Les Strong, Tony Gale and Gladstone Small unveil Muswell Hill Soup Kitchen’s electric van after £60k fundraiser
From left: Former Fulham FC captain Les Strong, Sky Sports pundit Tony Gale, and former England cricketer Gladstone Small. Picture: Jade Trott/Muswell Hill Soup Kitchen - Credit: Archant
Muswell Hill Soup Kitchen’s electric van is up and running - after the local community raised nearly £60,000 in six weeks.
Hornsey and Wood Green MP Catherine West. Picture: Jade Trott/Muswell Hill Soup Kitchen - Credit: Archant
The electric motor will help feed the homeless and the most vulnerable during the Covid-19 pandemic, extending the work and delivery capacity of the soup kitchen.
Stars from the music and sporting scene such as DJ Spoony and Gladstone Small celebrated the van’s arrival on Saturday at Muswell Hill Baptist Church, which houses MHSK.
Organiser Martin Stone told the Ham&High: “This is a van to serve the community.
“The community have recognised the vulnerable and helped with enormous generosity. That really is the story here - people’s incredible generosity and trust in the soup kitchen to deliver.
DJ Spoony. Picture: Jade Trott/Muswell Hill Soup Kitchen - Credit: Archant
“Saturday was a celebration of people’s kindness and a celebration of the usefulness of an electric van to serve vulnerable people.”
Hornsey and Wood Green MP Catherine West said: “We’re so proud to have people who care and people who are putting their care into practical steps to help homeless people, particularly at this time of the year coming up to the festive period when we must be thinking about other people and what they’re going through.”
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Former England cricketer Gladstone Small said: “It’s great to see what’s going on here to give much-needed support and help to those in the community.
“It’s great to see the buzz and enthusiasm for really getting involved and helping out local people.”
Gladstone Small. Picture: Jade Trott/Muswell Hill Soup Kitchen - Credit: Archant
Sky Sports pundit Tony Gale paid tribute to MHSK as he hailed the impact of the new van.
“I just cannot believe the generosity of the people in Muswell Hill who have raised £60,000 so that this food can be distributed to the local people in and around this area, and London as well,” he said.
“It’s a wonderful project. The people involved in this are saints.”
Former Fulham FC captain Les Strong called the fundraiser “absolutely incredible” and said the van would “greatly benefit” the people that the soup kitchen “looks after”.
Tony Gale. Picture: Jade Trott/Muswell Hill Soup Kitchen - Credit: Archant
Actor and comedian Sean Lock said: “MHSK has for many, many years supported vulnerable people who need feeding through the tireless work of all the volunteers and organisers.
“It’s been a fantastic beacon of humanity for this area.”
To receive support from Muswell Hill Soup Kitchen email soupkitchen@mhbc.org.uk
To donate to the fundraiser click here.
