Helping Hands Community Project is a charity based in Leamington Spa, who do essential work providing support for the homeless and vulnerable in our local areas.  

When the team here at Simpson Financial Services heard there was an opportunity to get stuck in and help, we lay down our calculators and donned our aprons.  

Eight of us worked together to cook food for 50 people in need. We prepared two meals – a cottage pie and a veggie pasta bake, with cherry crumble for pudding. After prepping the meals (with only a touch of competitive team spirit...), half of us served drinks whilst the other half dished up the food.  

“Taking over the soup kitchen was a great experience. It was rewarding to see the impact we were having on those who needed it, and it was nice to get to know them and hear their stories. I would love to do it frequently as the regular volunteers said how helpful it is when people take over and cook meals for them.”

- Hannah Stanley, Independent Financial Adviser  

The evening was a great success, but it was just that – one evening. Homelessness in Coventry and Warwickshire is up 106% since 2021 (Rough Sleeping Snapshot). The official data on statutory homelessness in England that covers July – September 2022 showed that 99,270 households were staying in temporary accommodation at the end of September 2022, which includes over 125,000 children. 

From operating nightly soup kitchens to the shoebox appeal at Christmas, Helping Hands are making a real difference in our local area. We greatly admire all the hard work and effort they commit to improving people’s lives. It was a pleasure to work with such a wonderful team of people, and we look forward to future charitable endeavours.  

If you’d like to make a difference, we’ve kept our soup kitchen takeover JustGiving link open, and every £1 helps. Donate here.