About Us
At Laurence’s Larder, our vision is to nourish our community.
What We Do
We bring people together, alleviating both loneliness and food poverty, by working with our tireless volunteers and utilising surplus food to support anyone who needs a delicious hot meal, some company, a bag of nutritious supplies or a much needed item from our clothes bank.
Whilst the food aid we offer is crucial, it does not address the root causes of food poverty or deprivation our guests face. At Laurence’s Larder we are endeavouring to help address some of these underlying needs – from social isolation to accessing advice on housing, health and legal issues to name a few. Our warm welcome and non-judgemental approach means that we can help our guests to begin to meet their daily needs not only with dignity but practical help.
We do this through:
- Creating a thriving community of guests, volunteers and supporters
- Welcoming everyone - no requirement for a referral. Referrals can often be a barrier for people seeking help
- Alleviating social isolation – whenever you come to us, you’ll always get a cup of tea, a chat and make some new friends
- Partnering with agencies and services across the board to support our guests in some of the issues they may face, from legal advice and staying healthy to tips on saving energy and complex housing issues.
“I was born and grew up in this neighbourhood and I have written many books about it. In an unjust society, there are too many people in our midst who are struggling. But fortunately for all of us, we also, thank God, live in a neighbourhood full of people committed to change at the local level. And this gives us hope. People in a community owe each other time and energy. Whilst these ideas of mutuality may appear to be lost in our society, they are alive and kicking at Laurence’s Larder.”
– Zadie Smith, Author and
Patron of Laurence’s Larder
Who We Are
Our Team
Whilst Laurence’s Larder is run almost entirely by our wonderful volunteers, they are led and supported by two permanent members of staff.
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Sara co-founded and ran the independent record label Young and Lost Club, releasing over 80 singles and 7 albums, while running club nights and dj-ing internationally. She also worked as a Music Supervisor for a range of clients including Stella McCartney, Conde Nast and Mario Testino, before taking time out to complete a Masters in International Public Policy- her dissertation focused on the global governance of AI.
Sara was a volunteer with the Larder for 6 years before becoming Project Director.
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Tansy joined Laurence’s Larder in September 2024, having previously worked as a Manager and Training Coordinator at Unity Works, a social enterprise that provides catering training for adults with learning disabilities and / or autism. Prior to that Tansy ran the Help Refugees warehouse in Calais and owned her own coffee shop in Kings Cross.
Tansy has a Level 3 in Food Hygiene, is an expert in food processes and highly experienced in leading teams to deliver excellent hospitality while maintaining health and safety at the highest standards.
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Mark Wakefield
Chair of Trustees
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Sally Burrell
Vice Chair
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Toby York
Treasurer
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Victoria Bentley
Trustee
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Anne Taylor
Trustee
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Michael Krzyzanowski
Trustee
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Saul Venit
Trustee
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Louise Pudney
Trustee
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Chloe Court
Trustee
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Zadie Smith
Patron
Our Impact
10,248
volunteer hours per year
Laurence’s Larder is run almost entirely on volunteer effort
5,000
meals served
per year
Using surplus food that would otherwise go to waste
600
food parcels
per month
Laurence’s Larder provides food aid on a non-referral basis
500
items of clothing per month
Our popular clothing bank relies on donations from the local community
Our Stories
Our Partners
We are immensely grateful to all our partners and collaborators who help us to deliver our much needed services. We have a huge breadth of organisations who work with us in many different guises so if you would like to find out how you can partner with Laurence’s Larder please visit our Partner With Us page.
Latest News
Support Our Work
Help us to find more ways to nourish our community!
Or visit our Ways to Help page to see how you can get involved.