Crossover Brighton Feeds More Than 80 Homeless People
David Bolton and his team have set up Brighton's first pop-up Street Kitchen as part of Crossover Brighton's 3:16 scheme, a voluntary project which provides up to 120 free meals to the city's homeless community.
A team of ten volunteers have set up a street kitchen in Brighton as part of a project to feed the homeless.
David Bolton of Crossover Brighton and his team meet on Saturday afternoons in the car park of St Peter's Church and prepare up to 120 meals which are distributed for free to those in need.
The 3:16 project came into existence earlier this year, following the popularity of previous events in which the team worked closely with the church on similar schemes.
The Saturday At Six (SAS) event, which only started 5 weeks ago, proved to be a success with the guests who were treated to live music and a hot meal comprising of roasted vegetables, pies, a variety of sweets and cakes, as well as nibbles, tea and coffee.
Mr Bolton, who has been involved in helping the homeless for more than 15 years, said: "what we have done in the past is we have used various kitchens, church kitchens, cooked meals, put them into takeaways, put them in the back of a van, and taken to the streets, where we distributed them along with cups of teas and other things as well.
The project is the only service that offers a full outdoor meal on a Saturday, and welcomes anyone in need of help, including dog owners, who are often not allowed to bring their pets to such events.
Mr Bolton's wife Linda, who also volunteers for the event, added that although there is no way to confirm whether a person is homeless or not during the event, they would never turn someone away.
She said: "We can't know if someone is really homeless, and yes, some people probably do just turn up for a free meal, but it is not for us to judge. We would hate to think that we turned someone away who really needed it."
Mr Bolton also added that there is a need for such services in Brighton, as events like these are an opportunity to support, engage and interact with these people.
The project is entirely funded by voluntary donations, either from charitable trusts or from members of the public who feel strongly about the cause and sponsor the team on a monthly basis by setting up standing orders and direct debits.
People attending the event were relaxed and openly expressed their gratitude for the team putting up this weekly service.
Diane, who has been attending events organised by St Peter's Church and Mr Bolton's team for years, said this was a great social experience that gave her the chance not only to meet new people, but also to get advice and support.
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She said: "I think they are marvellous, they really are. They keep us going. A lot of people are going through hard times at the moment, and if you've got a problem, you can come to them, which is great help when you are on your own. I can't say enough for them."
Similarly, recently made homeless Simone said she wouldn't know where she would be now had it not been for Mr Bolton and his team of volunteers supporting her and her husband through these difficult times.
The event also attracted the attention of passers-by, who were impressed by the care, hard work, and quality of service provided by the team.
Umain, an engineering graduate from the University of Sussex passing by at the time of the event, praised the project and expressed his interest in supporting it by volunteering, adding that what the team was doing was 'remarkable'.
He said: "I think it's a pretty good project, there should be more social projects like this. These (homeless) people are not useless, they definitely have a role in society and we should all do something to help them."
Similarly, 88-year-old Olive said she understands how important this project is as it remided her of the hard economic times during the Second World War.
She said: "When I left the navy in 1947, you were limited to food, just an ounce of butter a week, an ounce of sugar a week, and I suppose it made you think. What these people are doing is marvellous."
The programme will keep running until September 7, as during term-time, Crossover works with closely with St Peter's Church in organising restaurant-like meals in the church hall exclusively for Brighton's homeless community.
For more information about Crossover Brighton and their projects, or to express an interest in volunteering, visit their website.
To make a voluntary donation to Crossover Brighton, click