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On a weekday evening in Quayside MediaCity, shoppers wander past the usual mix of high-street brands and food outlets. But tucked between them is something entirely unexpected: a shop where everything is free.
Greeting visitors from behind the counter is artist and educator Venessa Scott, whose warmth sets the tone for the space. The shop is a practical way to offer kindness, meet real needs, and embody her faith in everyday life.
“It’s simple,” Venessa Scott said. “God’s love is free. Salvation is free. So why not show that in action? Why not create a space where people can walk in and know they’re cared for, without paying a penny?”
Free for All
Free For All
The origins of Free for All stretch back 16 years, to 2009. At the time, Venessa’s father, Pastor Constantine Scott, was running His Majesty’s House, a church in Leeds. The neighbourhood was diverse but struggling: asylum seekers housed in grim conditions, students scraping by, and families battling poverty.
“We saw so much need,” Venessa recalled. “People were arriving in the UK with almost nothing, given the tiniest amount of money to survive. Students couldn’t afford basics. We wanted to do something practical.”
So, in the back of the church hall, they opened the first Free for All. Clothes, furniture, electronics, anything that might help, were offered at no charge.
Photos from back in 2010
Old photos on the charity’s Instagram show shelves of chunky early-2000s televisions and printers, relics that hint at how long the project has been running.
From those humble beginnings, Free for All grew into a travelling pop-up. The Scott family hauled donations around Manchester and beyond, setting up temporary shops in community halls and church basements. Wherever they went, people came,not just for clothes, but for dignity, warmth, and the reassurance that someone cared.
“The response has been amazing, overwhelming”
In 2022, Venessa staged a Free for All pop-up in Quayside MediaCity. The response was overwhelming. “It was so busy, and the feedback was so strong, that I knew we had to take the next step,” she said
Venessa with her Mural at Trafford House. Photo Credit: Bruntwood
At the time, Venessa was running Creative Lab, a studio she had founded as a hub for workshops, mentoring, and visual arts. She is no stranger to big projects, her 40-metre-high mural on Trafford House in Manchester is one of the largest in Europe. But she saw an opportunity to transform the studio into something that could combine creativity with community service.
So she closed Creative Lab, put her studio work on tour, and converted the space into a permanent Free for All shop at The Lowry Mall. The doors opened just two weeks ago, and already the shop has redistributed more than 120 kilograms of food, equivalent to around 210 meals.
While racks of donated clothing form the heart of the shop, Free for All is about much more than second-hand fashion. Venessa has insisted on keeping creativity at the centre. “When you bring your gifts and talents into a ministry, you’re still yourself,” she said.
Every Sunday, the shop hosts free workshops in arts, crafts, and technology. Venessa’s sister, Vernice, who works in film and media, recently led an introduction to videography. Other sessions include sewing, drawing for wellbeing, and hands-on craft. “We want volunteers to share their skills,” Venessa explained. “If someone can sew, they can run a sewing workshop. If they know tech, they can teach videography. It’s about giving people confidence as well as clothes.”
Free for All Pantry
Perhaps the most striking development is Free for All Pantry, the shop’s food project. Partnering with local shops and Pret, the pantry rescues surplus food and redistributes it to the community.
On Mondays, they run “Pret Mondays,” staying open into the evening to hand out fresh food from the popular chain. Any surplus is then delivered to homeless shelters in Manchester. Thursdays follow a similar model, and on Saturdays the family and volunteers cycle out with food packs to shelters and homeless encampments across the city.
“It’s all hands on deck,” Venessa said. “We didn’t hire shop fitters, we did the DIY ourselves, painting and building shelves with help from friends in the trade.”
The system is part of a wider supply chain. Global brands direct surplus food through giants like Neighborly, which partners with smaller organisations such as Esther Community Enterprise. From there, affiliates like Free for All can access food supplies and distribute them locally.
“It sounds complicated, but really, it’s just a big machine to make sure good food doesn’t go to waste,” Venessa explains. “And that it reaches people who need it most.”
What makes Free for All so impressive is how small the team is. At its core are Venessa, her sister Vernice, and their parents Thelma and Pastor Constantine. They juggle full-time jobs and businesses alongside running the shop.
“My mum and dad still drive down from Lancashire every week to help,” Venessa said. “They’ll do a 25-mile trip, work all day in the shop, then deliver food to shelters on their way home. If we had more local volunteers, it would take so much pressure off.”
For now, the biggest need is simple: more hands. “Volunteers are the dream,” Vanessa said. Tasks range from steaming donated clothes to collecting food from Pret or helping with evening distributions. Even an hour a week could make a difference.
The hope is that as word spreads, more locals will step forward. “We’re not asking for money. We’re asking for time, energy, and skills,” she says. “That’s what keeps Free for All alive.”
If this is something you like the sound of, you can sign up to volunteer here
So far, funding is almost non-existent. There are no grants, no government subsidies. “It’s just donated time and a few crowdfunding bits,” Venessa admitted. “If people want to put money in the bucket, that’s lovely. But we never ask. The idea is to keep it free.”
For her, the motivation is spiritual as much as practical. “My faith drives me. I want to show people that love is free. It shocks people sometimes, they’ll ask the price of a jacket and I’ll say, ‘It’s free.’ They can’t believe it. But that’s the point. It makes people rethink what’s possible.”
Looking ahead, Venessa has ambitious plans. A “wishlist” system is about to launch, enabling families in need to request specific items, shoes for children, perhaps, or a bed for a family currently sleeping on the floor. The shop will then work with retailers to meet those requests.
Starting conversations about sustainability and community
She also sees Free for All as part of a wider cultural conversation about sustainability and community. By redistributing surplus goods and food, the shop reduces waste while strengthening local networks.
“Everything we do is hyper-local,” Venessa explained. “The retailers we work with are less than a mile away. That keeps it environmentally friendly too.”
The impact of Free for All is already rippling beyond its walls. Customers walk in expecting bargains and leave astonished that everything costs nothing. Volunteers leave inspired. Shoppers who once came for a free winter coat now return to run a sewing class.
Even passers-by are taken aback. Venessa recalls a moment when boxer-turned-broadcaster Stacey Copeland visited the shop during an interview. A woman came in, picked up an item, and asked for the price. When told it was free, she was stunned. “Stacey just burst out laughing at her reaction,” Venessa recalled. “People can’t quite believe it’s real.”
But they are real, and you can find them upstairs at Quayside MediaCity!
You can check them out on Instagram by clicking here
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