A FOOD pantry based in a historic church in Norwich must find alternative accommodation by the top of the month, after its operators, St Giles Trust, decided to not renew the lease.
St Saviour’s, Magdalen Street, in Norwich, is managed by Norwich Historic Churches Trust (NHCT) on behalf of its owners, Norwich City Council. It was leased to the Trust for a community pantry and advice centre, which was opened in January 2024 by Delia Smith. The Trust says of its Pantry projects: “We provide reasonably priced food alongside wraparound help that addresses the causes of hardship, from debt and advantages advice to skills development and mental health support. We know that food may be step one to rebuilding confidence and stability.”
An announcement from the interim chair of the NHCT, Chris McCarthy, to the Church Times last week, said that the Trust had been “a valued tenant” and had made “a positive contribution to the local people”. Its occupancy of the church on a short-term lease had been “a traditional arrangement . . . designed to offer stability for occupiers while ensuring the right long run care of a listed constructing”.
Over many months, Mr McCarthy continued, the NHCT had offered the Trust “every opportunity to interact in finalising the lease and addressed every concern they raised. . . Despite these reassurances, [they] informed us they not wished to proceed with the lease and would as a substitute vacate the premises.”
An area BBC report quoted the Trust’s operations manager for poverty, Tracey Le Gallez, who suggested that the team was “navigating a really uncertain funding climate. . . It would have been irresponsible of us to commit to an extended lease with no suitable break clause. Unfortunately, we were unable to achieve a legal agreement on the lease terms. . . We simply couldn’t risk being chargeable for any fines or legal issues which may arise from this.”
A spokesperson for St Giles Trust told the Church Times: “Due to the short-term nature of our funding for The Pantry, sadly we couldn’t commit to the lease terms.
“We are currently searching for alternative suitable premises inside Norwich to proceed our award-winning Pantry provision which provides a vital service for many individuals experiencing poverty in Norwich. If we’ve not found anywhere by 30 November, we very much regret to say that the service will stop operating. However, we’re working extremely hard to avoid this scenario.”
Mr McCarthy said: “We regret St Giles’ decision, as we had hoped they’d remain under a secure agreement protecting each their service and the constructing’s future. We understand the numerous challenges charities face and need them well in continuing their worthwhile work elsewhere. NHCT stays committed to supporting organisations that bring life and purpose to Norwich’s historic churches for the good thing about the entire community.”
