Eligible Bolton residents get cheaper food shop this September

Name: Opening of Community Shop Sunnyside
Start: 2026-09-16T09:30:00+01:00
Location: Community Shop Sunnyside

beehiveweb.co.uk editorial team 2026-08-18 15:16 3 min read

A standard aisle in a British supermarket stocked with various food items and goods.

Eligible Bolton residents receiving means-tested benefits will be able to use a new social supermarket when Community Shop Sunnyside opens in Great Lever at 9.30am on Wednesday, 16 September. The store is at 1 Moisant Street, Bolton, BL3 3AT, inside the former Sunnyside Park Lodge.

Entry to the opening is free, while shopping requires a free membership available to eligible people who live locally. An official ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place before members are welcomed into the store.

Bolton Council News confirmed that the project has been supported by Community Shop, Bolton family business Warburtons and Bolton Council. The partners are regenerating the vacant lodge as a community facility with food, meals and personal-development support under one roof.

Opening day at the former Sunnyside Park Lodge

Detail	Confirmed information
Date	Wednesday, 16 September 2026
Start time	9.30am
Venue	Community Shop Sunnyside
Address	1 Moisant Street, Bolton, BL3 3AT
Entry	Free; membership is required to shop
Intended members	Local residents receiving means-tested benefits

The opening ceremony will mark the start of three connected services: the Community Store, Community Hub and Community Kitchen. Together, they are designed to address immediate household costs while offering longer-term support within the same building.

Discounted essentials sit alongside meals and support

The Community Store will sell food and household essentials at substantial discounts. Its Plenty for 20 range includes fruit, vegetables and bread priced at 20p, giving eligible members another option when managing grocery costs.

Profits from the shop will be reinvested in the Community Hub. The hub will provide support and development programmes intended to help local people learn skills, strengthen their confidence and develop their capabilities.

The Community Kitchen will operate as a café where members can meet other people and buy home-cooked meals. Children will be able to eat free there every day, according to the opening announcement.

This three-space arrangement means residents can visit for groceries, use the café and access development support at one location. It also returns the former park lodge to use after the building had been vacant.

Free membership is limited to eligible local residents

Membership is free for people who live locally and receive a means-tested benefit. That eligibility condition applies to shopping in the Community Store; the opening notice does not describe the supermarket as being open to all Bolton residents.

Applications can be submitted online through Community Shop’s membership page before the opening. Residents will also be able to register in the store from 16 September and receive a membership card if eligible.

The published notice gives no finishing time for the opening event and does not provide transport or accessibility guidance. It identifies no separate booking process for the ribbon-cutting ceremony; the practical registration requirement concerns membership for shopping.

Eligible residents can apply before opening day or register in person when Community Shop Sunnyside begins welcoming members on 16 September.

Source: Bolton Council News

Context & actions About this article

Source check Source trail

Event timing, location, eligibility and services were checked against the notice published by Bolton Council News.

Checks

Confirmed the opening date and 9.30am start time.
Checked the Moisant Street address against the official notice.
Verified that free membership is restricted to eligible local residents receiving means-te...
Separated free event entry from the membership required for shopping.

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