Leeds chef launches soup kitchen with charity to provide free weekly three-course meals to those in need

Hope Kitchen is an initiative set up by Dale Spink, who owns D’s Meal Prep and Brontae’s restaurant, Vulnerable Citizen Support charity and multi-service provider, Servo Group.

Every Monday, the kitchen will provide and deliver hot meals to anyone who needs one in LS12 and LS13 initially - which includes the Upper Armley, Lower Wortley, Armley, Farnley, New Wortley and Bramley areas.

Dale and Vulnerable Citizen Support’s founder, Haydn Jessop, hope that the kitchen will help struggling families, the homeless and anyone who needs a nutritious meal.

The team have received generous donations of food from local businesses and hope to be able to provide and deliver around 300 meals every week.

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Dale said: “We’re really excited to be working with Vulnerable Citizen Support on this initiative and incredibly grateful to all the businesses that have donated to Hope Kitchen so far.

"No human should go hungry and I realise, especially at the moment, that many people could be just two or three bad decisions away from being homeless so it’s amazing to be able to help."

Hope Kitchen's menu will change each week depending on available ingredients, and all food will be cooked by Dale at his unit where he runs his own food delivery service, D's Meal Prep.

The meals will be prepared by Dale and his team, with help from VCS volunteers, including formerly homeless Josh Ellis who has recently turned his life around and has been gaining work experience with Dale.

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Haydn Jessop, Director of Vulnerable Citizen Support said: “This initiative is about delivering nutritious, high-quality food to those who need it most and improving well-being.

"No-one should be hungry at the moment and everyone should have access to healthy, decent meals which we plan on providing through Hope Kitchen once a week.”

Haydn set up a soup kitchen in Leeds city centre six years ago, prior to establishing Vulnerable Citizen Support, which used to feed around 200 people each week and he wants Hope Kitchen to be a similar success.

Vulnerable Citizen Support has just reached the end of its first year helping anyone struggling, vulnerable or homeless in Leeds, and in that time the organisation has provided over 117,000 meals through its food parcel provision.

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Dale and Haydn are also launching a series of podcasts called RAW Talk, which will feature different guests each week and focus on positive choices, rehabilitation and hope.

Hope Kitchen’s meals can be collected or delivered between 5.30 and 7.30 every Monday and anyone who needs one can contact Vulnerable Citizen Support here.