Newbury Soup Kitchen is thrown a lifeline by local business

Swift Logistics steps in to provide project with new premises

NEWBURY Soup Kitchen has had to undergo a major expansion and relocation as it ups its game to combat the coronavirus crisis.

And as demand surges, it has been thrown a lifeline by a Newbury businessman.

The project, a division of the Charity HAVEN (West Berkshire), had been operating from the home of founder Meryl Praill, while the Salvation Army in the centre of town housed the different outreach and food sessions.

This became untenable during the coronavirus lockdown and organisers realised the service would have to drastically change to cater for rough sleepers and homeless people housed in emergency accommodation.

Delivering food has become the priority to encourage social distancing and self isolation which has been set up and implemented seven days a week.

It was then that the managing director of Newbury-based Swift Logistics Group, Adrian Smith, came to the rescue.

Mr Smith, who had already donated a van for the charity’s use, provided the soup kitchen project with new premises as a delivery headquarters in Hambridge Lane, Newbury.

Ms Praill said: “We’re so fortunate to be given the opportunity to move into this wonderful space.

“It means we can be more efficient placing everything under one roof and remove the charity from my home, giving me a better work-life balance that has definitely been lacking.

“We’ve applied for planning permission for a commercial kitchen.

“Once this has been put in place all our meals can be prepared and packed up for delivery from one location and volunteers can get the benefit of everything under one roof.

“We have worked so hard with a skeleton team to get the space painted, cleaned up, filled with our donated food, items such as tents and sleeping bags to support our clients and an office for the operational side of the charity.

“This unit is purely operational; our outreach will continue face-to-face and during our sessions once they open again at the Salvation Army hall.”

She added: “This wonderful space, which is a fantastic circa 2,000 sq ft unit, will be available to us to use while we look for a more permanent building in the centre of town.

“Our long-term goal is to open and run a community support and outreach centre where service users will be able to come to get day-to-day support and the help they need.

“Until then this fabulous space donated by Adrian will take the pressure of me and my family, and enable the charity to expand and run more effectively.

“We cannot thank Adrian and his company enough – their kindness and support has been overwhelming.”

Mr Smith said: “Sadly the recent health crisis has had a significant impact on our area’s homeless and as the deeper economic impact is felt the demand is only going to increase.

“But the work that has been done here means this vital provision is prepared and empowered to keep people fed and supported as the challenges to our community intensify in the coming weeks and months.

“These facilities means so much to this key community service, and will ensure that West Berkshire remains one of the UK’s best prepared and commercially supported areas in this respect.”

For more information, visit https://newburysoupkitchen.org.uk/