Social supermarket brings community together
Published: Wednesday, March 19, 2025
Mayor of Wandsworth’s chosen charity Rackets Cubed is reaching new families as it expands its successful social supermarket programme from Roehampton to Battersea.
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There’s a buzz in the air at Roehampton Community Box as shoppers browse shelves packed with an array of food and household goods, while friends chat over a hot drink.
The social supermarket – which is part of the charity Rackets Cubed – attracts hundreds of people each week to its centre at 166 Roehampton Lane, next to the council’s new Family Hub.
“I look forward to coming here every week, it’s a lovely atmosphere,” explains 67-year-old Diane Fisher.
“There’s all cultures sitting down having a cup of tea or coffee. Everyone is so friendly.”
Rackets Cubed is one of the Mayor of Wandsworth’s three chosen charities this year along with Tooting Community Kitchen and Home-Start Wandsworth.
Inside Roehampton Community Box
For mum-of-two Yan Alade, the community box has been invaluable for its social support, as well as helping with the expense of baby goods.
“It wasn’t what I expected at all,” says the 38-year-old part-time doctor’s assistant. “When I first came I had a newborn so it’s so useful because baby things are very expensive, plus it was nice to have a grown up to talk to.
“Coming here, all the volunteers would want a cuddle and would hold him while I did my shopping.”
Dignity and choice
The self-referral social supermarket is about giving people “dignity and choice”, explains manager Natalie Price.
“There’s been much more demand for it over the past year,” adds Natalie. “But not everyone is struggling with getting food, it can be about isolation or mental health.”
As well as the social supermarket – which operates on a time slot booking system with customers paying £4 to choose around £40 worth of shopping – activities also include weekly Community Cuppa events, and monthly Solidarity Suppa meals.
Volunteers can even get training in cooking on a budget and take part in an eight-week series of workshops to earn food safety certification that can help with boosting confidence and job skills.
Natalie adds: “We don’t want to just be a charity in the community, we want to change things for the better. I’ve struggled with food poverty myself before so I’m very passionate about it.”
Battersea expansion
The social supermarket expanded in October, adding another site in Battersea. Based at the Yvonne Carr Community Centre, it supports around 60 people each Friday.
But while the social supermarkets are an important part of the Rackets Cubed, it isn’t the only part of the charity’s work.
Rackets Cubed was launched in 2016 as a charity delivering weekly sessions combining racket sports, maths and a nutritious meal for school children in Roehampton.
Working with schools including Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Heathmere Primary School and the Alton School, the charity’s sessions reach around 200 pupils each week in Roehampton alone.
Partners include the Roehampton Club, Roehampton University, Ibstock Place School and the Lawn Tennis Association’s National Tennis Centre.
The programme has grown, with Rackets Cubed now working with schools and partners across the UK.
“The mix of physical education, STEM education and nutrition are all important,” explains founder Michael Hill. “Each element of the programme adds value in a unique way.”