Charitable organisation helping homeless and vulnerable people in Portsmouth celebrates its 4th birthday

Kind supporters of Helping Hands Portsmouth have been feeding people on the streets of Portsmouth three mornings a week, with a hot dinner on Sundays, since Bev Saunders set up the charitable organisation in 2016.

Despite being unable to throw a party for the anniversary, a celebratory meal was given out on Wednesday which included a birthday cake for people to enjoy with their breakfast.

Bev, who is so well-respected by the homeless and vulnerable people she supports that they refer to her as “mum”, said it feels really good to have reached four years of supporting people who desperately need it.

She said: ‘I’m privileged that they think of me like that and they allow us into their lives.

‘The food is a small part of what we do. We have got a good group of volunteers who cook for us, we have some of the councillors from the Labour party who cook for us once a month.

‘We go to court with them if they want us to, we’ve been to hospital with them. Along with all the tears, there have been some really nice success stories.’

On Sunday evenings, homeless and vulnerable people in the city centre are given a hot meal with a pudding and a drink, while Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings are the breakfast runs which usually includes a hot breakfast roll and a drink.

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The group, which has kept up its offer of support throughout the coronavirus pandemic, is self-funded so relies on the kindness of people in the community helping out with breakfast runs and donating food to be given out on the streets.

Bev added: ‘We signpost everybody that we come into contact with but we don’t force them to go. There’s no form filling, the only thing they need to fill with us is their bellies.

‘Come and volunteer and do a breakfast run because they’re some of the nicest guys you could ever want to meet.’

For more information about the work of Helping Hands, or to offer support and help, visit hhportsmouth.wordpress.com

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