take an active role in running the service while providing practical support to staff and families.

How and why did you decide on this target?

Following discussions with our School Council and Eco-Committee, our pupil-centred target, included within our School Improvement Plan, was:

“How can we support pupils to make an impact on Global Goal 12 — reducing waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse?”

We are working hard to reduce food waste and, as part of this focus, wanted to explore ways of making a positive difference around food and affordability.

We decided to work with Baobab Bach and the Rotary Club to help us establish an affordable food shop. This allowed us to connect our environmental goals with the needs of our school community, while creating meaningful opportunities for pupils to develop practical skills.

How has the project impacted on your school and your community?

Staff and families can pay £1 for membership of the Pantry scheme. There are currently 88 members across the school and local community who use the service regularly to supplement their food shop, with around 10 bags sold each week.

The Pantry has also created valuable opportunities for pupils to develop their employment and life skills. Pupils are involved in a range of tasks, including manning the shop, shopping for stock, completing paperwork and helping to grow produce in the school garden.

This gives learners the opportunity to develop confidence, independence and practical workplace skills in a real-world setting, while making a positive contribution to their community.

How did you celebrate success and what are your next steps?

We have regularly shared updates about the scheme through our school Dojo service to raise awareness and celebrate its success.

During our school fete and open days, Ty Cwtch and the Pantry invite visitors to come and see the shops and find out more about the services we offer.

Our next step is to strengthen the link between the Pantry and the horticulture area of the school, with the aim of growing fresh produce to sell as part of the Pantry’s offering.

There are already vegetable beds outside the shop, where pupils are working hard to grow food ready for the summer term. This will provide another opportunity for learners to develop practical horticultural skills while contributing directly to the Pantry and the wider school community.

I like shopping, I like using the scanner.
Ollie CFA Learner

I am delighted to support the Pantry — a sustainable community project that provides a helping hand to those who need it within our communities. We aim to promote good mental health, support the environment and eradicate food poverty, whilst also giving opportunities outside of the classroom for all pupils.
Jeremy Evans Headteacher