M&S Greenford

Sawa Initiatives is a community-focused charitable organisation dedicated to empowering civil society, strengthening social cohesion, and addressing key social challenges, with a particular focus on tackling food insecurity and poverty. Based in Brent, our activities primarily cover the Brent borough, as well as parts of Harrow and Barnet. We work to bring communities together through inclusive engagement, volunteering, and community-led support. At the heart of our work is the provision of free food support to low-income and vulnerable individuals and families. We redistribute surplus food and deliver essential food assistance directly to those in need through our mobile delivery service, ensuring access for individuals who may face financial, physical, or social barriers. Beneficiaries are identified through local networks, referrals from community activists, and careful assessment to ensure support reaches those most in need. Food donations are collected and redistributed directly to vulnerable individuals and families, and all support is provided completely free of charge as part of our commitment to reducing food insecurity. While we are not yet collecting surplus food from retailers on a regular basis, we do occasionally receive surplus food from local groups, which we distribute promptly to those in need. As a newly established organisation, we are in the early stages of building partnerships. We have initiated communication with local groups, charities, and organisations for collaboration and are currently awaiting responses. We are also actively seeking to develop relationships with retailers and other partners to strengthen and expand our food redistribution efforts. We are seeking access to surplus food and grant support, which will enable us to scale up our services, sustain our mobile delivery operations, and reach a greater number of vulnerable individuals and families in our community. At present, we have not yet received local press coverage due to being newly established; however, we aim to build our presence and engage with local media as our activities grow. We have documented some of our work through photos shared on our social media platforms and plan to expand this as our operations develop. All our services are provided free of charge, reflecting our commitment to dignity, equality, and inclusion. Alongside food support, our work contributes to improving health and wellbeing, reducing social isolation, and supporting sustainable community development. Through all of its activities, Sawa Initiatives remains committed to relieving poverty, reducing hunger, and creating stronger, more connected communities, while advancing broader charitable purposes in line with the laws of England and Wales.

With the levels of unemployment, along with the number of low-paid employees living in Brent, many residents find themselves at a crisis point. They are unable to feed their families and provide for life’s basic needs. There may, however, be many other challenges within the family, which may contribute to the family crisis. It is bearing this in mind that the Centre of Help and Hope was conceived. The Centre provides the following services: Food bank Clothing hub Befriending service Gardening services Counselling services Light domestic help Vocational skills Intentional parenting courses

We operate from the Hanwell SDA Church community ministries department. On Sundays we provide our homeless person and other vulnerable members of the community grab and go bags with food items. We are also on Ealing Councils "Where to eat" list. Our overarching aim is love for God and our fellow men and to give glory to him. Covid19 Update Unfortunately due to the pandemic we are not currently having any sit down meals. We still hand out grab and go bags to the vulnerable who are able to come but equally we are able to drop bags off. All our volunteers wear the appropriate PPE and we requests that our guests also wear masks.