BY Tom Lowenstein
Brixton Soup Kitchen is celebrating its re-launch tomorrow, with a fundraising event at its new home in the Dominoes Community Centre, Coldharbour Lane.
The family fun day takes place from 12pm until 8pm and entrance costs £5. All proceeds will help the organisation to continue developing the services it has been offering since first opening its doors last year.
Founded in January 2013 by lifelong Brixton resident and Lambeth youth worker Solomon Smith, the volunteer-run service provides hot food, drink and companionship to around 50 people daily.
“We’re hoping for it to be a lovely family-filled day where the whole community can come out,” 29-year-old Smith told Brixton Blog.
“The Brixton Soup Kitchen has moved to a new location now and we’re just letting everyone know that this is where the new centre is and what sorts of services we’re going to be providing.”
Having begun life at Southwyck House Community Centre, the generous support of Brixton residents and local businesses has now enabled the organisation to relocate to larger, more suitable premises.
High street names like Nando’s, Greggs and Pret A Manger have also lent their support, providing food to the kitchen free of charge which can then be served to visitors and distributed around London to families living on the breadline.
On Saturday, the soup kitchen will play host to a variety of food stalls, with entertainment coming from live musicians and performers, face painters and a bouncy castle.
Local businesses and organisations have also pitched in to help with the re-launch, providing their services and donating raffle prizes to help raise as much money as possible.
“Our main ethos is about bringing different communities together who can work with us,” Smith added. “So we’ve got a lot of organisations and start-ups in Brixton who are getting involved too.”
For more information or to get involved, you can visit the Brixton Soup Kitchen website, follow them on Twitter or like their Facebook page.
