This isn’t just a business—it’s a reflection of a life-long journey. I was raised in a low-income family in East London and left school with little to no qualifications. I lived the reality of economic barriers long before I understood the systems behind them.
A Letter from our Founder: From Poplar to Mablethorpe
Hi, my name is Liam. I was born in Poplar, East London, in the late eighties. I grew up in a household where the numbers rarely added up and the "cost-of-living crisis" was just called Tuesday, despite seeing my Mum doing nothing but her best!. I left school with almost no qualifications, facing the same closed doors that many of our young people face today.
For a long time, my life was defined by survival. I’ve experienced the coldness of unemployment, the exhausting bureaucracy of applying for support, and the crushing lack of empathy that often comes with it. I have navigated the realities of chronic pain every day of my adult life, managing conditions from Fibromyalgia to Peripheral Nerve Disease. I know what it feels like to be told a door is closed when you are at your most vulnerable.
But I also know what happens when a door stays open.
When I was a teenager, a youth hub called the Open Door Centre was my sanctuary. It was a safe place to socialise, to be off the streets, and to be around role models who saw our potential instead of our postcodes. Without that centre, my life—and the lives of many others—would have taken a very different path.
That experience stayed with me as I entered the workforce. I started in small operational roles, driven by a simple desire to help people. I eventually found myself at a global corporate firm, where I noticed that as the company grew, the "operational" side was getting lost in the complexity. Without being asked, I began creating the systems and training materials to help my colleagues succeed. I realised then that I was a "fixer"—someone who could see chaos and build a professional, dignified path through it.
My career became what my CEO later called a "Jungle Gym" of success. I climbed from the front lines to become a Head of People, with 160 employees across global locations. I learned how to scale businesses and connect high-level governance with real-world delivery.
So, why Mablethorpe? And why now?
Earlier this year, after a redundancy, my husband and I chose to leave the unaffordable stress of the south for the peace of Lincolnshire. But as I walked the streets and speak to people, I see the same closed doors I grew up with. A community with incredible heart but a lack of modern, dignified infrastructure.
The Community Table CIC is the result of my two worlds colliding. It is where my 20 years of corporate operational expertise meets my lived experience of hardship.
We aren't just opening a supermarket; we are building the "Open Door" for the next generation. We are using a professional business model to ensure that we never have to rely on luck—only on a sustainable plan that treats every resident with the dignity they deserve.
I’ve spent my life climbing the jungle gym. Now, I’m building one for Mablethorpe.
Liam Grimes Founder & Director, The Community Table CIC
Governance & Accountability
The Community Table CIC operates with the transparency and rigour of a professional enterprise. We are committed to the highest standards of governance to ensure that every resource is directed toward our mission of combating social isolation and economic deprivation.
Asset Lock
As a registered Community Interest Company, we are bound by a legal "Asset Lock," ensuring that all profits and assets are used exclusively for the benefit of the Mablethorpe community.
Strategic Oversight
Our Board, supported by Non-Executive Directors, provides independent oversight and challenge management to ensure our strategic objectives are met with integrity.
Expert Leadership
Led by a Director with over 20 years of experience in HR, Operations, and Strategic Leadership, our operational policies are built on proven corporate frameworks tailored for social impact.
Safeguarding & Compliance
We maintain a culture of safety led by certified training. We adhere to strict health, safety, and data protection regulations to protect our 300+ annual beneficiaries.
Financial Transparency
We are committed to responsible financial stewardship, ensuring that our model is sustainable and that all funding—whether from trading, grants, or loans—is tracked and reported with full accountability.
Our goal is to transform a local shop into a high-street Resilience Hub. By combining a professional retail environment with proactive community support, we provide immediate relief to those in crisis while building the skills and stability needed for long-term independence.
How We Create Change: The Social Supermarket Model
Our strategy is built on a sustainable trading model. Unlike traditional charities, we utilise retail income to ensure we are a permanent, reliable fixture on the high street:
Food Dignity &
Surplus Rescue
We operate a "Social Supermarket" that converts high-quality surplus food into low-cost essentials. This offers a dignified, choice-based alternative to traditional food banks, helping residents stretch their household budgets further during the cost-of-living crisis.
The Resilience Hub
(Social Prescribing)
Our shop serves as a front-door for community support. Beyond groceries, we provide a non-stigmatised space where members can be signposted to local health, financial, and wellbeing services—tackling social isolation at the point of need.
Pathway to
Skills
We use our retail operations as a live training ground. Through supported volunteering opportunities, we help local residents—including young people—develop "pre-employment" skills and the confidence to transition into the local workforce.
Fundraising Goals
Phase 1: Launching Excellence (Secured & Active)
Thanks to a successful social investment loan, our primary launch costs are secured. We are now fundraising for the final £5,000 "Completion Capital" to ensure our shop meets the highest possible standards for our members. These funds will specifically cover:
Specialist Hygienic Flooring: Ensuring 5-star food safety compliance throughout the store.
Energy-Efficient Cold Chain: Purchasing high-grade commercial refrigeration to maximise the volume of fresh produce we can rescue and redistribute.
Inclusive Shop Fitting: Creating a professional, accessible, and high-quality retail environment that prioritises dignity for all shoppers.Phase 2: A Permanent Legacy
Phase 2: Sustainability & Resilience (Year 1–2) Once the Social Supermarket is trading, our fundraising focus shifts to long-term community impact. Our Phase 2 goals include:
Logistics Expansion: Securing a dedicated delivery vehicle to collect larger volumes of surplus food from regional suppliers.
Skill-Building Workshops: Funding formal accreditation (Level 2 Food Hygiene and Retail Skills) for our local volunteers to boost employability in Mablethorpe.
The Resilience Fund: Building a financial reserve that allows us to support families in extreme crisis with "emergency membership" credits during winter months.