The Co-operative Food - Portsmouth, The Hard

Our mission is the relief of poverty among the street homeless/rough sleepers and homeless through the provision of items to support basic needs such as sleeping bags, ground sheets, survival sheets, blankets, clothing, food and toiletries. We also aim to improve the individual’s welfare through our welfare and advocacy team.We endeavour to prevent harm to health by referring to emergency and similar services as and when necessary throughout Hastings, Bexhill, St. Leonards, Eastbourne and Lewes. We provide a satellite food bank delivering in excess of 200 food bags a week to rough sleepers and the vulnerably housed homeless. We also have a baby bank and a Vegan bank plus our Homestart scheme, set up to provide those in emergency and temporary accommodation who often have nothing, not even a kettle. We provide these items. We work closely with our local Women's refuges and emergency accommodation hostels and provide books and toys to the children.

Veterans Outreach Support (VOS) offers Welfare, Wellbeing and Clinical provision to UK Armed Forces & Merchant Navy Veterans, as well as to spouses/partners. In addition to running monthly Drop-In facilities, we organise wellbeing activities throughout the month and enable access to bespoke welfare and mental health support. VOS is an Armed Forces Covenant Employer. We support and encourage service spouses, veterans and reservists in the workplace.

Portsea event group are a non profit organisation working in our local area to create beautiful memories for everyone to remember forever . We put on many events during the year at a very low cost or free ensuring that everyone gets to come along to one of our events and not have to worry the prices will be to high . Our main event of the year is Portsea carnival this event requires many weeks of costume making masterclasses and advice for anyone who’s making there own costumes at home. We pay for these workshops with money we have raised or have been funded with , this teaches people new skills and helps to build confidence in the area. Portsea carnival can only have 500 people in the parade but welcomes people of any age, sex, race and disabilities along to watch the parade to come along watch and enjoy this community spirit , after the parade we Finnish of back at Aylward street between John pounds and Portsea venture playground where we put on many free attractions in the past we have had princess unicorn rides ,Facepainter’s , Punch and Judy , balloon artists and much more . We do run our own tuck shop at very low wholesale prices and side shows . We also include a few local business to bring food carts along who in agreement sell at very low prices . Our aim is to get every one together for one day and not have to worry about spending a fortune if they have a large family . People can come along with a packed lunch and have a fun filled free day out if they wish . What we ask for is donations of raffle prizes , sweets for buckets we give out to the public during the parade and bottle of water for our return journey . We also do many coffee morning and are always looking for cakes biscuits tea coffee sugar milk and juice and plastic take away cups . At this mad moment in time we are currently putting together emergency packs for the elderly and vulnerable people in this area and are looking for anything that you think will be beneficial to this project . We will be hand delivering these parcels to the locals ensuring everyone feels safe and knows there are people out there if they need them .