Everything you need to know about Walsall’s £2 service helping residents with cost of living

To use the service, you can find it inside the Stan Ball Centre on Abbotts Street, Bloxwich. It’s the first community pantry as part of the initiative to open in the borough. Three more are set to open later in 2025.

One on Wilkes Avenue in Bentley, another in the Town Hall in Darlaston and a third in Blakenall where the location is yet to be confirmed. Each of the community pantries will be slightly different, providing a bespoke offer catering to the needs of the local area.

Chief Executive of Bloxwich Community Partnership, Eleanor Boycott, said: “It’s a great offer to the local community. It was to address food poverty and the cost of living. People always need their money to go that little bit further, by shopping here for a few essential items it frees up their money for other things.”

Walsall Council has invested £200,000 in the project, with each pantry primarily run by volunteers. Community organisations in the East, South, and West of the borough are encouraged to apply to set up similar services, with applications open until February 14, 2025.

Leader of the council, councillor Garry Perry, said: “This is about providing support with dignity. Not everyone wants a handout, but everyone deserves access to affordable food and essentials.”