For years I worked in a soup kitchen cutting up loaves and making sandwiches while the soup came to boil in a monster of a pan.
But I became very delusioned when I went out on a soup run.
It was not the homeless who came for the free handout they were already fast asleep in their niches full of cider, no it was lonely people who wanted company.
Never no more.

I don't believe this! These people already have nothing, and now the council feels it's ok for them to starve? What sort of world is this turning into?

Ken Livingstone is trying to starve the pigeons out of Trafalgar Square and now London Councils are trying to do the same with humans, it’s a truly dreadful society we are living in these days.

People need to remember 6 months out of work and we could all end up homeless and on the streets.

I've actively volunteered with soup runs and homeless outreach for 10 years. Soup runs ultimately offer an important source of assistance for a 'highly stigmatised group', especially for those who may see other forms of support as 'spaces of fear' (ie where soup runs may be considered, by some of society's most vulnerable, as the only reasonable and immediate means of frontline support for their unique needs). It is in ultimately accepting this diversity of individual human experience that we must allow soup runs to remain as an essential provider of support. Poverty is complex. People who are homeless are in reality a diverse group of individuals who require a wide range of support services; especially when all of society's other safety nets have failed. Many homeless individuals are already increasingly marginalised and experience hostility on a daily basis so let's not cut off the vital lifeline that soup runs are able to offer.

It appears that it is always the most vunerable in society that are targeted. Every year we have the homeless dying on the streets of Croydon. Remove the soup runs and that number can only rise.

behaviour like that tells me that the milk of human kindness has been dehydrated

Soup runs are a wonderful thing - but not in Queens Gardens. A Church Hall would be ideal. As someone who regularly attends police meetings in the Town Hall and parks in Fairfield Car Park, it is very frightening and very dangerous coming out of the underpass to be faced by a load of aggressive, fighting, abusive drunks. Nothing to do with being homeless - these are alcoholics, and a lot of them come from outside the Borough.

Soup runs are great - but better held in a church hall. Queens Gardens is quite the wrong place, as what we have been getting is a load of violent drunks having fights. The underpass into the car park is very unsafe, as one has go past all this in the dark. I usually have a police escort.

Soup runs are a great thing - but only if held in a Church hall, or similar. I have attended many police meetings in the Town Hall at night, and have had to have a police escort to get back to my car, as trying to walk safely through Queens Gardens into the underpass to the car park is impossible. These are often not just homeless people, but violent people from outside the Borough with a drink problem - and often fighting occurs.

I've volunteered for Croydon Nightwatch recently, I work in Central Croydon, and am concerned about the implications of the Bill should it be implemented. The operation has run since 1976 and has provided an essential service to the homeless and vulnerable in the Croydon area.



This operates from the Queen's Gardens each evening throughout the year, the vicinity of which is almost deserted at this time, the park being surrounded by Croydon Council and private sector offices, not residential housing or businesses operating in the evening. An open (or non-secure) town-centre park in a London urban area is invariably a magnet for homeless people or those wishing to participate in other pursuits, so the argument that Croydon Nightwatch encourages this, bearing in mind that it only operates for a short time nightly to distribute items, seems unreasonable. If the council wished to prevent such folk using the park at night because of the loss of utility from 'bona-fide' citizens, surely they would have made the park secure years ago?



Charities such as Croydon Nightwatch don't own a building in which they could distribute food. The cost of renting say a church hall for 7 evenings a week could be insurmountable with the limited resources under which we operate. Even if the resources were made available, there is likely to issue with regards to the availability of a single site, as well as displacing the operations nearer to residential and business premises, precisely what the Bill seeks to avoid. We would like to continue distributing hot and cold foods, clothing, essentials and providing follow-on help for as long as we are needed. Although there may be a decline in 'homeless' people living on London streets in the last 20 years, we have still many people living in short-term and vulnerable accommodation who value our help. Recently, for example, we have been the point of call for a desperate boy who we encouraged to go the police and seek help, a man who was left to live in his landlord's car, a man whose wages had not been paid, as well as advising of local help such as the Croydon Resource Centre to assist in our clients' rehabilitation. As Croydon Nightwatch operates nightly, one could argue that it reduces the need for begging also; I've advised hungry people on the street (who may not of been aware) of the service and they have been grateful for its availability.



Croydon Nightwatch provides a classic part of community involvement. Many councils and other bodies often encourage this as part of their sustainability policies. The stereotypes of our clients as being people who are aggressive, drunken or drugged is a frustrating issue we have to deal with when consultations such as these are put forward. The significant majority of our clients are civil, sober and most courteous; I welcome objectors to come along to one of our sessions to see for themselves.



Westminster City Council may have experienced specific issues, but why these cannot be resolved on a local level by assisting charities and organisations to mitigate these is difficult to fathom. Applying the Bill London-wide will cost taxpayer funds in attempting to alleviate a problem that could be insignificant elsewhere. On face of it, as well as appearing immoral, this is likely to have damaging PR implications for the councils involved in the light of this.



I do hope that the Bill will be reconsidered and the option to allow the distribution of food and refreshments be retained.

PS Anne, I sypathise with your safety concerns; our volunteers (many of whom are female) come to and from central croydon for their evening shifts. There are meters on Edridge Road and you may find parking on the High St in the evening. Also, you could apply for a parking permit to park adjacent to the council offices.

Peter and Anne, we like to welcome you to one of our evening sessions so you can see our work in action and meet our clients. Please enter our organisation name into a search engine and enter our website for contact details. Best regards.

Trouble is - I have only ever seen alcoholics and a lot of shouting!

We operate from a specific location at a specific time in Queen's Gardens to provide assistance to our clients. There are other folk who use the park in the evening who do not attend our sessions. We welcome anyone who has issues with our operations to attend one of our evening sessions which take place every night, every week of the year. Please refer to my earlier posting for details of how to arrange this. Best regards.

Peter wrote:
For years I worked in a soup kitchen cutting up loaves and making sandwiches while the soup came to boil in a monster of a pan. But I became very delusioned when I went out on a soup run. It was not the homeless who came for the free handout they were already fast asleep in their niches full of cider, no it was lonely people who wanted company. Never no more.

That's what you actually think?

I am not familiar with this group giving out free food to the homeless, but I believe that any body doing this should kind of work be applauded for their efforts to assist those who need help, for with no benefits to themselves. We all need help at some point in our lives and if we don't give it, or at least support those who do, we should not be surprised if in our time of need we do not get the required help - it is very true that what we sow we reap.

We worked with a london based soup kitchen for a while,These vunerable people need all the help they can get.We are all one step away from the horror of sleeping rough. Also could you let me have the phone number of Croydon night watch, we would very much like to lend a helping hand.
regards
Sue & Ray

Hello,
I was a homeless for 3 months during this time my only source of food was the soup kitchen in wathamstow. So most of the people there were homeless but also alcoholics. I don't understand comments like Peters one. Do you think I was there because I'm lonly? Sharing food with smelly, sometimes dangerous, when drunk people?
I have flat now but I'm thinking about the others who weren't that lucky than me.

hi
i have read all your comments you all made . and some good some not so , what i would like to say is most of the homeless wont to get sorted out but there is NOT THE RIGHT HELP FOR US and back in the 19.. we the homeless had are OWN homeless park where we stayed all the soupruns came the park ,, so the saying is IF THE LONDON COUNCIL WONT TO GET RID OF US AND THE HAND OUTS ? ( GIVE US ARE PARK BACK AND LEVE IT ALONE

We are a self funding charity that help children and adults with learning difficulties.
We are considering expanding to run a soup kitchen once or twice a week in the evening to help people who require it.
We are based in N.London and are willing to drive half an hour in any direction to a destination that requires our assistance.
Any suggestions what area we can help in