Vital Sheffield foodbank serving up to 300 people a week faces closure unless new premises found
A Sheffield foodbank that supports hundreds of vulnerable residents each week could be forced to close in just four months unless it can secure a new home.
Grace Foodbank in Lowedges, which covers the S8 and S17 areas, has been told it must leave its current premises because the church building it operates from is set to close.
Volunteers must vacate by February 2026 - but with Christmas in between, they say time is rapidly running out.
“We found out at the end of August that the building is closing. We have to be out by February 2026 - that’s only four months away once you factor in Christmas,” said manager Jackie Butcher.
“If we don’t find new premises, we will have to close.”
The foodbank currently supports between 200 and 300 people every week, and demand peaks from November to February when energy bills rise.
“The winter forces people choose between heating or eating,” Jackie added.
“One referrer told us last year that we had been a life-saver in a very literal sense.
“We kept them alive while their problems, which were very complex, were being sorted out.”
The potential closure has caused distress among those who rely on the service.
Jackie said: “People are very upset.”
She confirmed the foodbank is meeting with Sheffield Council to look at possible options: “We’re sitting down with the council tomorrow to look at other possibilities.”
However, finding a new home won’t be simple.
“We use a lot of space here - it’s not just a room in someone’s building. We need exclusive use to store food and safety products so people don’t climb on shelves and topple them over,” Jackie explained.
“It’s not just a matter of a few shelves on someone’s spare room wall.”
The church currently hosting the foodbank has a small congregation and is closing down.
Jackie said: “It makes sense, but it’s very sad for us.”
Jackie said the work they do goes far beyond handing out food parcels.
“There are so many different stories, it’s the stories you remember, not the numbers,” she said.
“At the moment we have lots of people fleeing domestic violence, some of whom move across the country to get away from situations. A lot of people are here because the system has failed them.”
Despite the uncertainty, Jackie wants the community to know Grace Foodbank is still open and still helping people - at least until Christmas.
“We want to say we’re still here and still open until at least Christmas,” she said.
“If people stop donating now, we’ll have to stop even sooner.”
She is urging the public to act, and push for support.
“If you can, contact the local council. Or even if you don’t live here, contact your own local councillor and ask them to support us or help us find somewhere else to move to,” Jackie urged.
Without a new premises, a vital service described as a “lifeline” could disappear, leaving hundreds without essential support.