Times are tough - but donations to Sunderland Community Soup kitchen this year have ‘exceeded expectations’

Yet for many people living rough, they are out on the streets regardless of the weather.

The icy conditions will have left other people needing to make the agonising choice between heating and eating. For several years now, the Sunderland Community Soup Kitchen has been a vital lifeline for those struggling across the city. A group of volunteers who provide meals for those who need a helping hand, the kitchen relies on the kindness of the public to keep it going.

December is also the month of the fundraiser with Sunderland AFC fan site Roker Report, the site supports the SCSK every year and the annual fundraiser has raised hundreds and thousands of pounds in recent years.

Andrea Bell leads things at the kitchen, but she is always keen to make sure the credit is given to the fantastic group of volunteers around her. As the countdown to Christmas continues, I spoke to Andrea to find out about the fundraiser campaign so far and how the SCSK has needed to adapt in a changing environment.

“It exceeded our expectations,” Andrea said about the fundraising total so far.

“We said everyone needs to cut back because the cost of living is rising, so I’m absolutely thrilled to bits. It’s incredible. People’s generosity in times of strife is wonderful; it’s wonderful that people are supporting us. It’s not as much as we’ve had in previous years, but it’s still very well received. We’re over the moon, it’s a huge bonus for a small charity like ourselves.”

People from a wide range of backgrounds and scenarios use the SCSK, and Andrea addressed who these are and why its a case of some people just being unable to get to the end of the month.

“Lots of isolated people [come to the Soup Kitchen], people who don’t have much money. We have homeless people, people are experiencing domestic violence and people who are victims of human trafficking as well. We also have employed people who sometimes get to the end of the month and are just needing a bit of extra help in the last few days of the month. It’s a whole spectrum.

To branch out on the work they do and the help they can provide to those in need, the SCSK has made some important partnerships.

“Now, five years down the line we have linked up with lots of other support organizations which means we can give high-end service in terms of redirecting people towards good help.”

December is a tough month for many people, and Andrea believes more people need to use the kitchen because of the pressures that the festivities and cold weather bring.

“People are trying to rob Peter to pay Paul. They're trying to cut down on food in order to buy Christmas presents, or they’re trying to put the heating on more because the temperatures have dropped and they never normally do that. I think people get quite sentimental about being warm at Christmas, I think people need to play with their money more.

“The money isn’t all going to food, so I think our food service is way more important in December and January.”

The donations have dipped in recent times, and Andrea says the team understands why- and have also addressed what the SCSK has in place to become more self-sufficient.

“We are getting substantially less donations than we used to get. This is why we’ve had to open alternative funding routes to get back on track and try to get control of where we are with our destiny.

“These are quite exciting projects, we’ve got a Vinted clothes shop and a community hub which will have various things going on. We’ve also got a sewing repair workshop out the back as well. We’re trying to stand on our own feet, and it might take 12 months but we’ll get there. We need to look this far ahead.

“The public has so well supported us but we just know now that people can’t do it. So we’ve had to put a different business plan in place so we know where we are heading. It’s about planning for six months and 12 months.”

The kitchen is always on the look out for donations and support, and some items are seen as very much appreciated by the team.

Andrea added: “If people could help with bringing chicken and mince, that would be great. If they would be so kind to help with this that would be fantastic. We use 5% fat mince, because other meat isn’t good enough for homeless people. If people could help with boneless chicken thighs and mince, that would be brilliant. We spend hundreds of pounds a week on meat, so any help with that would be greatly appreciated and would be incredible.

“What’s more expensive is packaging, and since we’ve had to revert to eco-friendly packaging and away from polystyrene it has probably cost us about four times more a month. 100 deserts, 100 main courses is a lot of packaging, so again if someone would like to help us out with this, we would greatly appreciate it. If they want to message us to ask which packaging we use, we would definitely be able to help out and would be wonderful.”

The importance of the money to the SCSK was not underestimated by Andrea, but she said that spreading the word about projects around Sunderland are just as vital.

“The thing is we have to expect that it's not going to be like what we normally get, because nobody has it. I’m hoping the book and the socks will chunk the total up a little bit, and the last week of December is normally when it escalates. Sometimes, even though we need the money, I don’t want it to seem like that’s what it's all about.

“Sometimes it's more about the awareness of all the things people are dealing with, and that’s more important to me. I’m not going to say money isn’t important, it is, but the recognition of what work is being done in the city is just as important to me.”

The kitchen had a visit from Sunderland AFC men’s players Dennis Cirkin and Trai Hume earlier this month. Joining them were Lasses players Jessica Brown, Grace McCatty, Megan Borthwick and Katy Watson. Andrea talked with so much positivity about their time in the kitchen.

“There’s a buzz around the city in general. The football club is doing well, and the city is moving in the right direction. I call it moving and shaking, a lot of people are in a good mood. When the players came down, it was a continuation of this positivity. It was lovely, the club wouldn’t get any staff done when they were here.

“Trai and Dennis were great, and the Lasses were here as well. Also we had Martyn from A Love Supreme and Ant from Roker Report. They were giving out hats and everyone had a great time. They brought the place alive.”

Andrea and the wonderful volunteers at the Sunderland Community Soup Kitchen will give lots of people a reason to smile this Christmas. You can support them by donating to the fundraiser or by buying a copy of the ‘Mackem Cewkbewk’.