The Hidden Poverty of St Andrews: Storehouse’s Work Beyond the Bubble

St Andrews is a town of life and activity. With world-class hotels, extravagant restaurants, and both wealthy tourists and students travelling from across the globe to this small Fife town, many might be surprised to hear it houses a food bank that saw 1,325 visits from January to August of 2024. 

“There is kind of a hidden poverty. People who are around the main streets might not notice it too much, but we see it day in and day out [...] We're just really grateful that there are people who are able to put an extra can of food into their shopping trolley,” said Lucy Clarke, the manager of Storehouse. 

Clarke is the only paid member of staff; the rest are volunteers. “We have around 30 volunteers who really are the backbone of all that we do, because they're the ones making sure the session is open,” said Clarke. The staff are a combination of St Andrews locals and students. Storehouse has worked closely with different student associations, including the Christian volunteering group Just Love, as well as local churches and businesses. 

Kirsten Watson has been volunteering at Storehouse for three years. Now working for Families First as the volunteer coordinator, she graduated last year with a Masters in Biblical Languages at St Andrews. During her time as an undergraduate at the University, Watson acted as the local coordinator for the student association Just Love.

“I don't think it's wrong at all to live within the bubble, because sometimes that's the place that people want to live […] I just think there's so much joy in the relationships that you can build with those that aren't students,” said Watson. “St Andrews can feel really small if you allow it to be, but you can make that choice, if you want your world to be bigger than that.”

Clarke agreed. “I really love having a mix of people from different backgrounds,” she said. “For a student to be able to meet somebody who's outside of their student bubble, and for a local to sort of get to know one of the students, as well — it's a nice cross generational Town and Gown moment.”

Storehouse began in 2006 in Kingdom Vineyard Church. “It started off just a little box of food and has grown to this,” Clarke said. “We're really here to make sure people don't go hungry, and we believe that's a central part of our faith. It's really, really important for what we believe, and we want to put it into practice as well,” she added. 

People who rely on Storehouse are sent through referral forms that are signed by an outside support service. They arrive, are handed a bag, and shop for what they need. “We really value being able to give people choices and try to make it as normal of a shopping experience as possible,” Clarke explained. 

Storehouse shares their space with the Northeast Fife Community Hub, which also provides a clothing drive in the facility. “Currently, we're looking at a ten per cent increase every year in terms of how many people that we're serving,” Clarke said. Storehouse added a third session in March in order to accommodate the increase in visits. In fact, visits have increased by 373 when compared with the same period in 2022. 

Though Storehouse used to provide hot meals, the funding for that came to an end as people needed it most throughout the winter months. “We're not getting in the same amount of donations as we used to […] There's so many great groups and charities, even just in this area, and there's just more competition,” Clarke said. She added, “We do realise how difficult it is for lots of people these days, and even those who were able to donate in the past, they're also struggling.” 

It is important that the St Andrews community keep supporting Storehouse, Clarke explained. “We pretty much rely entirely on donations from the local people in order to stay open,” she said, “so it's really important to us to kind of keep those connections and keep investing in them. It's one of my favourite parts of the job, just being able to say thank you to people.”

Even if students don’t feel they have the resources to donate, there are other ways to get involved. Watson shared, “We all get really busy as students, but the thing that we often have is time to give […] I know that it helps people, and I know that it is a benefit to people's lives. I know that I’m providing an essential service for those that need it in our community and in Fife.”

“We are really grateful for the support we get from the University, particularly the student-led groups. It's really encouraging seeing students out of their own wants and cares to say, ‘This is something important we want to kind of do — do something and help’,” Clarke said.

She continued, “You might see somebody and they might look like they have money. They’re clean, they've got nice clothes, but, you know, we just can't make those kinds of judgments. You never know what's going on in someone's life.” Watson added, “It could be anyone [...] that you walk past when you're going to class or [...] anyone in Tesco. They're there because they need food, and they don't have the money to afford it, and we are there to go and get it for them.”

Watson explained her motivations and why she always goes back: “I have relationships with the clients and with the other volunteers. I feel committed to the place and committed to their cause.”

Image: Storehouse St Andrews