Lighthouse Project

Here are a few more memories from our 400th week of the Lighthouse Pantry for you to enjoy.

Each week the Pantry supports up to a 100 families with access to food that helps them reduce their weekly food costs, leaving them more money to cover household bills.

In a time when the strain of cost of living increases are starting to bite this is timely support.

Since we first started running the Lighthouse Pantry, one of our two food projects, the Pantry has supported over 1,000 families and recorded over 29,200 visits from Pantry members.

Sadly, food insecurity in our community is still very much present, and thinking about the state of the economy and looking ahead to the winter we can see that we demand for support is not going to reduce. If you are able to support us in helping others facing food insecurity then please get in touch.

Carl

This week, 21st - 25th September 2026 marks our 400th week of being open, and of serving and supporting local families in need.

Since we opened, the Pantry we has supported over 1,000 different families, who have attended 29,200 times, across 1,090 different Pantry sessions. That is a lot of people struggling with their household bills, and a lot of food that we have had to find. Typically we have to source over 1,500 items a week in order to keep the shelves stocked. Ths comes from donations and direct purchases.

The Lighthouse Pantry is our membership based food club. It was set up in December 2018 to help local families and individuals reduce their weekly food costs, and keep more money in their household to cover other bills or needs.

The idea behind the Pantry is to help people to reduce their weekly food costs which then allows some of that money to be spent on other household bills, such as rent and utility costs. Currently members are receiving around £25+ retail value of food in their food parcels.

We are encouraged that we have been able to sustain the work nearly 8 years, standing with people experiencing food poverty, or food insecurity, and helping them to cover their weekly household costs, but it is equally sad that the situation for families in not improving, and that the cost of living crisis is deepening.

When we look ahead to what is coming during the next 12 months it doesn't look good, and we anticipate that even more families and individuals will be struggling to meet ever increasing bills.

Thank you to those individuals and organisations who have been supporting our food projects, including Comic Relief, and if you are able to stand with us, to help us to support even more people, we would appreciate this.

https://www.lighthouseproject.org.uk/2026/09/pantry-400th-week-of-supporting-families/

Do you care for (or know someone) who is living with dementia?

Are you looking for activities that they can attend, that are engaging and fun, designed to help them communicate and express themselves?

Our Music in Mind Dementia Music Cafe runs every week at the Lighthouse Project on Thursdays from 10.30am until 12 noon. Sessions are free to attend, and no musical experience is needed.

For more information about our sessions please contact Pam Semp or Cath Stott 0161 643 1163 or email [email protected]

We're back in Middleton tomorrow (Wednesday 9 September) for our monthly Drop-in.

Once again our friends at Lighthouse Project will be hosting us on the top floor of Middleton Shopping Centre from 10am until 12 noon.

Just pop in and see us - no appointment is needed.

Our team is here to help and support you - and the kettle will be on.

Our Middleton Drop ins take place on the second Wednesday of the month.

Discuss Middleton Middleton Shopping Centre Middleton Guardian

We had the pleasure of attending the presentation of the cheque for a whopping £708.95 🤩 money raised for the lighthouse project Hopwood. Who have been amazing hosts in all the fund raisers and who work tirelessly to support the community 👍

We were honoured to attend With the amazing NAVIGATOR RIDERS shout out to Zara who alongside a massive group of bikers have once again raised much needed funds for our Foodbank from their first ever bike show ( LEGENDS ) 😁

We would also like to send a special shout out to the sponsors of the show 👏

CASTLETON MOTORCYCLE

HIGGYS TATTOO PARLOUR

MT HEADS MCC

MOTLEY CROW MCC

A S DECORATORS

You have and continue to make a massive difference in our community with your support and we are overwhelmed with the love and kindness you have and continue to show through your hard work and dedication supporting a number of people and charities ❤️

Navigator riders we love you 🥰

Today was the Navigator bike show and fun day
Kids stalls, auto jumble, ice cream van, cakes, face painting, hair braiding
Mermaid in the Making
Cheeky sweets
Beatties Bakery
HM’s Resin & Wood Emporium
All Little faces
Even got R7JordsShoots taking a few pictures ❤️

Thank you for your support not only today raising funds for our Foodbank but for all you have done , Easter egg ride , Christmas toy appeal and so much more 🥰

We loved sharing today with you all and we appreciate all you do not just for us and our community but also for all your hard work supporting the other charities and making a massive difference to peoples lives 🤩❤️🤩

We would like to send a special post out of appreciation to a very special young person Jake Garner who has for the second time donated money from doing his very own charity car wash to raise funds for our Foodbank 👏

Jake who attends Middleton technology high school raised a whopping £60 which will go straight to our Foodbank so we can continue to buy food and support family’s and people in our community 😁

Jake we are so proud of you 👍

Jake you are an awesome young man 🙌

Legend ❤️🥰❤️🥰❤️

We all love a good celebration don't we, well yesterday we celebrated the 16th Birthday of the Lighthouse Project, reflecting on the journey we've been on since June 2010 when we first opened our doors in the Warwick Mill, with the heady ambitions to welcome and support people so 'they achieved...'

Well here we are in 2026 marking 16 years of community service, and hopefully building on our strengths and achivements for many more years to come.

Since we first opened our doors we have recorded over 450,000 visits through our doors, that's a lot of people needing help, and a lot of tea bags and loo roll!

We want to say 'thank you' to everyone who has supported us over the years, those who have donated, given food, or practical help, or who have volunteered for us helping to make it all happen. We couldn't have done it on our own, so we appreciate being part of an amazing community that wants to see positive change for our town.

And just to add a sense of nostalgia to the celebrations we have included a photo from our very first birthday celebration in the Warwick Mill. Enjoy.