Bradford kitchen has served 45k meals to people in need

JKN Outreach initially started off to provide homeless people in Bradford with hot meals, but has since progressed to help all those struggling in Bradford.

The community kitchen has supplied people in Bradford with a hot meal and foodbank service every week since they started without fail and have noted a rise in the number of people using its service.

Fresh fruit and vegetables for community kitchen users. Picture:JKN (Image: JKN)

“Before the pandemic, we were seeing roughly 60 to 80 people each week and now we’re seeing anywhere between 150 to 200 people," said a spokesperson. 

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“When we were planning this, we wanted to be a constant, so that people knew we were always going to be there and they could rely on us to help them and we’ve been able to do that.

“Some foodbanks closed because of the Covid crisis, and they never opened again, but we’ve been here before Covid, during Covid, and after.”

JKN now offers three services - the weekly community kitchen is held on Sundays between 3pm and 4.30pm as well as a clothing bank and food parcels which are distributed to people who have been referred.

Food parcels being put together. Picture:JKN (Image: Supplied)

Community well-wishers, friends, families, and local organisations sponsor the weekly food bank to provide hot meals.

It works with organisations like Fareshare, the UK's national network of charitable food redistributors to provide parcels and food for those coming.

“Our aim is to become a one-stop shop, where people can come along have a hot meal, pick some fruit and veg up and clothes if they need it," said JKN. 

“We cater to all backgrounds and people; before Muslim people were coming to us and saying they had food parcels from other organisations but they had food they couldn’t eat so we provide a halal service, which everyone can eat.

“If somebody says they’re vegetarian then we have options for them as well.

“We’ve seen a huge rise in the number of people who need our help. We come to set up at 11.30am and there’s already a line forming, three hours before we’re due to start serving.

“In the four years we’ve been running we’ve provided between 45,000 to 50,000 meals.

“It just shows the level of destitution and the work that needs to be done.”

The weekly community kitchen can be found at 15-17 Spring Gardens, BD1 3EJ (off Manningham Lane).

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