Local soup kitchen given financial boost

Newbury Building Society has donated £1000 to Newbury Soup Kitchen to help ensure fresh food parcels are available to local homeless and vulnerable people during the Covid-19 pandemic.

To adhere to social-distancing guidelines, the charity has been providing a takeaway-only service instead of its traditional sit-down meal, with food parcels carefully distributed from the back of a transit van. The £1000 donation will help the charity purchase a fit-for-purpose food vehicle – a much needed commodity - to continue this vital service.

About the donation, Meryl Praill, Founder and Operations Manager at Newbury Soup Kitchen said: “We are extremely humbled by the support we receive from the local community and organisations like Newbury Building Society. Having the community behind us gives us strength to work harder to achieve our goals and we strive to help the more vulnerable people in our society by providing a broad spectrum of outreach to care for the whole person, physically, emotionally and socially.”

The charity has provided an estimated 5000 meals, seven day a week, during lockdown.

Meryl continued: “We are so proud of Newbury Soup Kitchen and the way we have adapted throughout Covid-19. The climate may be changing daily, but we are steadfast in our approach to caring for the people in our society that are in food poverty and need a guiding hand to a better future.”

Emma Simms, Marketing and Communications Manager at Newbury Building Society said: “It is evident Newbury Soup Kitchen’s volunteers are dedicated and truly care about the people they support. We applaud the charity for actively seeking alternative and viable ways to ensure vulnerable people have access to a hot meal during these difficult times. We hope our donation goes someway to helping those who really need it, especially as we approach the winter months.”

Applications are now closed for the Society’s 2020 scheme. Dates for applications for the 2021 Community Support Scheme will be confirmed on the Society’s website at the end of November.

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