Set Up A Free Bookshelf Or Street Pantry
A weatherproof box at the end of your garden where people take what they need and leave what they don't.
- Cost
- Free / Under £20pp
- Time
- Half-day
- People
- Solo / Duo, Small Group (3-6)
- Where
- Home, Street / Local Business
- Bring
- A weatherproof cabinet or box
Why this matters
A street pantry or free bookshelf removes the two barriers that stop people getting help: having to ask, and having to qualify. Anyone can take something at any hour without explaining themselves, which reaches people who'd never approach a food bank. It also becomes a fixed point in a street where neighbours start recognising each other.
How to do it
Build or repurpose a weatherproof cabinet and put it somewhere publicly accessible at the edge of your property. Old kitchen cabinets, display cases and sturdy plastic storage boxes all work. It needs a door, a sloped or overhanging roof, and to be off the ground.
Two common versions: - A free library: take a book, leave a book. Very low maintenance. - A street pantry: non-perishable food and household basics, taken freely by anyone.
Things to get right: - Put a clear sign on it explaining what it is, that it's free, and that nobody needs to ask. - Check with your council if it's on or near a pavement. Most are fine but some will have views on obstruction. - No perishables, no alcohol, no medicines, nothing opened. Non-perishables and sealed toiletries only for a pantry. - Check it regularly for out-of-date items, damp and damage. This is the real ongoing commitment and it's the reason many of these fail after a few months. - Expect it to be emptied quickly at times. That's the system working, not a problem to solve.
Tell neighbours before you set it up and get a few of them involved in restocking. Shared upkeep is what makes it last beyond your own enthusiasm.