The Bridge at Church Farm
What is The Bridge?
The Bridge is our community hub supporting working families struggling with the cost of living across Elmbridge. It provides groceries, household items, and access to specialist advice services. You can find out more about The Bridge here.
The Bridge has already had a transformative impact on local families. Rachel, a single mum to a young child, shares how The Bridge has helped her family through a difficult time:
“This year has honestly been one of the toughest of my life. Being referred to The Bridge has really lifted me and gone a huge way to restoring my faith in the future. Something that initially felt terrifying, impossible, and incredibly lonely, is starting to feel possible and achievable purely by the kindness of people who I never knew existed, and for that I will forever be grateful.”
Looking ahead
Demand for this support continues to rise, so as part of our response to this growing need, work is well underway to relocate The Bridge (currently in Walton-on-Thames), to our refurbished Church Farm site in Hersham.
Part of Walton Charity’s land for over 90 years, Church Farm is a larger, more accessible building which allows us to welcome more people and expand the support we can offer, creating a community of clients, volunteers, and partner agencies under one roof. By bringing these services together, we will be able to help families address the wider challenges they are facing and connect them to any further support they require.
Another important step is our transition from a free shop model to becoming part of the Your Local Pantry network. This approach offers a more sustainable and empowering way for working families to access affordable good. Members pay a small weekly fee, and, in return, can choose from a wide range of fresh and ambient groceries and household items, giving them greater dignity and choice, while helping household budgets go further.
The new space at Church Farm will also become a valuable resource for our community partners. Our new location will include beautiful outdoor green space for wellbeing projects and community growing initiatives. The building will be available for other local charities to use, creating opportunities for collaboration and ensuring the space creates lasting value for our community.
At the heart of these developments is our commitment to responding effectively to local need. We’re excited about what lies ahead and look forward to sharing this next chapter with our community, whose support makes it all possible.
Take a look at our vision:
Keep an eye on this page for more updates!