Jubiliation as The People's Kitchen celebrates 25 years of helping the disadvantaged

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) December 4, 2009 -- One of the region’s best loved charities is looking forward to celebrating its 25th year of helping the disadvantaged people of Newcastle to cope with life without a permananent home.

The People’s Kitchen was formed in 1985 and has transformed thousands of disadvantaged people’s lives for the better by creating a culture of mutual trust and respect. It provides much needed friendship and food and fills a gap in the evenings when homeless people are at their most vulnerable.

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Jubiliation as The People's Kitchen celebrates 25 years of helping the disadvantaged

From humble beginnings, the charity’s late founder Alison Kay laid the foundations for today’s thriving, efficiently run organisation which operates both from a former Church on Bath Lane and additional outreach facilities on a well equipped mobile catering unit.

Alison’s pioneering spirit is still very much in evidence as shown by the determination by its volunteers to take the charity even further forward in the next twenty five years.

The ground-breaking progress made by the People’s Kitchen in recent years is staggering and includes an increase in trained volunteers from 100 to 150, an investment of more than £40,000 in a new outreach project, the creation of an information desk service to refer clients to other caring agencies and enlisting the help of over 150 north east schools and churches to provide food for the annual Harvest Festival. Put this in context with the fact that no one at the charity receives a single penny for their time or expenses and the progress made is even more heartwarming and astounding.

Bob Eldridge, Chairman of the Trustees is very positive that despite a growing workload, the work of the People’s Kitchen will continue to develop and offer help to the people of Newcastle who need it most. “We are all very proud of how far we have come, especially without any government or public funding, but with the current recession, sadly, many more people will need our help over the coming months and years,” said Mr. Eldridge. “We offer not only physical support such as food and warm clothes but also intangible and often unseen assistance in the form of friendship, self respect and hope.”

For six days of the week, fifty two weeks of the year, more than 650 people are helped in many ways by the kind hearted volunteers at The People’s Kitchen and surprisingly, a large proportion of those helped are aged 25 or less. The stereotypical image of the homeless bag lady, whilst still in existence, is fast being replaced with men and woman of all ages who have been dealt a bitter blow in life perhaps through marital difficulties, alcohol or drugs related issues or mental health problems.

Volunteer Maureen Hogg has been with the People’s Kitchen for more than seventeen years and has witnessed some dramatic changes in people’s lives thanks to simply offering a hand of friendship to those in need. “ Many vulnerable people have no one to talk to and providing a listening ear that they can trust can make all the difference to someone’s outlook on life,” said Mrs. Hogg. “Everyday things like being able to talk to a friend, using toiletries, owning warm clothes or even going out for a special day in the countryside are often taken for granted, but for the clients of the People’s Kitchen they are an essential part of their daily existence that gives them hope and a feeling that life can be good.”


With the recent opening of their new custom built help desk, additional support is now being given by the charity to help clients connect with other providers for health care, education opportunities and accommodation. This new facility ensures that the vulnerable people of Newcastle are given the best possible care and support at all times, much like the way that founder Alison Kay envisaged twenty five years ago.

From a privileged background herself, Alison demonstrated total empathy with the people she opened her heart and her home to the clients she called her “chaps”. Sadly, Alison passed away in 1994 but her legacy still lives on in the tremendous work carried out by the dedicated volunteers who each give up their time to support those in need. Every person helped in whatever small way is a lasting testimony to Alison’s foresight, dedication and caring nature helping those less fortunate than herself.

The fact that many of the People’s Kitchen’s unpaid volunteers have been involved for the past twenty five years themselves and consistently generous public fundraising donations is proof of the affection and feeling of worth that emanates from the people of Tyneside towards the charity. Indeed, the People’s Kitchen is proud to have a full list of patrons that includes Her Grace the Duchess of Northumberland and the Rt Rev Martin Wharton The Bishop Newcastle and Rt Rev Seamus Cunningham Bishop of Newcastle and Hexham.

One long serving volunteer is Beryl, who coordinates the kitchen’s activities from the mobile unit in Trafalgar Street every Monday evening. Beryl knew Alison well and has adopted the same caring attitude and approach towards her clients. ”No matter who you are or what you’ve done, you will always find someone to talk to, something warm to wear and something hot to eat,” she said. “We are all very proud to be carrying on the caring tradition that Alison started 25 years ago and look forward to serving the homeless community in Newcastle for the next 25 years too.”

EDITORS NOTES
The People’s Kitchen – Fast Facts

 There are more than 150 volunteers from all walks of life who give their time to the People’s Kitchen every week.
 Many homeless people are under 25 years of age (approx 60% of those helped by the People’s Kitchen)
 A lot of homeless people are temporarily housed in hostels but there are still too many people sleeping rough on the streets

 Around 120 meals are issued every night that the People’s Kitchen is open. That equates to around 37,000 meals per year – just short of a million acts of kindness in the past 25 years.
 The volunteers prepare freshly cooked meals from 6.30 until 8.30pm and provide evening meals for between 120 -140 people on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.
 At Trafalgar Street, late night supper is served on a Monday and Thursday from 8.45pm until 10.30pm and around 60 - 100 clients attend this session.
 On Sunday mornings, breakfast for 120 people is served at Old Eldon Square at 8.30am and Westgate Road Cemetery from 10.00 a.m.
 Tons of good quality clothing is issued every year to ensure that no one freezes to death on the streets during winter

The People’s Kitchen’s patrons are Her Grace the Duchess of Northumberland and Rt Rev Martin Wharton The Bishop Newcastle and Rt Rev Seamus Cunningham Bishop of Newcastle and Hexham

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