The Project
Triangle Top Up Shop is part of the Ipswich Top Up Shops group and operates from Triangle Church. The Top Up Shop is open on Wednesday morning from 9:30-10:30 for anyone who needs support with food in the local area.
Customers pay £2 and can take what food they need. Some items are limited to one or two per person based on availability and demand. Fresh produce is also available including fruit, vegetables and bread.
Breakfast and refreshments are provided for anyone attending the Top Up Shop and are available at an earlier time to when the shop opens. The Triangle Church has a great ‘buzz’ and community feel during this time where customers, volunteers and visitors gather, talking openly and getting to know one another. This is where volunteers and visitors offer support or simply a listening ear. Customers can also take time to speak with one another and form friendships which helps to tackle isolation and loneliness. Some customers still come along for breakfast and refreshments when they no longer need to use Top Up Shop, as the social aspect of this has been so beneficial to them.
Food is mainly received or bought from FareShare, In Kind Direct and Saxon House, although some food is also received through donations from supermarkets and the local community. Some items are bought in to cover shortfall or essentials that don’t often get donated (such as hygiene products).
Triangle Church has also offered slow cooker sessions to customers, which had a great uptake and has had a positive long-term impact. Recipe cards are also available to anyone who wants them.
Volunteers
Triangle Top Up has a brilliant team of dedicated volunteers. Working on every aspect of the project, from sorting the food that comes in, to putting together pre-packed bags for people unable to attend the Top Up Shop during opening hours, to making breakfast for customers to the ‘behind the scenes’ running of the project. Many of the volunteers are former customers who then went on to become volunteers because they gained so much from the Top Up experience. One volunteer who was a previous customer began helping with refreshments and learnt how to use the coffee machine; this experience helped to build their confidence and skills, leading to them securing employment as a manager within the hospitality industry.
The Process
Customers pay £2 on arrival before receiving a number. While they wait for their number to be called, they can take a seat and get some breakfast and a drink if they would like to. Numbers are called out one by one so that the shop doesn’t get too busy and to allow volunteers to monitor what is being taken, restock if needed and to ensure the choosing of food is fair (on a first come first serve basis).
Once their number is called the customer can enter the shop where all the food is laid out on tables in categories. They are permitted to take certain amounts of some categories and others they can take as much as they need. The Top Up shop also has some chilled and frozen food, pet food and personal hygiene products available.
Sustainable Communities Food Fund
In 2025, Triangle Top Up applied to the Sustainable Communities Food Fund to enable them to purchase two new freezers. One of their old freezers had failed and the other was old and inefficient. The new freezers are not only more cost effective, but importantly, they have allowed them to store more surplus food therefore preventing food waste. They are also able to freeze some donated food that is close to going out of date (e.g. bread) which they can then de-frost and use for the breakfast sessions. They are also able to provide some customers with frozen food if this is something they find beneficial (for example, those who struggle with prepping food due to disabilities or lack of time).
Positive Impact
The Triangle Top Up Shop is far more than a place to pick up nutritious food and essentials — it is a lifeline for people facing real hardship. Alongside access to healthy, affordable produce, visitors are welcomed into a space where they can receive compassionate guidance from community partners who come in weekly to offer financial, practical, and emotional support. The dedication of the staff and volunteers shines through in everything they do; their warmth creates a sense of dignity and belonging that strengthens the fabric of the community. At a time when so many are feeling isolated or overwhelmed, the Top Up Shop stands as a powerful example of what can be achieved when people come together with purpose, kindness, and commitment.
