ALDI ROTHERHAM - PARKGATE

Individuals and families who have found themselves in financial difficulty can join the Social Supermarket at Rotherham Minster. They attend each week and can 'shop' from a selection of fresh and store cupboard items as well as a few non food items such as hygiene products and pet food. Members are with us for 3 months and can access holistic support and signposting to help them get back on their feet. Alongside the Social Supermarket we run a number of community groups such as a men's coffee morning, community café, craft group and a make & mend sewing group Donations help keep our 'shop' stocked with a variety of fresh and staple foods. Thanks to support we've received through neighbourly we have been able to support 160 households on average per year. Many of our former members have grown in confidence, found employment or found long lasting solutions to their financial difficulties as a result of accessing our Social Supermarket.

Action was founded in 1977 by a group of staff from South Yorkshire Probation Service who recognised that a significant proportion of offenders have vulnerabilities and housing related needs that contribute to their offending behaviour. Our original services involved the provision of housing and support for ex-offenders in order to provide a platform for a different, more stable way of life and therefore reduce recidivism. Over the last 15 years we have developed our services and our remit to work with a variety of complex and specialist groups of vulnerable people: such as those with substance misuse, mental illness, victims of abuse and young people. In addition to helping people secure and maintain accommodation we also facilitate personal development; access to other services and opportunities; support and opportunity to find meaningful occupation and overall to help people change their lives for the better: reducing the cycle of hopelessness, risky behaviour and homelessness. Action currently operates across Mansfield, Derby, Derbyshire, Sheffield and Rotherham where we have an excellent reputation for local service delivery and a wide network of contacts across the statutory and voluntary sector. We are a progressive organisation; always seeking new ways to help vulnerable people develop their skills and opportunities to build a better future for themselves and play a more positive role in their communities. Action’s ethos is to work holistically with each individual customer. We consider their strengths and aspirations, involve them in decisions and ensure that they lead in the development of their support plans. We always aim to work in partnership with other agencies, seeking to minimise the disruption and intrusiveness of repeated interventions and information gathering, whilst ensuring customer safety. Designed to recognise the emotional journeys and enormous achievements that customers make in overcoming significant disadvantage, our motto is ‘Enabling our customers to achieve extraordinary things’. We have a number of supported accommodation sites and dispersed accommodation in addition to floating support services.

The project began in May 2015 and ran a series of successful pop-ups, feeding an average of 201 people per event and utilising 15 volunteers each time to assist in the planning and execution of the events. Fast forward to 2026 and Food Works now recovers over 300 tonnes of surplus food per year to help build a fair and sustainable food system in Sheffield. Through our two community cafes and 17 community partner hubs we are providing access to affordable, sustainable food across the city.