In the Derbyshire town of Spondon, West Park School is showing just how powerful a school can be when it looks beyond the classroom.

Serving around 1,500 students, the school launched its Eco Shop in 2023 after joining FareShare Midlands as a Community Food Member. What started as a simple idea - helping families access surplus food - has grown into something much bigger: a welcoming space where people come together, share conversation and support one another.

Headteacher Scott McGregor was the driving force behind the initiative.

“We wanted to do the best we could for people in the community,” Scott says. “FareShare Midlands have been on the journey with us – it really is a partnership. We couldn’t be without FareShare.”

Today, the Eco Shop is a much-loved part of the school and a regular highlight in many people’s week.

A Weekly Event That Brings People Together

The Eco Shop opens every Thursday and Friday at 3pm, but the buzz starts well before that.

By 2:30pm, people are already gathering outside, chatting, catching up and enjoying a bit of company before the doors open. For many, it’s become a social moment as much as a place to pick up food.

Each week, around 70–80 people visit the shop, choosing up to 15 items for just £6.

For Scott and the team, delivery day is always full of excitement.

“It’s like a mini-Christmas every Thursday when our delivery arrives. It’s exciting to see what we get on each order because there’s sometimes things you wouldn’t expect. This week we’ve got a really good quality peanut butter which I know will go down really well.”

That sense of surprise and shared excitement is part of what makes the shop feel special.

“It’s a huge part of our school now,” Scott explains. “Because it’s open to the community, it’s helped build relationships between staff, parents and local residents. For a lot of people, it’s a real event in their week.”

A Positive Way to Talk About Food

From the start, the school wanted the project to feel positive and inclusive. That’s why they chose the name Eco Shop.

Instead of focusing on hardship, the name highlights the environmental impact of rescuing food that might otherwise go to waste.

“We wanted the name to emphasise the positive influence people are having on the planet each time they shop with us,” Scott says. “That approach helps reduce stigma and has definitely encouraged more people to use the shop.”

Students played a part too. The Eco Shop logo and branding were designed by West Park’s art department and voted for by students, making it a project the whole school could feel proud of.

And the school’s commitment to sustainability goes even further. If any food can’t be shared through the Eco Shop, it still finds a good home. For example, families attending the Polish school hosted at West Park on Saturdays, uses any leftover produce to cook soups and stews.

It’s a simple but powerful way of making sure good food is never wasted.

More Than Just Food

While affordable food is at the heart of the Eco Shop, what’s grown around it is just as important.

Visitors can also find:

Simple recipes to help make the most of the ingredients available.
Books for families and children
Sanitary products
Second-hand school uniforms
Information about other local support services

But perhaps the biggest impact is something harder to measure: the sense of welcome and belonging people feel when they walk through the door.

The shop has become a place where conversations happen naturally. Where staff, parents and local residents get to know each other and friendships begin.

Supporting Young People Beyond the Classroom

The Eco Shop is also giving students the chance to get involved.

Young people volunteer in the shop as part of their Duke of Edinburgh Award (DofE), helping run the shop and support customers.

Scott says it’s been a brilliant way for students to connect with the community.

“It allows them to interact with the community and give something back. It breaks down barriers between the old and the young, with students doing something positive for people who might not normally interact with teenagers.”

The school’s Young Carers Programme has also been involved in the project. Working with the school’s food team, young carers helped create a cookbook based on the types of ingredients the shop often receives. The recipes are simple, healthy and affordable -helping families turn surplus ingredients into nourishing meals.

A Story of Real Impact

For many people, the Eco Shop has become an important source of support.

Melanie, who works on the school’s reception team, shared how much the shop has helped her own family.

“My daughter has recently had a baby. She and her husband are really struggling. Maternity pay is next to nothing, so they were finding it hard to keep on top of everything.
I come into the Eco Shop and get products for them, so she loves Thursdays now. The fruit and vegetables make soups and purees for the baby, and any treats are a bonus because they simply can’t afford them.
Even though we’re working, as her parents we’re struggling to keep our heads above water. So, this helps us too.
I absolutely love the Eco Shop. I can’t tell you how much it helps.”

Stories like Melanie’s are a reminder that sometimes small, practical support can make a big difference.

A Model Other Schools Can Follow

The success of the Eco Shop shows just how easily schools can support their communities in a new way.

By redistributing surplus food through partnerships with organisations like FareShare Midlands, schools can:

Help families access affordable food.
Create meaningful volunteering opportunities for students.
Reduce food waste and support the environment.
Strengthen connections between schools and their communities.

At West Park School, the Eco Shop has become far more than a pantry. It’s a space built on kindness, collaboration and community spirit, and is proof that when good food is shared, it can bring people together in the most powerful ways.

If you’re part of a charity, school or community organisation and think surplus food could help support the people you work with, we’d love to hear from you, enquiries@faresharemidlands.org.uk.

Together, we can make sure good food goes to good use. See the Eco Shop in action: