Find Out How Your Vote for Sufra NW London can Help Tackle Food Poverty

Posted on 01 Dec 2022 by Emily Atkinson-Dalton
Sufra NW London are taking part in our charity poll this December, in the hopes of becoming the charity to win the Discount Promo Codes donation. Find out below how your vote can help tackle poverty and help the most vulnerable people in our society through their food bank and community services. 



 

Who is Sufra NW London? 


Sufra NW London is a local charity established in 2013, created to address both the causes and the consequences of poverty in the community. Based on St. Raphael’s Estate, Brent’s most disadvantaged neighbourhood, their Community Hub provides a life-line for people in crisis – including families living in extreme poverty and people who are vulnerable, homeless and socially isolated. They provide them with the emergency aid and professional advice they need to survive, empower them to learn new skills and improve their wellbeing, and help them to find work and become financially stable. 

 

What services do they offer? 


Food Bank 

The food bank is run from three separate hubs on a weekly basis:  

  • Sufra NW London (160 Pitfield Way, NW10 0PW, Tuesdays & Thursdays, 11am - 3pm) 

  • The PCC (Marley Walk, NW2 4PU, Tuesdays 11.30am - 4pm) 



  • AYP (Wembley Youth Centre, London Road, HA9 7EU, Fridays 9am - 12 midday) 


Guests are referred to Sufra’s Food Bank by one of 150 referral agencies, including Brent Council, who identify people and families in acute financial crisis unable to buy food. They treat each of these people with dignity when they arrive, immediately providing them food parcels or hot meals and referring them to their advice services when necessary. Food parcels last 5-7 days and include toiletries and baby products. 

They recognise that many of their guests do not have the means to cook due to mental or physical disabilities or a lack of facilities. Therefore, they also run a Fresh Meal delivery service where a range of nutritious meals are cooked by their chef and delivered to the guest to last them throughout the week. Each guest also receives an ‘easy-eat’ parcel, with some easy to prepare basics, such as teabags, cuppa soup and snacks. 



[Photo Credit: Sufra NW London]

Community Kitchen 

Sufra’s Community Kitchen services are open all year round, serving hundreds of meals every week to hungry guests – including the homeless, families experiencing food poverty and people who are socially isolated and lonely. They serve anyone who turns up to a warm, freshly-cooked, two-course meal, no matter their circumstances. Most recently, they partnered with the Raheem Sterling Foundation to launch a new Community Kitchen at Ark Elvin Academy, a local school in Brent. 

They run three Community Kitchens a week: 

  • Wednesdays from Ark Elvin Academy, Cecil Avenue, HA9 7DU, from 6.00pm to 8.00pm 

  • Thursday from St Laurence’s Larder, Christchurch Ave, Willesden Ln, NW6 7BJ, 1.00pm – 3.00pm. 

  • Friday from Granville Kitchen, 140 Carlton Vale, NW6 5HE, from 6.00pm to 8.00pm. 


 



[Photo Credit: Sufra NW London]

Advice and OpenARMs 

As the Food Bank and Community Kitchens provides short-term relief for guests, Sufra’s Welfare Advice and OpenARMs service are designed to provide support which will last guests in the long-term. The service provides tailored 1:1 advice casework and emotional support to enable Food Bank guests to improve financial security, income maximisation and independence – dealing with housing, benefits, rent arrears, debt management, school & GP registration, etc. 

They run a Drop-In twice a week just down the street from their main food bank, so guests are able to pick up food and receive advice on the same day: 

  • The Living Room, 65-80 Besant Way, St Raphael’s Estate, NW10 0PE, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10am-4.30pm 


The OpenARMs service is tailored to our asylum seeking, refugee and migrant guests aiming to empower guests to become independent and start a new life in the community. 

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[Photo Credit: Sufra NW London]

Community Garden 

St. Raphael’s Edible Garden emerged from a local campaign by residents to develop a food growing project for the community. With the help of hundreds of volunteers, the garden now has a wildlife pond, a fruit tree orchard, compost bins, a pizza oven, plenty of raised beds and a stunning pergola. 

Although the garden is managed and run by Sufra NW London, it is here to benefit the community. The garden provides a therapeutic space from where we can invest in the skills, health and wellbeing of local people whilst improving the appearance of the estate and giving residents an opportunity to come together, have fun and grow food. 

Apart from producing a wide range of fresh fruit, vegetables and eggs that can be distributed at their pay-as-you-feel Garden Market, their Food Bank or used to prepare food in their Community Kitchens, they run a wide range of services and activities available for anyone who wants to get involved: 

  • AQA-accredited Growing Club 

  • Little Sprouts activities for children under 5 



  • Forest School Academy for children aged 6-11 

  • Corporate volunteering opportunities 


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[Photo Credit: Sufra NW London]

How Can I Help Sufra NW London? 


In addition to voting for Sufra in the December charity poll (on the right hand side of this page), please consider donating to their upcoming Winter Appeal via JustGiving. You can also donate food by dropping off non-perishable food items at 160 Pitfield Way, Stonebridge, NW10 0PW (Mon-Fri 10am-5pm, please leave in their yellow donation bins left outside of the building outside of these hours), or by placing a supermarket delivery order addressed to us.  

They regularly accept financial donations via CAF bank or bank transfers and welcome new volunteers at any time at our food bank, community kitchens and in the edible garden.  

How Can I Contact Sufra NW London? 


You can get in touch via email at [email protected] or give them a call on 0203 441 1335. Visit the Sufra NW London website and follow them @SufraNWLondon across all social media platforms to find out more about this incredible charity. 

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