Wolves Aid Help to Keep Good Shepherd Soup Kitchen Up and Running

Wolves Aid, part of Wolves Community Trust, has donated £5,697.03 to the local Good Shepherd Soup Kitchen in order for them to buy much needed catering refrigeration equipment. This means that that the distribution of hot food, which was previously under threat, could be continued.

Rachael Heyhoe-Flint, Wolves Aid ambassador, went along for a visit to present Brother Stephen, who runs the Soup Kitchen, with the final cheque for the freezers.

She also took with her various items of the club’s old training kit to be distributed amongst the soup kitchen’s users.

Rachael said of the donation, “We’re delighted to be able to help The Good Shepherd Ministry by providing them with this equipment.

“I hope that it will make a real difference to the great work that they do here”.

The Soup Kitchen, based in Darlington Street Methodist Church, provides its patrons with two hot meals a week, as well as cold meals on the other days.

A recent Health and Safety inspection of the kitchens rendered their old chilling equipment not fit for purpose, which meant that the kitchen would not be allowed to produce any more hot food for their needy service users.

In total the donation has bought them two chiller cabinets, three chest freezers and nine freezer baskets which mean that the much-needed hot meals can be continued.

Last Christmas a number of the Wolves players went to the Soup Kitchen where the players served soup and hot drinks to homeless people and those living in poverty.

They also gave out gifts that the club had donated including blankets, toiletries, sweets, hats, gloves, and warm clothing.

Wolves Player Stephen Ward said of the visit: “The work the volunteers do here is brilliant – it’s all credit to them and they deserve every bit of support that we can give them.”

Brother Stephen, who runs the soup kitchen, said of the Wolves Aid donation, “Money aside, it’s so good to see Wolves so involved and interested in the community.

“It’s really important for the youth today – They need positive role models and the club has a brilliant reputation for promoting tolerance and understanding”.