May 2025

Supper’s Up has marked its first year of serving ‘dinner, community and opportunity’ in central Preston

Our newest support programme celebrated its impact and the volunteers who’ve made it possible, following its first year of helping people in need across the city.

The soup kitchen opened in May 2024 and provided 15,000 meals to hundreds of people during its first year alone.

It was founded by our team – Naomi and Katrina – after they saw a gap in provision for people facing homelessness needing hot meals, food parcels and support in central Preston.

Naomi Winter, who works for our Food Redistribution Centre, is the main contact for the 150+ charitable groups we supply food to across Lancashire and Cumbria.

She explained: “We provide food and goods for all sorts of groups but I realised there was nothing on offer for people who are street homeless in my own community. Seeing how other groups work and support people, I knew a soup kitchen would be a good way to help to meet people’s immediate, basic needs and build trust and relationships to then help them with other challenges they’re facing.
“We’re blown away with how it’s gone down – hundreds of people have come to us for help, and so many others in the community have stepped up to support us. We serve at least 100 meals every week and we’re entirely volunteer led. Over the months we’ve built trust with the people visiting and have been able to help people with issues around housing, addiction, mental health and training.”

Supper’s Up opens every Wednesday evening at Crossgate Church on St Mary’s Road North, Preston, from 6pm.

Offering ‘dinner, community and opportunity’ it serves food and drinks and signposts people to extra support as needed. Over the last year, Supper’s Up has dished up close to 15,000 hot meals and handed out 4,100 food parcels and 800 care packages. It has also given out 131 sleep pods, sleeping bags and tents.

For dads like Dan, it gives “breathing space” – “It’s a lifeline. It’s a really welcoming, warm atmosphere and my life has been moving forward ever since connecting with Recycling Lives Charity.” Read his story here.

For men like Frank, it’s an opportunity to be “warm and around other people” – “Since my wife died, I’ve been on my own. Now I look forward to Wednesdays, everybody is so nice and the food is delicious.” Read his story here.

Co-founder Katrina Walmsley, who runs our residential programme, said: “We see a real mix of people coming – we do get a lot who are street homeless, as they know we’re a safe place to get a good meal and emergency supplies, as well as ongoing support. But we also get asylum seekers, working people who are struggling to make ends meet, people who are struggling with mental health problems, families with young children, and older people who are on their own.”

Naomi added: “We know it’s tragic and frustrating that so many people need this kind of help, but it’s our privilege that people trust us to help them.”

The soup kitchen’s team is able to signpost visitors for extra support from our other programmes, including the ACE team for support with addiction, mental health and housing, our volunteering programmes, and our residential facility.

Katrina added: “Our volunteers are just as diverse. We have lads who’ve been recently released from prison who want to give back, as well as staff from the prisons too, and we have local businesses covering costs and giving their time too. And our team at the Charity have all stepped up too. We’re so grateful for everyone’s help.”

The soup kitchen hosted a celebration for its 1st birthday on May 7th, welcoming the High Sheriff and Deputy Lieutenant of Lancashire, Jim Carter and Michael Conlon, and the Mayor of Preston, Cllr Phil Crowe. The party celebrated the project’s volunteers for their efforts, with a buffet and cake supplied by Roccoco Coffee Lounge, run by Brothers of Charity in Leyland.

The soup kitchen has been supported with funding from The Cumberland Building Society and Preston Council, and with donations of goods and time from Tesco stores in Buckshaw Village and Blackpool, Smart Solutions, and Recycling Lives Services.