Community Shop Sunnyside opens in Great Lever on 16 September
Community Shop Sunnyside will open at 9.30am on Wednesday, 16 September, bringing a new social supermarket, community hub and café to Great Lever. The venue is the former Sunnyside Park Lodge at 1 Moisant Street, Bolton, BL3 3AT.
Entry is listed as free, but residents must become members before they can shop. Membership is free for people who live locally and receive a means-tested benefit. Applications can be made through Community Shop’s website before the opening or in the store from opening day.
Ribbon-cutting will begin the opening morning
An official ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for 9.30am, after which members will be welcomed into the new store. The opening is being delivered by Community Shop with funding and support from Bolton family business Warburtons and Bolton Council.
The project has transformed the vacant park lodge into a new community facility. Great Lever was selected because of the financial pressures faced by households in the area, according to the announcement published by Bolton Council News.
Warburtons is supporting the development during the Bolton-based company’s 150th anniversary year. Executive director Brett Warburton said the family business hopes the shop will become a central part of the community by offering food, personal support and opportunities for residents to connect.
Discounted essentials and a 20p food range
The Community Store will sell deeply discounted food and household essentials to members. Its Plenty for 20 range will include fruit, vegetables and bread priced at 20p.
The building will contain three connected services:
- The Community Store, offering discounted groceries and household products.
- The Community Hub, providing support and development programmes designed to help members learn skills and build confidence.
- The Community Kitchen, a café serving home-cooked meals and allowing children to eat free every day.
Profits from the store will be reinvested in the Community Hub. Community Shop executive chairman Gary Stott said the three-space model is intended to address both immediate food pressures and the wider effects of food insecurity by giving members access to guidance and development opportunities.
The café will also provide a place where residents can meet and spend time with others, rather than operating solely as a food outlet.
Who can apply for free membership
Shopping is restricted to Community Shop members. To qualify for free membership, applicants must live locally and receive a means-tested benefit.
Residents who meet those conditions can apply before 16 September through the Community Shop website. Anyone unable to register beforehand can request a membership card in the store from the opening day.
Bolton Council leader Akhtar Zaman said the shop would offer practical help during continuing cost-of-living pressures while returning a valued local building to community use.
No event end time, transport guidance or accessibility arrangements were included in the announcement. Residents planning to shop on the first day should complete the free membership process online in advance or register at Community Shop Sunnyside after the 9.30am ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Source: Bolton Council News
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The opening details, address, membership rules and available services were checked against the announcement published by Bolton Council News.
- Confirmed the opening date and 9.30am ribbon-cutting time.
- Matched the venue to 1 Moisant Street, Bolton, BL3 3AT.
- Checked that membership is free for eligible local residents receiving means-tested benefi...
- Verified the Community Store, Community Hub and Community Kitchen services.
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- Bolton Council News
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- Great Lever, Bolton
- Updated
- 2026-08-18 15:20
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