Food

The Gleaning Pantry is a social supermarket in Downham run by Downham Aid in partnership with Brook Lane Community Church. The project provides affordable food and household goods to residents in Downham and surrounding areas of Lewisham and Bromley, helping to prevent and relieve poverty. Food is sourced from supermarket surplus, FareShare donations and local community contributions, allowing households on low incomes or means-tested benefits to access essential supplies at reduced cost. The initiative grew out of Downham Mutual Aid, which was established in 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown and later formalised as the unincorporated association Downham Aid in 2023. In addition to food support, the project aims to assist people facing financial hardship, ill health, disability or other disadvantage, helping strengthen community support networks in the area.

Pepys Social Supermarket is a community food project run by 2000 Community Action Centre for residents within the SE8 catchment area. The project operates as a membership-based social supermarket, helping local households access affordable groceries while supporting community wellbeing. Members pay £3.50 per week and can select a basket of food with an approximate retail value of £25. Membership forms are available at the centre or through the organisation’s website.

Peckham Pantry is a community food project run by the charity Pecan in Peckham, south east London. The pantry operates as a membership-based social supermarket, where members pay a small weekly fee to choose groceries worth significantly more than the membership cost. The project helps local residents access affordable food while also offering support services, advice and opportunities that strengthen community wellbeing.

WDCFplus (Whitefoot and Downham Community Food Plus) is a volunteer-led community organisation in the Whitefoot and Downham area of Lewisham, established in 2011 to help alleviate food poverty and strengthen community support networks. The project provides food provision programmes for families in need while also promoting healthy living, building community connections and developing partnerships with local services. WDCFplus supports around 140 families each week, offering short-term food and support programmes typically lasting six weeks to six months, alongside referrals to partner organisations that provide services such as debt advice, housing support and wellbeing guidance. The initiative is run largely by community volunteers, helping residents access practical support while building confidence, skills and local connections.

Evelyn Community Store is a community-run grocery shop in Deptford, Lewisham, providing affordable food and essential goods for local residents. Alongside groceries, the store supports the community through advice, activities and initiatives aimed at tackling food insecurity and strengthening neighbourhood connections.

Farmstead Road Community Garden is a volunteer-run community growing space in Lewisham created from a neglected group of allotments in 2009–2010. Local volunteers transformed the site with support from Phoenix Community Housing and organisational help from Groundwork, creating a shared garden for residents and the wider community. Current projects include a sensory garden, a developing nature trail, a small community vineyard, a food-growing project supporting a local food bank, and community outreach activities at local events to encourage participation and awareness.

Grow Lewisham is a community growing and environmental project based in Lewisham that supports residents to grow food, learn gardening skills and connect with nature. Through workshops, volunteering and community garden activities, the initiative promotes sustainable food growing, biodiversity and stronger local communities. It is part of the Right to Grow movement, which encourages communities to use unused urban land for local food production and community gardening.

Feed the Hill is a community food growing initiative run by Bold Vision in Telegraph Hill, south east London. The project works with residents and volunteers to grow fruit and vegetables in public green spaces and community gardens, with the aim of increasing local food production, supporting biodiversity and strengthening community connections through shared gardening activities.

RMUK Wellbeing is a South London–based organisation delivering culturally relevant food and wellbeing support projects that address food injustice, poverty, financial hardship and widening health inequalities affecting vulnerable communities across Southwark, Lewisham and Lambeth. It is also involved in environmental initiatives and volunteering activities that support community resilience and local engagement.

A community growing project and local event space in SE15. The project seeks to activate the existing and create new public spaces with the community along Rollins Street and Winslade Estate, focused on greening, cultural and community infrastructure, food growing, education and recreation to explore alternative approaches to community cohesion and just futures. 

Capital Growth is London's largest food growing network, with over 2,000 gardens throughout the city. We offer in-kind support to people who grow their own food in London, including providing access to discounted training, networking events, support with growing to sell and discounts on equipment. Joining our network is free and new ideas or offers of support are always most welcome.

FoodCycle Lewisham is a volunteer-powered community dining project in the London Borough of Lewisham that cooks nutritious three-course vegetarian meals each week using surplus food that might otherwise be wasted, with the aim of tackling food waste, reducing food insecurity and building community connections by bringing people together around a shared table. It runs in partnership with the national charity FoodCycle and local organisation Lewisham Local. Meals are offered free to anyone who wants to attend, with volunteers preparing and serving food on Saturdays (and in some cases also on Wednesdays) at the Lewisham Irish Community Centre.