The People’s Kitchen in Newcastle receives £1,500 donation from local housebuilder

Newcastle homeless charity The People's Kitchen has received a £1,500 boost from a local housebuilder.

The city centre based organisation supports vulnerable and homeless people across Newcastle, helping to fight hunger and loneliness for locals in need, otherwise known as its Friends.

As well as providing hot meals, the charity also shares packages of clothing, toiletries, food, mobile phones and sleeping bags. It works with services to enable people to move off the streets, before providing food, furniture and bedding to people when they move into their first home.

Now Barratt Homes North East has made a £1,500 donation, from its Sycamore Grove development - 72 homes set near Walkergate Metro station - as part of the company’s initiative to give back to the community in which it builds. The local housebuilder made the donation to The People’s Kitchen as part of its Community Fund initiative, which was established to reach those most in need living close to its developments.

The four-figure sum will go towards keeping the overall operation going at The People’s Kitchen, which includes buying items including sleeping bags, warm waterproof clothing, flasks, hats, scarves and dry shoes, as well as food for people in need.

Maggie Pavlou, Trustee at The People’s Kitchen, said: “We are very grateful for Barratt Homes’ donation, which is essential in helping us provide a vital lifeline for those most vulnerable in the Newcastle area. Homelessness is still a huge issue in our society, and our work provides a light in the dark for people who experience these difficulties.”

Emily Watson, sales manager at Barratt Homes’ Sycamore Grove development, said: “The People’s Kitchen does crucial work in the local community, and we are so pleased that our donation is helping contribute to the charity’s ongoing operations. Homeless charities are vital to communities and a hub like The People’s Kitchen is exactly what’s needed in Newcastle, so we’re more than happy to support the Kitchen to help our most vulnerable locals who are in desperate need.”

Sycamore Grove is an exclusive development of 72 homes surrounding green open space and mature trees. Offering a collection of three and four bedroom homes, the development is just a 10-minute drive from Newcastle city center and a 3-minute walk away from Walkergate Metro.