A Community Health Initiative in Whitby, North Yorkshire

Who Are We?

Common Cause, a not-for-profit Community Interest Company, runs The Dispensary. The Dispensary is a community health initiative in Whitby North Yorkshire, which includes The Dispensary Health Shop, Breaking Bread Bakery, our online store and a community library.

  • The Dispensary Shop

    The Dispensary Health Shop is at 25 Skinner Street, Whitby. Although on a bustling street, we feel our shop offers an oasis of calm and friendliness, and the chance to explore more about your health, either by chatting to our staff, connecting with What’s On locally through our noticeboard, or browsing our wide range of products. which include good food, health supplements, natural haircare and skincare & aromatherapy.

    Shop Online 
  • Community Library

    The Dispensary runs a community library with books on all aspects of health- physical, social & cultural. You need to be a member of our community to borrow books, but it’s free to join and open to anyone. Please click here to join The Dispensary community. Our range of topics include spirituality, religion, philosophy, politics, natural and complementary health, nature and the environment, food and cooking plus more.

    Search the Library 
  • Breaking Bread Bakery

    Breaking Bread Bakery opened its doors in January 2019 and is an exciting collaboration between two local not-for-profit organisations; The Esk Valley Camphill Community and Common Cause Community Interest Company. A long-held aim of both organisations to bring good, hand-baked organic breads to their local communities came to fruition.

    More About The Bakery 
  • Supporting Local & National Initiatives

    The Dispensary, through its parent community interest company Common Cause has been instrumental in various local & national initiatives. This includes establishing the We Are Whitby Community Organisation, organising the Whitby Winterfest and campaigning for issues such as animal welfare and the Esk Valley Camphill Community.

    More About Our Campaigns 

Shop Online, Collect In Store

Do you live in or near Whitby? You can order online and then collect your items from our shop on Skinner Street.

Choose the 'Local Collection' option when you checkout, your order will be packed and we'll let you know as soon as it's ready for collection.

Shop Online

LOVE is our Ethos

When it comes to our product range, The Dispensary is committed to LOVE - Local, Organic, Vegetarian or Vegan & Ethical wherever possible!

Browse our Products

Refillable Cleaning Products and Haircare

If you live near Whitby you can benefit from our amazing refillable product ranges. These include eco friendly cleaning liquids from Ecoleaf and haircare products from Faith in Nature. Great for your pocket, and the environment too!

Browse Haircare
  • Celebrating International Women's Day - INSPIRING INCLUSION

    Celebrating International Women's Day - INSPIRI...

    With our friends at Nature's Laboratory, we're celebrating International Women's Day by hearing about how they supported a young scientist by providing a work experience placement last summer. The theme...

    Celebrating International Women's Day - INSPIRI...

    With our friends at Nature's Laboratory, we're celebrating International Women's Day by hearing about how they supported a young scientist by providing a work experience placement last summer. The theme...

  • World Ayurveda Day

    World Ayurveda Day

    What is Ayurveda? Ayurveda is considered by many to be one of the oldest healing sciences and originated in India more than 5000 years ago. Ayurveda maintains that all life...

    World Ayurveda Day

    What is Ayurveda? Ayurveda is considered by many to be one of the oldest healing sciences and originated in India more than 5000 years ago. Ayurveda maintains that all life...

  • Anna's September Sound Meditation - Thursday 14th September

    Anna's September Sound Meditation - Thursday 14...

    We are excited that Anna will be returning with her monthly seated sound meditation event at The Dispensary. Here are some thoughts from Lucy who attended the last two sound...

    Anna's September Sound Meditation - Thursday 14...

    We are excited that Anna will be returning with her monthly seated sound meditation event at The Dispensary. Here are some thoughts from Lucy who attended the last two sound...

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The Dispensary is more than a health shop. It's a community health initiative.

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At the heart of what we do is community, working for each other:

“The well-being of a community of people working together will be the greater, the less the individual claims for himself the proceeds of his work; that is, the more of these proceeds he makes over to his fellow-workers, and the more his own needs are satisfied, not as the result of his own work but as the result of the work done by others”

Rudolf Steiner

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