St Luke's Church Barton Hill: More Than A Shop - Extra
St Luke's Church is putting families in charge of what they need
St Luke's Church support low income families in Barton Hill through a free family food shop, children's cafes, and holiday activities. Now, with support from the Bristol Churches City Fund, they've added something new - ‘Shop Extra’: a Household Essentials Club that gives families affordable access to the hygiene products that quietly drain a household budget every month.
Nappies. Toilet roll. Laundry powder. Deodorant. Sanitary towels. The things that don't make headlines but are out of reach for families already stretched to the limit.
For just £3 a month, families choose the items they need from a curated selection. No one decides for them. The shelves are stocked based on what the community has asked for - and two local parents run the shop themselves.
Amy Goodwin, who leads the project, is clear about what makes this different.
"We don't just provide things to low income families, we work with them to understand their needs and how they can be met. The needs of each family are different, we build relationships with parents to understand their needs and stock the shop with items that are relevant to their family. The shop is designed and run by them to allow choice and dignity."
That approach - listening first, then acting - is how St Luke's has always worked. It started with coffee and toast, children's cafes, and conversations with parents living in overcrowded housing. Families came from all over the world, many without support networks close by. Out of those conversations came the food shop. And out of the food shop came the Essentials Club, because families kept asking for it.
Juliet is one of the parents who now helps run the shop. She first came to St Luke's in 2020 during lockdown, as someone who needed the food shop herself. Before that, getting to a food bank had meant a difficult journey across the city without a car.
"Getting the food was easy enough - getting home wasn't always easy. And if you couldn't afford food, you probably didn't have taxi money."
Having something within walking distance changed everything. But for Juliet, staying involved was about something bigger - especially the children.
"They shouldn't be worried about whether they're eating. They shouldn't be sat there hungry. They're children - they don't have any choice in what food access they have. If we don't fight for them, no one will. It takes the community to really change your community."
For more information visit stlukeslunch.home.blog
Be part of a Kingdom Generosity
BCCF grants help deliver targeted positive impact to critical needs across Bristol. Your donations enable local projects like this one to serve and support local people.
As the city’s needs change, we want to be able to help you support projects responding to those kinds of critical needs.
You can donate as an individual, group, or as a church. Find out more by clicking the link below.