Giving Back Crawley is ready to serve the community once again

After a series of major setbacks, Giving Back Crawley have once again relaunched their food service that delivers fresh food and snacks to the homeless community in Crawley.
By Ellis Peters
Published 15th Dec 2021, 12:10 BST
Updated 20th Dec 2021, 12:15 BST
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Last friday (10th December) Joe Dines gave us a tour of the newly-renovated facility, that was once deemed unusable because of damages caused by rainwater.

With the help of local businesses and the community, the team at Giving Back Crawley have got the centre back up and ready to serve meals, provide snacks and essentials to those in need.

Read More
Crawley new town 'pioneer' Eileen Stone dies aged 92
Newly renovated kitchenNewly renovated kitchen
Newly renovated kitchen
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The new facility in Northgate, Crawley (RH10 8BB) wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of many different construction and electrical companies, who donated materials and their time to help the centre to be functional once again.

Joe Dines, trustee and chair of Giving Back Crawley said: “We’ve been doing all the building work including the roof and the ceiling. We’ve been doing pretty much everything in regards to building work.

“Originally, all that was needed was just paintwork but the roof needed replacing. The roof eventually leaked and damaged the place.

“The place was falling down and was in an absolute state. There was about £16,000 pound worth of damage.

Damage caused by the roofDamage caused by the roof
Damage caused by the roof
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“It was a big job but we clawed together and everybody helped. We borrowed and begged to get this finished.

“Because we haven’t been able to have a working kitchen, we’ve got our volunteers to cook from home once a month.

“We get kids involved as it’s a good life lesson and it gives them an understanding of what it’s like to be homeless.

“At the beginning of lockdown we cooked ourselves from the centre for three months, that was fine but we were cooking for 120-140 people a night.

What it used to look likeWhat it used to look like
What it used to look like
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We have a team of cooks, so when restrictions were lifted people brought in hot meals.

“We’ve served 120,000 meals so far.

“It’s important that we provide friendship, food and kindness to our homeless community. We build trust with the people we serve and understand that not everyone is ready to leave the streets.

“If you are interested in getting involved, give us a shout.”

You can donate by using Giving Back Crawley’s Paypal, or just popping in and speaking to one of the staff members.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.