Brixton soup kitchen delighted at cash boost donated by Network Homes housing association

A housing association has given away £1,300 to a charity food kitchen. Network Homes has donated the money to homeless food charity Brixton Soup Kitchen.

The housing association was introduced to charity founder Solomon Smith following sponsorship of last weekend’s Disco Festival.

Network Homes staff will also volunteer their services at Brixton Soup Kitchen during the next few months and the donation will further help the Soup Kitchen and its off-shoot Holiday Hunger, supply food for children unable to feed themselves during the school holidays.

Lisa Ley, head of sales and marketing at Network Homes, said: “We’ve been working with the community in the area since 2005 and wanted to get involved with Brixton Disco Festival, as it plays to the musical influences in the area.

It was through this that we were introduced to Solomon and his team and felt this was a great community initiative to support.

“At Network Homes we aim to do all we can to help solve the housing crisis and we’ve already worked with organisations such as St Mungo’s, St Laurence’s Larder and New Horizon Youth Centre, who all work to aid homeless people.

“We look forward to helping make a difference to people in Brixton and the surrounding area.”

Brixton Soup Kitchen feeds more than 60 homeless people every day from the area and across London, while relying on volunteers and donations from local and larger businesses.

They also offer legal support on issues such as housing and debt.

Actress, Joanna Lumley is also a generous ambassador to the cause. Mr Smith said: “We are very lucky to have generous supporters, who donate all sorts of items from food to soap and even shoes so that we can pass on to homeless people.

“Times are extremely hard and we are seeing more and more homeless people on our streets coming through our door. “Even though we are a charity, we do still have overheads so monetary donations are also very helpful to keep our kitchen up and running as we rely solely on donations and have no Government funding.”

Brixton Disco Festival took place on Saturday with a roller disco in the main Windrush Square. Throughout the afternoon, 3,500 ticketholders got the chance to spin back to the disco era at a series of venues including the Ritzy, the Black Cultural Archives, the Prince of Wales and Electric Brixton.

Organisers hope to have raised more than £2,000 for local charities. Network Homes is a housing association which means any surplus from private home sales goes back into building more affordable homes such as shared ownership and social rent.

It also funds community projects such as community centres and grants for projects in local areas. Its latest development is BRX in Stockwell Road.