Hereford hub supporting homeless launches from permanent location
Lee's Place was set-up in January this year and has helped serve nearly 3,000 hot meals to homeless people in its first six months and has now moved to a new home in St Peter's Square
A hub providing homeless people in Hereford with hot meals has launched from a new location to keep being able to provide permanent support.
Since being set-up at Maylord Orchards in January, Lee's Place has helped 128 different individuals and served just short of 3,000 meals (2,943) in the first six months of the year.
It's now moved to St Peter's Square and is due to open its doors for the first time tonight {Saturday 4 October) and will continue to open seven evenings a week from 6-8pm.
Christine Price is the chief executive of Community Power which is the charity organisation which oversees the hub, she says the place was created as they felt there was a 'gap' in the support in the evenings and weekends for the homeless in the city.
"It's more than just food, this is about creating a sense of community and being able to provide a whole range of support for people who are homeless," she said.
"We can help with washing, help with pastoral support, but we also have a games and leisure room downstairs where people can relax in a warm space.
"Having a permanent base where we can operate through the day as well means we can do a wider range of activities as we start to grow, which gives us a huge opportunity to make a massive difference."
The place, which is helped run by volunteers, generally sees 'between 20 and 30 people every night' according to Christine.
She says that support is essential for people to have, especially as the temperatures start to drop in coming months.
"It's going to get cold and they're going to need somewhere to sort of have that respite from being on the street," she said.
"Nutrition is hugely important to all of us and having a nutritious and hot meal and being able to sit down and eat it in comfort is really important.
"We thought we'd get quieter in the summer but we didn't, the need is there all year round, it's just a different kind of need which we see."