Fundraiser Update: Andrea Bell Q&A on the SCSK plans for 2025

Today at 01:00 AM

After 43,000 was raised in December, we sat down for a chat with Andrea Bell from Sunderland Community Soup Kitchen to talk about how much your support was and is needed.

Malc: Let's start with a three word review in typical Roker Report style. What three words would you use to describe how you and the team feel after such a fantastic fundraiser across December?

Andrea: My three words would be "Feeling The Love!"

May I stress how very grateful I am for everyone who is beside us on our journey. It's been really tough, but all your support means so much more than you will ever know.

Malc: Tell us a bit about the organisation - how long has it been going, and what inspired you to help the most needy citizens of Sunderland when you started out?

Andrea: Back in 2018, after going through the experience of a client having no food for herself and family, Sunderland Community Soup Kitchen evolved to tackle food poverty and to improve emergency food support in our own city.

Our journey started with food, but our team has many skilled and experienced people, so we moved on to helping with hygiene products, clothes and food parcels, and much more.

Malc: You are known as a community soup kitchen but all your friends at Roker Report know you do way more than that. Tell us a bit about what else you do?

Andrea: Most importantly, we are here to listen to people, without judgement - the forgotten people who may have nobody else. We show that we care and help find solutions to better people's lives in any way we can.

It hasn't been easy, and the pandemic (which we worked all the way through, providing home cooked food and delivering to up to 100 homes per day) changed our world drastically.

Post that, hiking costs in the cost of living crisis brought a massive decrease in public donations, which had been a major part of our prior survival. We applied for grants, but were unsuccessful in most cases, so back in late 2023 we knew we had to look at ways to work toward self sustaining to survive, and that is now a big part of our focus.

As time has passed, in parallel to ensuring financial survival our service has evolved and grown to help with furniture for people being re-homed, help with benefits advice, mental health signposting, domestic violence advice, human trafficking support, and ongoing help for homeless people with the things that keep them alive, especially at this time of year - sleeping bags, tents, foil blankets, hand warmers, hats, scarves, warm coats, gloves, and food supplies. I could go on, but in essence, we do all we can for anyone who needs us.

Malc: How do you see the organisation developing in the coming year or two? What are you and the team doing to help your organisation grow and be more self-sustainable?

Andrea: In 2024 we were given opportunity to take on a community allotment that had been unused for a number of years, so we jumped at the offer which would enable us to increase the volume of crops grown ourselves to supply our kitchen.

We had to look at ways of bringing in funds as things got tighter, so we made changes - we closed down our 3000sq ft warehouse, and with support from local businesses, we now generate supporting revenue from online clothing and sewing repairs. We also commenced a breakfast pitstop for paying guests from 6th January 2025, which all help toward more security through these difficult financial times. Feel free to drop by and enjoy a great breakfast with us.

Part of the building we have taken on (next door to the soup kitchen site) will soon be opened as a community hub, and we have plans with that space for mental health support, weight management, educational opportunities, arts and crafts, and a space for many other uses to enhance our community and its people.

Malc: Thanks to the fantastic fundraiser and the generosity of all those who donated you have over £40k to help for 2025, compared to a target of initially just £10k. What difference will that extra £30k plus make?

Andrea: The Roker Report Fundraiser at the end of 2024 has been a very emotional journey. In discussions during the preparation period we talked about predicted totals, and I advised that with the financial issues most people are facing, achieving £10k would be a major win in the current climate.

The final total massively surpassed that figure, and with the impact of "The Mackem Cewk Bewk", created by Paul Swinney and A Love Supreme, success was quickly apparent - people clearly loved this book, and our charity were chosen this year to be supported with an incredible donation of £20k from the net proceeds from book sales.

£42,263 was the final total at the end of the fundraiser last December (so, even without the book donations, we more than doubled our £10k target). I have to admit I did shed tears of joy with every step. We never imagined this tremendous amount of money could be raised in such a difficult cost of living situation, with high costs impacting everyone.

Every penny is crucial, as we have become sort of a lifeline to many people we support, not only with food - many are isolated, alone and living in poverty, so our service is vital in our community and the kindness from all Roker Report followers gives us a way to continue our work here in Sunderland.

Our plan, fingers crossed, is that the next 12 months brings us secure financial sustainability. The extreme kindness this Christmas has been a massive helping hand to us, but we will work hard to keep our service alive, because people need us.

This fundraiser is a huge platform to build on, giving us real support as we try to become self sustained in our working practices.

Malc: Poverty doesn't just happen at Christmas. How can people support your organisation ongoing?

Andrea: You are very right, poverty doesn't only happen around Christmas, it's an all year process for our charity.

The Roker Report Team have worked alongside our SCSK team first hand and have met a number of our guests. They felt the same drive to be supportive of our guests that we do. We are kindly supported all year with money raised from advertising on Roker Report Podcasts too, so listening to the adverts on the podcasts raises money too.

Christmas is an emotional time, but our food service runs all year, 4 days a week, and this money raised will ensure we can keep providing high quality meal support, well balanced menus, lots of protein and vegetables along with tasty desserts for our guests.

If anyone would like to give their time to help, we would be very grateful for it. We have volunteering opportunities, as working together isn't always about the money raised, it's the time, kindness and togetherness that makes this fundraiser extremely special each year.

All charities need money to survive though, hence if you pop us an email to info@soupscsk.com or message our Facebook page, we can provide donation methods if you would like to support further, or to discuss volunteering opportunities we would welcome help with.

Malc: I won't take up any more of your time as we all know you hardly ever take a day off! How would you sum up what has happened across the period of the last fundraiser, and what it means to you and your team?

Andrea: This year has been an incredible journey together, but it is more than about the money. It's been an injection of positivity and hope for better times for Sunderland and its people. The togetherness and pure kindness this fundraiser brings each year is so very special.

Personally, I think when our SAFC team are doing great, our city thrives. This joint journey with our SCSK organisation being supported by football-inspired people at Roker Report, all supporting our city, it just brings positivity. It reminds us of our heritage and the values we have here in the North East - it is a perfect match.

We Mackems look after our people, and are proud to be from Wearside. We at the soup kitchen are so very proud to have amazing people working alongside all our dreams and goals - the main goal being that no one will be without food or food supplies on our shift.

All this work we are doing is only possible because of the kindness, support and generosity from all involved - it's just amazing, and means so much to me and all at the Sunderland Community Soup Kitchen.

I would like to say a huge thank you for loving our world and being at our side every step of our journey. It has not been an easy journey recently, but with your support, we will ride this storm and make great things happen, everyday.

Lots of Love, and wishing everyone the very best for 2025.

Andrea and our Super Team. XXX