Inside Birmingham food bank that wants to give dignity to users who say 'If not for this I'd starve'

'It's a life saver, if not for this I'd have nothing', locals praised Small Heath's revamped food bank looking to give dignity back to users. Green Lane Masjid and Community Centre (GLMCC) opened it's refurbished foodbank called 'The Pantry'.

The brainchild of recently appointed CEO Dr Abdul-Haqq Baker, he suggested turning the foodbank into a shopping experience, where users could put items in their basket and have them scanned at a till. Despite ice cold temperatures, people from as far as Coventry queued up with shopping bags ready to collect cornflakes, milk, biscuits and bags of rice.

Everyone from asylum seekers, refugees and former offenders arrived calling the refurbished venue, located near the Masjid car park, a life saver. It is one of many food banks across Birmingham offering a lifeline to people crushed under cost of living and poverty.

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Yet no area knows this better than Small Heath, one of the city's most deprived wards. Dr Abdul-Haqq said: "They should have the dignity we have when shopping, that customer service we provide makes them feel like they are not in this predicament.

"In Small Heath it is bad as the numbers coming in are increasing, for example two weeks ago what we get in a week, we got in a day. People are grateful for being here and getting these resources, we listened and have new providers so the quality is better.

"We are not giving junk food but healthy options to cook so they have that dining experience with families. We are going back to the traditional essence of family.

"The first week there was white sugar which we replaced with brown sugar, data we get we will give to Morrisons and ask for healthier food options."

Qais Khizar, 34, welfare assistant and zakat officer overseeing The Pantry said: "Inside it was not fit for them before and more of a storage room.

"It's an absolute turnover from the decoration, shelving, new donors and suppliers, we are allowing foodbank users to come inside and shop. We've had some excellent feedback from users who love the concept."

Open Saturday and Wednesday for up to two hours each day, users can provide referral letters or foodbank vouchers to prove eligibility. The old foodbank was in use for 13 years and brought in 50-70 people in one day.

Some asylum seekers helped re-build the foodbank and volunteer in it to keep busy and gain job skills. Janghez Hussain, 29, the owner of Pak Supermarket has provided goods to the foodbank for almost four years, claiming poverty was getting worse in Small Heath.

He claimed customers would be shocked at the price displayed on the till, many even shoplifting because they cannot afford to pay.

Foodbank user Daniel Simon Lainchbury, 33, said: "I struggle to get by and after rent I have just £10 per day, if not for this food bank I'd starve. I am surviving day to day and looking for a job, but if I work I will not be eligible for housing benefit.

"I have a history of offending and came onto the streets living in a tent. Now I live in a HMO and am trying to pick myself up, my mind is slowly coming back to reality.

"This foodbank is bang on and very nice with the refurbishment. It is a life saver, if not for this I would have nothing. Sometimes I just sleep the day away."