Statement on Church Farm Shop - Piglets

As a leading charitable foundation in Elmbridge, we are committed to alleviating poverty for everyone in our community, through a carefully considered and compassionate approach. We have seen increasing demand across our foodbanks, and have just had our busiest year on record, feeding a staggering 5,295 people in the course of 2024-25. 1 in 14 people in Walton & Hersham have had to use a foodbank, and we need to find sustainable solutions to food poverty through the wider services we and our partners provide.

To ensure that we can continue providing food, wraparound support and other services through a high-quality, caring operation, we have decided to expand the support we provide to the local community to incorporate the premises at Church Farm Shop, currently leased to Piglets. We know that the closure of Piglets will be a disappointment to many, but following much consideration and planning, this decision was made with the best interests of our community at heart. 

Walton Charity want to build an Elmbridge community free from poverty, and as part of the next phase in developing The Bridge, we will be using the Church Farm Shop premises for wider community and charitable purposes rather than letting the building for commercial use. As well as a foodbank, following some refurbishment we have plans to open up the space to be used as a community hub, and be available for charities to support local families.

Please look out for further updates in the coming months.