- As well as offering food, advice and clothing, North London Action for the Homeless's drop-in centre provides a space where others, including a tuberculosis advice worker, can come and do a lot of good in a short space of time.
- Twice a week volunteers serve a free, cooked three-course vegetarian meal to around 70 people. But the drop-in centre is about a lot more than providing food and physical warmth for a couple of hours - it's a social space, an oasis where people can keep their sanity in a chaotic life.—Dorothy Leiper
- As Mike, manager of North London Action for the Homeless drop-in centre, cooks dinner for sixty clients, he talks about the hardships they endure. Many sleep in parks, cemeteries and derelict factories. Every year, some die.
He explains that as well as offering food, advice and clothing, the drop-in centre provides a space where other organisations can reach people who are largely cut off from the mainstream.
One frequent visitor is Sue, a tuberculosis case worker from a local hospital. She debunks the myth that the disease has gone away and explains why homeless people are particularly susceptible.
As the evening unfolds, volunteers serve a delicious meal at immaculately-laid tables. Staff and volunteers talk about their work. Service user Grant says what makes the drop-in centre special for him: the courtesy shown to clients, close links to the local area, and generosity of the community.
Local businesses donate food, local people give time and clothes. Money, however, is always short. Consequently, Mike is always filling in funding applications. The centre is just a few months away from closure.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content