The Top Up Shop is a community-based initiative that runs each Saturday Morning throughout the year at various Ipswich locations. For the small cost of £2, customers can go to the shop and fill up a recyclable bag with goods to supplement their weekly shop. There are no qualifying conditions and no referral is needed: they welcome everyone.

The shop has been running successfully for 7 years and caters for as many as 70 shoppers per week covering many postcodes with in the Ipswich area.

To keep running the shop relies on donations from local supermarkets, grants and donations… which is where we are delighted to be able to step in.

Pat Lewis, Source One chairman, comments: “I grew up on the Chantry estate in Ipswich, my Mum still lives there, and so getting the chance to provide some support to those that need it in the community is special to me.”

“The Ipswich Top Up Shops is a brilliant and, sadly, a much-needed initiative with so many struggling in the UK with food prices. We are delighted to be able to give some financial donations to this initiative, particularly to the St Francis with St Clare, Hawthorn Drive, location where I went to discos in my youth!”

The Peace Café

In addition to the Top Up Shop, The Peace Café is another brilliant project that was launched to provide a warm space for those who were in the fuel poverty bracket. The idea was that it provides a warm space with hot food and drink to our customers.

The café provides a lounge type atmosphere with comfortable seating coffee tables and side tables. There are newspapers to read, a jigsaw to do, a craft table, music playing board games etc. They also help people get access the internet for looking for jobs, housing or filling in forms.

Since its launch, a community has developed among these people and friendships have been formed that may never have happened… as a result the café continued beyond the cold winter months as loneliness plays a big part in a person’s well-being.

GPs are connecting with us and social subscribing is part of the success… hopefully helping the users to feel good about themselves and being aware of others in these uncertain times.