Bellway

Making A Difference to Maidstone (MADM) is a community-driven charity dedicated to supporting vulnerable individuals and families across Maidstone. Operating from our Outreach Centre Church Street, in the heart of Maidstone; we exist to bring practical help, dignity, and hope to those facing hardship, crisis, or social isolation. Our mission is simple: to meet people where they are, respond to real needs, and walk alongside them toward a more stable and hopeful future. Our service are always free. Who We Help We support a wide range of individuals within the Maidstone community, including: People experiencing homelessness or housing instability Individuals struggling with poverty or financial hardship Those facing mental health challenges People who are socially isolated or disconnected Individuals rebuilding their lives after crisis, trauma, or addiction Young people and adults needing practical life support and guidance We focus especially on those who may fall through the gaps of traditional services—people who need consistent, relational support rather than just one-off assistance. How We Find and Reach People We connect with those in need through partnerships, referrals, and our presence within the local community: 1. Referrals from Partner Organisations We work closely with: Local councils Hostels and supported housing (like Trinity Foyer) Churches and community groups Other charities and frontline services These partners refer individuals to us who would benefit from ongoing, practical support. 2. Word of Mouth Many people come to us through recommendations from others we’ve helped. Trust within the community plays a huge role in reaching those who might otherwise stay hidden. 3. Community Initiatives & Projects Through initiatives like food distribution, support programs, and volunteering opportunities, people naturally connect with us and begin building relationships. Our Approach What makes MADM different is our relational approach. We don’t just provide services—we build trust, offer consistency, and support people holistically. Whether it’s helping someone get ID, access housing, improve wellbeing, or simply feel seen and valued, we walk alongside them every step of the way.

TOGETHER WE CAN HELP STOP HUNGER From donating food, volunteering your time or taking on an exciting fundraising challenge, there are lots of ways to get involved with raising awareness of poverty and helping stop UK hunger. Working together is the only way to end hunger. We’ve built many partnerships to pursue new and better approaches, accelerate the success of our programs, and get food and resources to those who need them most. Our motivation is derived from the fact that more than a quarter of a million people are homeless in England (BBC). The figures show homelessness hotspots outside London, with high rates in Birmingham, Brighton and Luton. To continue with our organisational mission of reaching out to those needing help the most; and practicing “charity begins at home”, we started food distribution drive in Birmingham. Although the government says that it is investing £500m in homelessness we still come across quite a large number of people needing their food supplies on daily basis. Although the projects UKCAB runs, coordinate in improving the community development pace by offering free education which will enable people to gain skills and avoid homelessness by getting jobs or starting their own businesses, we witness people who are in dire need of basic necessities to survive.

Our group started by feeding the local community back in October 2022 by offering them a free hot breakfast and a warm space. This has grown significantly since then and now we have up to 50 people per week who use the breakfast service and since July 2023 we offer a food pantry. There is a significant need for this in our local area and we have partnered up with lots of local supermarkets and small businesses who donate surplus food on a weekly basis towards this good cause. Other businesses on board who donate to us are Asda, Morrisons, CO-OP, Booker Catering, Makro, Warburtons, Tesco, KFC, Nando's and Fareshare. The food pantry figures currently stand at around 150-200 individuals/ households accessing food per week. We are a not for profit organisation and a no referral service so that we are accessible to all. We ask all users of the food pantry to queue up when we open which is currently twice a week and take a share of the surplus food provided. We also work with other agencies such as sheltered housing, the local council who signpost individuals who they think need help with food to us. We operate from a small church in Castleford called Cutsyke Christian Church, WF10 5HA. The breakfast we provide is a full cooked breakfast and is served on a Friday morning between 0930-1030am before the food pantry, Alongside this in the School Holidays we provide free packed lunches for any children who may need them, this is facilitated by Morrisons mostly who donate towards this. If we receive large surplus donations of certain foods we cook this into meals and hand it out at the food pantry. We do this more in the winter months when the temperatures are a lot colder. At Christmas every year we also provide a 3 course meal for a small charge of £2 for anyone who is wanting to join in the festivities. We work closely along side the local council and the services they offer to their tenants and the local community. Recently we have had Cash Wise come into the pantry and do a 'pop up stall' offering advice to anyone attending about benefits, bills etc. We also signpost if applicable to the individual to Citizens Advice, local housing options for homeless/ rough sleepers and Age UK as we have a proportion of the users of the pantry in this demographic. Most recently we have had Spectrum Health come into the pantry making sure everyone has a local GP and they can help with testing of certain infections and can help with dental care too. We have also recently has a local Scouts Group come in and help us as part of their food poverty badge, they spent the afternoon with us one Sunday sorting and organising the food ready for when the food pantry opened. We have got the local councillors on board who visit us frequently who are in favour of what we are providing in the community and would gladly be able to provide references if requested,