A kind hearted Gateshead businessman has literally put his money where his mouth is to help Tyneside’s homeless people this Christmas.
Nick Fairley, a chef, whose business Cooking 4 Life delivers practical cookery experiences for children, was so impressed with a project he was involved with at Roman Road Primary School in Leam Lane to help the homeless that he teamed up with a number of Gateshead primary schools to distribute care boxes at Christmas.
In all, eight schools have all risen to the challenge of providing as many festive care boxes as possible and children as young as three have worked enthusiastically to decorate and fill the boxes with Christmas gifts such as socks, gloves, chocolate and toothpaste. Each box also contains a heartfelt Christmas message from the child who made the box.
Nick was delighted with the enthusiastic response from the children. “We’ve now got more than 400 boxes full of presents for the People’s Kitchen to distribute,” he said. “Just making a small difference to one person is a big deal; the thought of hundreds of children making boxes is simply amazing.”
The children with the best decorated boxes were given prizes donated by local businesses at a special event hosted by Cooking 4 Life where the children prepared and cooked soup and met volunteers from The People’s Kitchen.
Maureen Hogg from the People’s Kitchen was amazed at the number of care boxes donated and at the caring attitude of the children.
“Every box is beautifully decorated and contains thoughtful necessities that perhaps we take for granted.
This year, these children will wake on Christmas morning excited and happy to be spending time with their families opening their presents but they will also give a thought to their homeless friend, who will know someone out there truly cares,” she said.
The Gateshead schools involved were Roman Road, Carr Hill, Glynwood, Crookhill, Dunston Hill, Dunston Riverside, Winlaton West Lane and The Drive Primary schools.
Ends
Photograph shows Nick and Maureen with children representing the schools
Editors Notes follow:
www.cooking4life.co.uk
www.facebook.com/cooking4life
· Cooking 4 Life works in schools, children’s centres and community venues across the North East
· We work with children and adults of all ages and abilities
· We teach healthy eating, practical hands on cooking and we link directly in with the national curriculum
The People’s Kitchen was formed in 1985 and has transformed thousands of disadvantaged people’s lives by providing them with friendship and food and filling a gap in the evenings when homeless people are at their most vulnerable.
For six days of the week, fifty two weeks of the year, more than 650 people are helped in many ways by the kind hearted volunteers at The People’s Kitchen and surprisingly, a large proportion of those helped are aged 25 or less. Volunteers come from all walks of life, all ages and from all over the North East.
The People’s Kitchen – Fast Facts
v There are more than 150 volunteers from all walks of life who give their time to the People’s Kitchen every week.
v Many homeless people are under 25 years of age (approx 60% of those helped by the People’s Kitchen)
v A lot of homeless people are temporarily housed in hostels but there are still too many people sleeping rough on the streets
v Around 120 meals are issued every night that the People’s Kitchen is open. That equates to around 37,000 meals per year – just short of a million acts of kindness in the past 25 years.
v The volunteers prepare freshly cooked meals from 6.30 until 8.30pm and provide evening meals for between 120 -140 people on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.
v At Trafalgar Street, late night supper is served on a Monday and Thursday from 8.45pm until 10.30pm and around 60 – 100 clients attend this session.
v On Sunday mornings, breakfast for 120 people is served at Old Eldon Square at 8.30am and Westgate Road Cemetery from 10.00 a.m.
v Tons of good quality clothing is issued every year to ensure that no one freezes to death on the streets during winter
v The People’s Kitchen’s patrons are Her Grace the Duchess of Northumberland, the Rt Rev. Martin Wharton, Bishop of Newcastle and the Right Rev. Seamus Cunningham, Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle.
“I liked making my box for someone who has nothing. It was fun decorating and choosing what to put in it”. Kayleigh Aged 5 (Roman Road Primary School)
“At this time of year, children are beginning to get excited about what they want or expect to get at Christmas. By taking part in the Care Box Appeal our children have focussed their thoughts on those less fortunate than themselves. They have shown great enthusiasm collecting items to go into their boxes and worked together to decide what should go into each care box. We think our school will be donating in the region of 100 boxes, a fantastic achievement”. – Callum Kidd, Head Teacher (Carr Hill Community Primary School). 