1/6/2012 5:00:00 PM
For Christmas 2011, the Fishmongers’ Company’s Charitable Trust donated a substantial quantity of cod, salmon and prawns to Crisis at Christmas.
This was sourced from Billingsgate Market and was served in fish pies on Friday December 23rd to 1,500 homeless Londoners across 9 centres.
Crisis, the national charity for single homeless people, celebrated its 40th year running the high-profile Crisis at Christmas programme where their temporary centres across London provide essential services and help homeless people take their first steps out of homelessness.
“The majority of the foods we serve during the eight day period are gift-in-kind donations,” Sylvie Provan, Corporate Donations Intern explained. “We have been very fortunate to have many very committed supporters who help us make Christmas the celebration it should be for the vulnerable people we care during this period. However, although we seek to provide a varied and nutritious menu for our guests we have never been able to serve a fish meal as we have been unable to find donors who are able to supply us with the quantities we need. This year we would like to change that and are looking to find a partner in the fishing industry who we can work with going forward.”
Crisis Chief Executive Leslie Morphy said: "Christmas is particularly hard for homeless people with the rest of the population enjoying time with friends and family. For Crisis, providing companionship and services at Christmas is central to what we do, our guests are some of the most vulnerable members of our society".
"Crisis at Christmas has provided vital services for homeless and vulnerably housed people for 40 years and this year there was a seven per cent rise in the number of guests. Whilst we should celebrate the lives helped and changed and the dedication of the thousands of volunteers and donors who made this possible, it is a scandal that homelessness still exists and that we are needed at all."
Across all the centres guests benefited from 20 different services, learning opportunities, vital medical help, housing and job advice.
During Christmas Crisis also links up guests to year-round services and encourages them to come to Crisis Skylight in the New Year so it can continue to provide opportunities that will help them transform their lives.
To watch a video of Crisis at Christmas in action and to read more information on what Crisis does, please visit http://www.crisis.org.uk/index.php