Peckham Soup Kitchen (PSK) continues to serve hundreds of people a week out the back of a van, nearly a year after being told to leave its Rye Lane premises – which as of 12 November, is occupied by a furniture shop.
The south London soup kitchen, which has been providing essential groceries and free meals to Peckham’s most vulnerable since 2022, was asked to vacate their Berkeley Homes-owned premises 11 months ago.
Since then, PSK’s founders and volunteers have been searching for a new site, whilst continuing their service outside Peckham Library.
Diana Ceccolini, a volunteer for PSK for two years, said: “The thing I miss the most about having a space is being able to sit with people and chat with them.
“A lot of our service users are quite lonely and very vulnerable, so we’d sit and ask them a question and then they’d speak for hours.
“Now, people come, but they leave soon after because it’s cold and they go back to, what is usually, an isolated lifestyle.”
Berkeley Homes provided PSK with the commercial space in 2023.
Under the agreement, they did not charge PSK for use of the space, and covered their business rates and service charges.
Amelia Naraine, a volunteer at PSK for four years, said: “We’re very grateful to [Berkeley Homes] for giving us the space, and we knew at some point it was going to end, but we weren’t really sure when or why it was going to end.”
Naraine said the search to find a new premises had been ‘really difficult’, as discussions with Southwark Council eight to nines months ago came to no avail, with the local authority concluding they could not offer PSK a suitable space.
She said: “We’re looking for a space, we’re making appeals, we’re asking.”
Despite Southwark Council not being able to help PSK, Naraine told the Londoners it is listed as a service on the local authority’s emails.
The Londoners found that PSK is on Southwark Council’s food map.
When they first began, PSK operated in Dene Community Centre, Peckham, and were able to provide food, arts and crafts, and a warm space where service-users could sit and talk.
Ceccolini said: “I felt that we created more of a bond with people before and we were able to listen to their needs, and for example, refer them to other services if they needed anything.”
Despite their current situation, the volunteers at PSK remained undetterred and positive.
Dean Foster, co-founder of Peckham Soup Kitchen, said: “Building or no building, we’re still going to do it.
“What we’ve done is phenomenal – it’s come from nothing. The people coming together, there’s no better feeling.”
Naraine said: “I love it. As volunteers here we’ve really got to know the community and speak to people we wouldn’t normally speak to.”
PSK was set-up after Dean Foster was inspired by Brixton Soup Kitchen, which supports the Lambeth community, and decided to bring a similar service to Southwark.
Alongside his co-founder, Junior Mohammed, and volunteers, they started in Dene Community Centre and soon expanded their offering to a door-to-door meal service on Wednesdays, serving predominantly those living in Caroline Gardens, Peckham.
Foster said: “The first time I was delivering hot meals, someone said ‘Hey Dean, can’t you just come in and sit down with me for 10 minutes?’ and I said, ‘Yeah of course I can!’”
Foster told the Londoners doing the door-to-door service gave him an insight into how some in Peckham are struggling behind closed doors, particularly with the cost of living crisis and the pandemic.
Initially, PSK tended to see homeless people or those suffering from addiction using the service, but Foster said he has noticed a greater range of people coming in the past few months, even some wearing suits.
The Londoners was told some wait outside Peckham Library for hours before the van arrives on a Friday afternoon.
Food insecurity has risen in London, impacting 8.6% of the capital’s households in 2022/23 to 10.6% the following year, according to data from Trust for London.
Foster said: “I’d just like Southwark to know that this is actually going on.”
The Londoners visited Billboard Furniture to speak to the staff about the opening; however, were not able to get a comment.
Cllr John Batteson, cabinet member for climate emergency, jobs and business, said: “We are aware that Peckham Soup Kitchen, a much-valued community organisation, is seeking new premises after leaving the site previously provided by Berkeley Homes.
“The council does not currently have any suitable properties available around Rye Lane that they could look into.
“We are continuing to work proactively with local organisations in Peckham to meet the needs of our most vulnerable residents and we wish Peckham Soup Kitchen every success in finding a suitable premises.”
Featured image credit: Alice Tomlinson
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