In 1990, Ella Nichols, and Beryl Deall personally responded to an appeal made by Kath Barnett (the then manager of the CAB) for food for a desperate client who was homeless. Not only did they meet that requirement but took the needs for food to their local church (now Yeovil Community Church). Soon dried and tinned foods were regularly being collected and stored in a wardrobe!
A desperate need had been uncovered. As there is no statuory provision for emergency food for people in need, The Lord's Larder food bank gradually became more and more used, and became a significant resource for key workers. Ella Nichols, and Beryl Deall managed this project since it's inception.
All requests for emergency and short-term food parcels are screened by authentic local agencies. Clients are all in unexpected or dire need. Some are young single homeless; some are families where redundancy or bereavement has devastated their finances overnight.
In April 1999, The King's Place charity shop opened to serve a similar purpose. Any profits made from the shop are put into "The King's Place Social Fund" which then goes to grants for essentials, such as washing machines etc. for those in dire need. An example could be a single parented family, who can barely afford to get by, suddenly comes across an unexpected problem, e.g. a broken down washing machine. Unable to replace it themselves, their agency could apply for a grant from the social fund to replace the item, if approved by the trustees.In September 2017 The King's Place Charity Shop ceased trading, and The King's Place Social Fund is now been replaced by The Lord's Larder Community Fund.
In 2002, YCST was set up as an umbrella organisation to bring together The Lord's Larder and The King's Place, uniting them as one charity. YCST is still going strong, and now combines any money donated to the social fund and the larder, and directs it in the area it is needed most, making the whole charity more sustainable.