Newbury Soup Kitchen fundraiser with Will Young and Rob Rinder to raise vital funds for new ‘community hub’ home

A Newbury charity that supports the homeless is about to become homeless itself.

Newbury Soup Kitchen has been using a temporary base in Hambridge Lane for four years, during which time it has grown considerably to meet a surge in demand.

It now hopes a town centre building may be available for it to rent, or buy with the help of one of its key backers, Greenham Trust, so it can create a permanent home for the community hub it has created and to enable people to access all the help they need under one roof.

The charity has built a commercial kitchen at its current premises and hopes to be able to find a new home that will accommodate that, along with secure parking for its vehicles and storage space for its food and supplies.

Meryl Praill, who started the soup kitchen in December 2017 and is now its chief executive, said: “We are a homeless charity and we are becoming homeless.

“We work really closely with people that are experiencing homelessness and vulnerable housing.

“The unit has been a wonderful place to be and we have been here for four years but unfortunately we have to go.

“It is through no fault of anybody.

“I am so grateful and thankful to Swift Logistics Group for all their support over the past seven years and I know they will continue to support us going forwards.

“But we have to find a new home now.

“I am now reaching out to any business that has a building in the town centre and that could help.

“We have just six months left.”

Mrs Praill said she expects the rent to now be “five or six times higher” and although she has been saving for this day, she is calling on the community to come to their rescue and boost their coffers.

You can support their JustGiving page here - https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/homeless-charity-becoming-homeless

Mrs Praill has asked anyone who may know of a suitable building that the Newbury Soup Kitchen could move into to contact her on meryl@newburysoupkitchen.org.uk

The Soup Kitchen – which has singer Will Young as its patron – now has until March to find a new home.

In a bid to raise funds for the new building it will be hosting a black tie dinner on November 22 at The Vineyard.

Special guests Will Young and Rob Rinder will be there to offer their support to the cause on the night.

Tickets are still available and you can email Mrs Praill to find out more.