Breakfast in a bag
How the project started
During the first Covid lockdown we handed out over 500 food bags and helped more than 80 different homeless people. We have been thrilled by the response from the local community who have helped by contribution and by volunteering. Our weekly Monday breakfasts continue to this day…
The “Breakfast and a Bag” project arose out of our long-term commitment to supporting homeless and vulnerable people. Prior to the Covid pandemic, The Grove ran a weekly drop-in providing breakfasts and snacks, access to showers, haircuts, and a friendly and supportive place to be. Once a month, we ran a free lunchtime meal, our Lobby Lunch, which provided freshly made food, homemade cakes, and friendly conversation.
Once the lockdown began, we could no longer offer the drop-in or the monthly Lobby Lunch inside so instead we set up a table outside our front door and, on Monday and Friday mornings, we began to offer people takeaway breakfasts, bags of food, and other vital things such as toiletries, and power packs for phone charging. In the first 3 months alone we handed out over 500 food bags and helped more than 80 different people.
Throughout the Covid years, on Mondays we provided freshly cooked omelettes to order, and people went away with a couple of day’s food in a bag and some treats such as Yasmin and Anca’s homemade flapjacks!
Covid partners - North Kensington Community Kitchen
In addition on Fridays, a takeaway ready meal was kindly provided by the North Kensington Community Kitchen (NKCK), who partnered with us throughout the Lockdown. NKCK also used our kitchen to cook many 1000’s meals for local families.
Check out the great ongoing work of North Kensington Community Kitchen here. What stars!
Tough times for our homeless friends
The lockdown made it particularly hard for homeless and vulnerable people to get help and support, as day-centres, Citizens Advice Bureaux, libraries and even toilets all closed. We increased our one-to-one advocacy to help fill this gap and were part of the campaign to encourage local authorities to reopen public toilets.
A big thank you to all our local friends who donated food and funds throughout the Covid years and who joined the team of volunteers!The “Breakfast and a Bag” project continued for 18 months and was run by a team of church staff and local volunteers. Volunteer numbers grew as word got out and out of this has developed a strong volunteer team that still helps with our re-opened Monday breakfast drop-in. A big thank you to all our local friends who donated food and funds throughout the Covid years and who joined the team of volunteers. It’s made a huge difference to what we have been able to do for people. The cost of the project over the lockdown periods approached £18,000. For more photos and news updates, please see Holly’s GoFundMe page
Now we are back inside!
Now we’ve been able to bring all our friends inside and return to the pre-lockdown Monday Drop-in pattern. We’ll continue to provide our now famous omelettes, supplemented on a monthly basis by Gus’s bacon and sausage rolls, and Kaz’s delicious crepes!
For further information about volunteering or if you would like to join the volunteer team please contact us
