Ixworth estate food pantry reopens under resident-led model

Residents, local partners and elected representatives have marked the return of a service giving Chelsea residents access to affordable, healthy food.

We were delighted to welcome Ben Coleman MP and Councillor Kim Taylor-Smith to the Ixworth estate in Chelsea for the reopening of the estate's food pantry.

The pantry has been a valued part of the estate, giving residents a reliable local source of affordable, healthy food. When a funding shortfall forced it to close temporarily in April, we were determined that the closure should not be the end of it.

Working closely with residents and the local charity KarmaBank, we looked at how the pantry could come back on a stronger footing. The answer was a resident-led model: one shaped by the people who use the service, and run with them rather than for them. Residents understood better than anyone what the pantry needed to be, and that understanding is now built into how it operates.

The reopening is a reminder of what partnership working can achieve. A local charity, a group of committed residents and support from elected representatives have together restored a resource that makes a practical difference to households on the estate.

Our thanks go to the residents who drove this forward, and to KarmaBank for working with us to bring the pantry back.