Cooking more than 600 meals for people who need a hot dinner and a chat is all in a week’s work for Matthew’s House in Swansea.
It is home to Matt’s Café which is open three times a week providing a choice of meals to all -comers, whatever their situation, and is part of the Matthew’s House project, an initiative of The Hill Church Swansea Charity, in the city’s High Street.
Now Tata Steel subsidiary UKSE has donated £1000 to buy a large freezer to help store food supplied by supermarkets, local businesses, charities and individuals.
The Community Fund gives targeted support to the local organisations and charities which work hard to maintain the fabric of society, such as Matthew’s House.
The charity opened in the converted church in 2017 and the flow of people through the door has steadily increased. As a result, the scope of its services has grown to providing food, laundry, showers, clothing, personal hygiene and advocacy and advice, and emergency packs are available to those struggling with homelessness or sleeping rough.
Over 150 volunteers are involved, and Matthew’s House works closely with many other charities and organisations in the city. Its role is described as: “…to provide unconditional hospitality for the most vulnerable people in Swansea including those struggling with homelessness, mental health and addictions.”
The café expression has a ‘pay if you can’ policy and diners make the contribution they can afford, if any. All are welcome and no criteria are applied to the guests who use the services on Sunday night, and Monday and Tuesday lunch times. One of the key sources of food comes from the Fair Share scheme which intercepts unsold food from supermarkets and shops which would otherwise be thrown away and wasted.
Project Leader Tom Lynch said the new freezer purchased with UKSE’s contribution was already making a huge difference. “It’s a game-changer for us and allows us to plan and organise our food storage more efficiently. We are very grateful to UKSE for their support.”
Alan Jenkins UKSE Regional Executive said: “We are delighted to be able to assist the wonderful work done by Matthew’s House and, along with their many other supporters, to enable them to bring hope to people who are struggling, especially at this time of year. We wish them every success for the future.”
