Welcome to the Newbury Soup Kitchen....

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"I'd like to say I am very grateful to you all. You really do make a massive difference difference to those that you help. I have been one of them many times especially during lockdown and really am so grateful. It's not just the food, it's the kindness, being treated and spoken to like a human being, helping people get dental treatment, haircuts and people get to chat and catch up with each other, anything you can help with you will. What you all do is genuinely life saving. Thank you ”

Sponsors & Supporters

Thank You !

We would like to thank each and every sponsor and supporter who has helped with food donations, storage facilities, items and more....

Thank You

Contact Us

Opening Hours

Opening Hours The Soup Kitchen is open for a sit down three course meal on Thursdays 6-7pm at The Salvation Army Hall Newbury. Wednesdays 6-7p and Saturdays 5-6pm we have a takeaway food service from our mobile van in The Wharf Newbury. Tuesdays we are open for support and outreach which includes Community Nurses, Eye tests, Liver Scans, Fuel advice and UC and PIP support. This is 2-4pm from St John’s Church Newbury.
Pop in for advice and help. The rest of the week we are on hand to help where we can.
Call us:
Outreach 07751 526859 & 07936 896139
Operational 07718 183439
Meryl our CEO & Founder 07583637588

Contact Us

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Who Are We & What Do We Do ?

Meryl – Founder & CEO with a client
Our new catering van that provides a mobile service Wednesdays & Saturdays
client
Where Someone Cares

Our arms and doors are open to all.

We provide a comprehensive hot meal provision, a friendly face and welcome opportunity to sit chat, offload and feel safe. A warm welcome awaits anyone wishing to socialise, find support, enjoy a fresh cooked hot meal and interact with likeminded people.

THURSDAY sessions at the Salvation Army also offer haircuts, vaccines (including COVID), Samaritans, drug and alcohol outreach, fuel debt outreach. This is to compliment the other basic provisions and amenities such as shower and laundry tokens, Foodbank referral, toiletries, emergency food/kettle hot water packs, tents, sleeping bags warm clothes to name a few. If a person comes to us with a problem, if we cannot help, we will find someone who can.

TUESDAYS: We provide individual outreach services where our clients can access Optometry services free of charge. Oue wonderful Community Nurse comes 2-4pm on a Tuesday to support homeless, vulnerable clients who may not find it easy to engage with traditional medical routes. This bespoke support highlights serious health issues and illnesses that may have gone undiagnosed.

These services are essential to start the journey of engagement, building trust with our clients and making a difference to people who perhaps no hope in life. Newbury Soup Kitchen works hard to give back HOPE.

WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAYS: We have a wonderful food truck that is loaded with all the provision required to support people who are rough sleeping, sofa surfing and vulnerably housed. The service is held from The Wharf 6-7pm on Wednesdays and 5-6pm on Saturdays. A hot meal and takeaway parcel are available for all. The food like a Thursday is cooked fresh by qualified volunteers from fresh donated food from local supermarkets.

We are busy every day outside our food sessions. We have a wonderful network of volunteers who provide support with housing, benefits applications, fuel debt support and day to day issues that arise.

Hair – a typical haircut on a Thursday evening
Working behind the scenes
Outreach services such as Covid Jabs

Support from our local community is Key and we are proud that Will Young (Singer & Actor) is our Patron.

Will says “I’m so thrilled and honoured to become a patron of Newbury Soup Kitchen. Having lived near Newbury my entire life to be able to be part of an incredible organisation and bring support to the local homeless people fills me with deep humility”

Whilst we are fortunate enough to have use of the Salvation Army facilities on a Thursday evening (Wednesday & Saturdays are mobile with a slightly reduced menu – operating out of our catering van at the Wharf)

we are keen to expand our offering – but this requires dedicated premises. We are actively searching for premises in the Newbury area and our fundraising efforts assist in supporting this effort. Our vision is to provide a community centre where our clients can be assisted in a safe environment 365 days a year.   

Will Young – our Patron with Meryl (CEO & Founder) & 3 of our clients

National Rough Sleeper Crisis

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The scale of homelessness Nationally is extremely difficult to count and establish. Homelessness comes in many forms which many do not realise. Rough sleepers are the visible homeless but there are people trapped and living a life of homelessness away from the community eye in temporary accommodation, hostels, people’s sofas or floors and night shelters.

Hidden homelessness, known as sofa surfing, is incredibly difficult to count and impossible to quantify as people stay with friends or relatives out of sight and often do not consider themselves to be homeless and do not contact local authorities or charities………..

Click here for the full story

The government has been accused of “going backwards” on its commitment to end rough sleeping by next year after new figures revealed a 26 per cent annual rise.
The annual “snapshot” count carried out over the winter (November 2022) has shown 3,069 people are estimated to be sleeping rough on any given night.
“People sleeping, about to bed down (sitting on/in or standing next to their bedding) or actually bedded down in the open air (such as, on the streets, in tents, doorways, parks, bus shelters or ….Read More

crisis

Over the past few months there have been a lot of questions about the impact of the pandemic on homelessness trends. These are not straight forward questions to answer, but this week has seen the release of two data sets that provide us with a more accurate picture of who is facing homelessness in England and the main causes since March 2020.  Click here fo more info from Crisis

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In the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, as we went into lockdown, something extraordinary happened. However, the policy of housing everyone during the pandemic is ending. Only emergency action will stop a rise in first-time rough sleepers. Click Here for the FULL Guardian Article

Dual Diagnosis 3

What is the link between mental health and substance misuse?

When a person has both a substance abuse addiction and a mental health issue such as bipolar disorder, depression or anxiety, it is called a dual diagnosis or co-occurring disorder. Dealing with substance abuse, alcoholism, or drug addiction is incredibly difficult and known for destroying relationships, jobs and mental health…….. Read More