Community kitchen reopens to help feed those in need through lockdown - here's how you can help

Registered charity Pontefract Community Kitchen are a group of volunteers who feed people in need by collecting donations, serving hot food and preparing meal packages.

For the last two years, they were operating from The Real Bread Company cafe on Gillygate and in March, they got the keys to their very own premises in Horse Fair House - but due to lockdown they were forced to close after one day.

This month, they were able to reopen their premises for the first time since then to resume feeding families and individuals who are in need of food.

Ann Lancaster, Community Kitchen volunteer, said: “We’re approaching nearly three years of Pontefract Community Kitchen. Unfortunately, the big ideas we had for the kitchen all had to take a backstep because of Covid.

“It’s been hard throughout lockdown as we haven't had a base to work from to give food to the guys who need it.

“From March until now, we’ve been picking up donations and dropping food packages off for people on their doorsteps.

“We've been lowering food and hot drinks down using a bucket from the window at Woods Solicitors for the homeless - we cannot thank them enough for letting us carry out our work from their base.

“Now although we’re back at our own premises, we’re operating a bit different to normal - we can’t have people sitting inside due to government Covid guidelines.

“We serve people their food with a takeaway system, so the guys queue up outside and the volunteers give them the food from our doorway without them hanging around.

“We’ve all got to wear our PPE and we encourage those who come to collect food to wear PPE too.

“It is quite difficult doing it this way, and at the moment it's a lot of trial and error to find a perfect system that works, but making sure everyone gets their food in a safe way is our main concern.”

Around 26 people arrived on the first night of reopening, and Ann says this could easily treble within the coming weeks.

Pontefract Community Kitchen is urging the community to donate non perishable goods, like canned, sacheted and packaged food.

Donations can be left at Woods Solicitors on prior to arrangement by The Pontefract Community Kitchen Facebook page.Or alternatively, donations can be left at Pontefract Community Kitchen’s at 8 Horse Fair House, on Thursdays between 2pm and 4pm.

Ann said: “If someone comes to us in need of food, whether a family or an individual, we pack a bag up and send it their way.

“We would never refuse anyone food, even more so with children, regardless of situation, if we’ve got it we’ll feed them.”

“We’ve opened at such an important time with what’s going on at the moment surrounding child poverty - what people may not understand is that child poverty will be around for a long time.

“There’s so much confusion around when people will come off furlough,Covid is escalating around our area and if we go into full lockdown again people will lose jobs - I think it’ll get worse before it’ll get better.

“These kids will have to be fed forever, it's not temporary and it's not just for now - a lot of their families with no wages coming in and people will end up on benefits.

“We also haves seven people in the Pontefract and Knottingley area without homes, so we’ve had to order them tents and warm sleeping bags for the winter.

“If anyone wants to help get involved, please look at the local groups, charities and food banks in your area that are always looking for donations and volunteers.”