Community Shop Sunnyside opens in Great Lever on 16 September: what residents need to know

Community Shop Sunnyside will officially open at 9.30am on Wednesday 16 September at 1 Moisant Street, Bolton, BL3 3AT. Entry is free, but membership is required to shop. Membership is free for people who live locally and receive a means-tested benefit.

The new social supermarket occupies the former Sunnyside Park Lodge in Great Lever. According to Bolton Council News, an official ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place before members are welcomed into the store.

Opening details at a glance

No end time has been published. The announcement does not provide transport advice or accessibility information.

A vacant park lodge becomes a three-part community service

The building will contain three connected areas: the Community Store, Community Hub and Community Kitchen. Warburtons and Bolton Council are funding the regeneration of the vacant lodge, with Community Shop operating the new service.

The Community Store will provide deeply discounted groceries and household essentials. Its Plenty for 20 range includes fruit, vegetables and bread for 20p, adding a low-cost option for eligible households facing pressure on their budgets.

Profits from the store will be reinvested in the Community Hub. This part of the building will deliver support and development programmes intended to help members learn skills, strengthen their confidence and develop their capabilities.

The Community Kitchen will operate as a café serving home-cooked meals. It is also designed as a place where members can meet other people, while children will be able to eat free every day.

Bolton partnership brings the shop to Great Lever

Warburtons is supporting the project during the Bolton family business’s 150th anniversary year. Executive director Brett Warburton said the company hoped the shop would become a central part of the local community, combining affordable food with opportunities for connection and support.

Gary Stott, executive chairman of Community Shop, said the three-space model was intended to address the wider effects of food insecurity by offering members guidance alongside access to food. Bolton Council leader Akhtar Zaman described the project as both a practical resource for residents and a new use for a valued community building.

Free membership is restricted to eligible residents

The shop is not a conventional supermarket open for unrestricted shopping. Its free membership is available to people who live locally and receive a means-tested benefit; the source announcement does not list individual qualifying benefits or define the precise local catchment.

Eligible residents can apply for a membership card before the opening through Community Shop’s membership page. In-person registration will also be available at Community Shop Sunnyside from 16 September, after the 9.30am ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Source: Bolton Council News