Welcome To The Pantry Nook
Welcome to the Pantry Nook, this community pantry is for when someone finds themselves in a place where they are struggling to make ends meet.
Our community Pantry & Hygiene Bank has been set up to help & address the issue of food and money poverty within the community of South Wigston, Oadby & Wigston. In particular our pantry focuses on affordability and open access.
The pantry is not just about providing help at the point of crisis, but instead offer a more sustainable solution & support for the future.
The Pantry Nook aims to provide a medium to long term solution to help individuals & families facing food insecurity. We will assist people to engage with ours & other services that resolve the underlying causes of their individual situations.
We provide food and a wrap around support for a small membership of £5.00 per visit. Each shop is worth the average of £38.00
Referrals
Referrals to the Pantry Nook can be made by the individual, as well as through Doctors, Medical Clinics, Social Services, Welfare Teams in Schools or Advice Services by sending email with basic details by clicking here.
Pantry Nook we will carry out an initial assessment to help identify a broad range of holistic support available. Once you become a member of the pantry nook you will have the opportunity to select from a choice of fresh & dried food each week for 6 months & then reviewed.
The Pantry aim to provide food from across all food groups including a wide selection of store cupboard essentials, chilled, frozen and fresh fruit & vegetables.
Plus a selection of cleaning & hygiene products including pet food.
The Pantry Nook was set & ran up by volunteers from within the community & operated by Elliott Hall for Youth & Community in South Wigston. The project is supported by our local area coordinator (LAC), Public Health & the goverments Household Support Fund as well as our local counsellors, partners & buisness for us to be able to bring this project to those in need within our community.
Location
The Pantry Nook is located within the small town of South Wigston & is operated by
Elliott Hall for Youth & Community on Albion Street, LE18 4SA.
For location & information on Elliott Hall for Youth & Community please visit here
Times
The pantry opens every Thursday between 10am with last orders at 12.30pm.
( Except 24th December 2026 & 7th January 2027)
First Visit
When visiting you will be welcomed by a pantry volunteer who will talk to about the process while you wait your turn to be registered or booked in. They will talk you through the process & assit where required. For those who wish to dicuss private matters we are able a private room for those who wish to discuss matters they may be concerned about .
Warm & Safe Space
The venue is a registered as a safe warm haven, which is place you can feel safe, keep warm and enjoy a warm drink.
PANTRY NEWS
Local McDonald's Support
We wish to thank Rebecca from McDonald’s Wigston who visited the pantry nook & hygiene bank this Thursday and kindly donated food towards the pantry and hygiene products towards our new period poverty project.
The new project called oops bags will be launched next week, so watch this space for details.
We look forward to partnering up with Rebecca and the team from McDonald’s in Wigston so together we can support more people within our local community together.
Rebbecca from McDonald's said :
Thank you for having me
I was genuinely blown away by this project and the other incredible initiatives being led by Elliott Hall within the community, and we’re really looking forward to supporting in any way we can as the projects continue to develop.
New Partnership
The pantry nook is pleased to of partnered with WorkWell Leicester which is a free, integrated health and employment support service designed to help individuals with disabilities or health conditions start, stay, and succeed in work. Launched as a pilot in October 2024, it is a collaboration between the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
Who Can Use the Service?
The service is available to residents of Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland (LLR) who are over 16 and have the right to work in the UK. It specifically targets those who:
Need support to remain in work (e.g., struggling with a condition while employed).
Need help managing a condition to return to work from sickness absence.
Need support to start work after a period of unemployment due to health barriers.
Key Services Provided
WorkWell offers "light-touch" holistic support through a team of Work and Health Coaches.
Expert Assessments: Identifying physical, mental health, or social barriers to employment.
Tailored Plans: Co-producing a "Return to Work" or "Thrive in Work" plan with clear health and employment objectives.
Specialist Referrals: Direct pathways to clinical support such as physiotherapy and counselling, or non-clinical advice like debt management.
Employer Liaison: With your consent, coaches can work with your employer to discuss workplace adjustments.
How to Access WorkWell
You do not need to be claiming government benefits to access this service.
Self-Referral: You can refer yourself directly via the WorkWell Digital Hub (Joy).
Professional Referral: You can also be referred by your GP, employer, Jobcentre Plus, or local voluntary services.
Contact Info: For general enquiries, you can visit the LLR Health and Wellbeing Partnership website. https://leicesterleicestershireandrutlandhwp.uk/.../work.../
Would you like more information on how to self-refer or details on other local employment support programs in Leicester?
Workwell will be at the Pantry Nook every 2nd Thursday of each month.
Coco-Cola & Oadby & Wigston Lions Donation
Image of Sunita holding cheque along with Coral with other Pantry Nook volunteers, as without them the pantry nook would not be able to provide the service and support.
Oadby and Wigston Lions Club were pleased to help when Coco-Cola made a large charity donation through the Spar Shop on Queens Road, Wigston. They had asked for a local charity organisation to help distribute funds to local groups in the area who are desperate for any contribution that will support their community.
With the owner of the Spar Shop, Sunita Aggarwal a cheque was presented to 'Pantry Nook', a food pantry run by Elliott Hall for Youth & Community along with Pantry Nook volunteers, to help with food supplies for families in the South Wigston Area.
Image of Sunita holding cheque along with Carl from Elliott Hall for Youth & Community with Pantry Nook volunteers & members of Oadby & Wigston Lions.
Pladis Supports Local Pantry
Pladis who is based in South Wigston kindly supported the Pantry Nook by donating items which will be used for the pantrys christmas stocking appeal which will be given to those who are struggling with the cost of living ithin the borough. Other items will be used within the christmas hampers which will be going out on Thursday 18th December to Pantry Nook members.
Christmas Hampers
Over 20 hampers will be going to those within our community this Christmas which has been supported by Pladis, Driver's Pickels, Walkers & Sons, Asda, South Leicestershire Food Bank & South Wigston Traders & Elliott Hall.
South Wigston Community Award
Great news for the volunteers of the Pantry Nook won South Wigston Community organisation of the year for their work & support toward their local community. The awards afternoon was supported by Hinckley & Rugby Building Society.
British Gas Support
Memeber of British Gas attened the Pantry Nook on 11th December to wrap & pack stockings which will be given out within the borough to those that are affected by the cost of living.
Members of both British Gas & the Pantry Nook
Christmas Capers 2025
Pantry Nook volunteers where busy at Christmas Capers on Saturday 6th December raising money to support the pantry, water or wine, teddy tombolla, toy & also running the cafe
Community Awards
Great news for the volunteers of the Pantry Nook, they have made the shortlist in the category of Community Project of the year for Oadby & Wigston Borough Council. Sadly they did not win, but the volunteers are all winners in our eyes.
It's Our Birthday
We will be celebrating our first birthday of the pantry on Thursday 13th November, we wish to thank the volunteers, partners and supporters.
This amazing group of volunteers celebrate 1 year of The Pantry Nook on Thursday 13th Noevember. They support those in our community who face food insecurties, need other support/information or just a cuppa & chat. They are working hard to secure the furture of the pantry (one day hopefully it wont be needed). Come and visit us or join the volunteering team
Christmas Hampers
We will bee offering our Christmas Hampers again this year for our Pantry Members.
Each hamper will cost £20 including butchers meat hamper.
Payment plan available, ask for more details
Support This Christmas
Are you able to support the Pantry Nook this Christmas! We are looking for Christmas items togo towards our hampers & young families with children.
Please get in touch if you can help
Clothing Sale
Bring a bag of life and fill with a selection of pre-loved clothing on Sunday 28th September. Doors open 11am till 2pm
Local Support
'We were visited by Marie from Hinckley & Rugby Building Society last week to present their cheque to the Pantry Nook. Staff and customers at the South Wigston Branch raised £64.00 through their Easter Egg competition. They also rewarded us additional funding through their community support grant scheme.
Thank you so much Hinckley & Rugby Building Society for supporting us at the Pantry Nook and the wider communities of South Wigston, Wigston and Oadby.'
Cooking Classes
We are please to annouce that we will be holding cooking sessions for those who wish to learn how to cook with fresh produce that are avaiable through the pantry.
This course will take six weeks & the whole family.
Local Support
We wish to thank Hickley & Rugby Building Society for their support with funds to support the pantry, these funds will support with fresh produce for pantry service users to collect each week for one month.
Support On The Day
We are working with Oadby & Wigston Borough Council, Helping Hands & Leicester Tigers Foundation who will be at hand to offer help, advice & support. The support they can offer is looking at benifits, housing issues, money advice as well as dept support.
Community Pulling Together
We wish to thank everyone at One Stop Store on Fairfeild estate in South Wigston for their donation of dry goods, which will go towards supporting those in need within the borough at the Pantry Nook.
Its lovely to see the community coming together to support the community.
Clothing Nook
The Clothing Nook as part of the pantry, will be offering clothing for all ages with prices as low as £1.
Clothing including t-shirts, tracksuits, trousers, top & children clothing from babies onwards etc.
Some clothing will be on display at the pantry on Thursday between 11am-1pm, but please ask if you require anything.
Free Clothing Use
If you have a interview or important meeting which you need to attend and wish to look smart but cant afford this and a resident of the borough, the clothing nook may be able to help.
We may be able to lend you some smart clothing including suits, shirts if need. (depending on sizes available at the time of request). Please click link below for more details
Need To Keep Warm
If your in of somewhere safe and warm to go, there are a number of warm hubs around the borough operating in South Wigston, Wigston and Oadby. The Pantry at Elliott Hall is just one of these/
You can find your local hub and more information click the link below.
Young Volunteer Of The Year Supports Pantry
‘Chloe Mushen, aged 16, won Oadby and Wigston Borough Council’s Young Volunteer of the Year 2024 award. Chloe won her award for her hard work and commitment to the local Army cadets. Chloe has decided to donate her winnings of £400 to the Pantry Nook in South Wigston. The Pantry Nook is a community food pantry which has been running for nearly 2 months to support residents of South Wigston, Wigston and Oadby with financial pressures and food insecurity issues. Chloe came down to the pantry to see the pantry in action and to help pantry members receive their Christmas hampers. Thanks, Chloe, for your hard work and for supporting the Pantry Nook!’
Image of Chole & Cllr Walter with Christmas Hampers
Christmas Hampers
These Christmas hampers where given out on the 19th December to our members which included a meat hamper. We wish to thank the following for their support with the hampers :
- South Leicestershire food bank,
- Walkers & Son,
- Drivers Pickles,
- Pladis,
- Giving World,
- South Wigston Traders,
- Joseph Morris Butchers
Langmoor School Come's A Hygiene Bank
We are pleased to working with Langmoor Primary School in Oadby, becoming the first school within the borough to come a hygiene hub.
The school will stock basic hygiene products to support those parents & members of the local community who require extra support. The school will stock limited items but are able to get extra from Oadby & Wigston Hygiene Hub in South Wigston based at Elliott Hall as part of the Pantry Nook.
Click on link below to see what products are available.
Supported or working with:
