As the UK's cost-of-living crisis pushed more households into food poverty, mosques across Britain stepped forward as frontline welfare providers — and few have responded more comprehensively than Green Lane Masjid and Community Centre (GLMCC) in Birmingham. Its food bank, The Pantry, supports over 150 people every week through a referral-based model that prioritises dignity and choice, and has helped more than 7,800 people access essential food and toiletries since relaunching in October 2024. GLMCC is not alone: mosques nationwide have expanded food provision, partnered with national charities and mobilised local donors to ensure that no neighbour goes hungry.
The Pantry at Green Lane Masjid
Located in the masjid car park at 20 Green Lane, Small Heath, Birmingham, The Pantry operates as a community-led project providing food support with dignity and choice. Unlike traditional food banks that hand out pre-packed parcels, The Pantry works with more than 30 frontline referral partners — including schools, housing associations, health visitors and GP surgeries — who issue voucher booklets to people in need. Each voucher can be redeemed for up to three days' worth of food and essentials within seven days of issue, and clients can access The Pantry once every two weeks.
The service opens on Mondays from 10:00am to 1:15pm and on Wednesdays from 10:00am to 12:00pm and 1:15pm to 4:00pm. The referral model ensures that support reaches those genuinely in need while preserving the dignity of people who might otherwise feel uncomfortable seeking help. Welfare assistant Qais Khizar, who oversees The Pantry, has described the refurbished venue as giving users 'an absolute blessing' — a space fit for people facing some of the hardest moments of their lives.
Demand in the cost-of-living crisis
The scale of need has grown sharply. GLMCC's head of welfare, Muhammad Ali, reported that food bank attendance had doubled as rising energy bills and food price inflation tipped local families into crisis — with the masjid's welfare spending reaching two and a half times its previous level, all spent locally. The Trussell Trust network reported record demand nationally, distributing 1.3 million emergency food parcels in a single six-month period. Mosque food banks like The Pantry have absorbed a significant share of that unmet need in Muslim-majority neighbourhoods.
He is not a believer who eats his fill while his neighbour goes hungry.
Birmingham mosques united: 12,000 food parcels
Green Lane Masjid has also participated in wider city-wide efforts. Islamic Relief UK coordinated a programme to deliver 12,000 food parcels across Birmingham through 23 partner organisations, including GLMCC — aiming to support 33,000 people with dry food items such as pasta, rice, cereal, tea, milk and juice. Similar distributions reached partner mosques and community centres across the country, from Cambridge Central Mosque and East London Mosque to Leicester's One Roof and mosques in Glasgow and London.
Islamic Relief UK's director Tufail Hussain emphasised that while food banks provide essential immediate relief, the underlying solution requires adequate social security — but until that exists, British Muslim charities and mosques will continue to feed their neighbours regardless of faith or background.
Community power: how The Pantry stays stocked
The Pantry relies entirely on community generosity. Local businesses such as Pak Supermarket in Small Heath have supplied goods for years. Volunteers — including asylum seekers who helped rebuild the food bank and gained skills in the process — keep the operation running. Schools, workplaces and community groups set up collection points and donation cages, channelling food, toiletries and financial contributions to GLMCC's reception. Every pound and every tin returned to the community as meals, essentials and hope.
- Green Lane Masjid and Community Centre (GLMCC) — 20 Green Lane, Small Heath, Birmingham B9 5DB
- The Pantry — 150+ people supported weekly; 7,800+ helped since October 2024 relaunch
- 30+ referral partners including schools, housing associations and health services
- Islamic Relief UK — 12,000 food parcels distributed across Birmingham through 23 partner organisations
- Open to all — users include asylum seekers, refugees, families and individuals of every background
The story of mosque food banks in 2024–2025 is a story of communities refusing to let their neighbours fall through the cracks. Green Lane Masjid's Pantry — dignified, referral-based and entirely community-funded — represents the best of what British Muslim welfare looks like at street level: practical, compassionate, and open to everyone who needs help.