The OnPath Energy team voted to adopt the Sunderland Community Soup Kitchen as their English dedicated charity for 2025, with the company pledging to match every £1,000 that the team raises this year, up to a maximum of £5,000.
As part of their support for its work, four OnPath Energy colleagues spent a shift volunteering at the Soup Kitchen’s High Street West headquarters, serving meals and chatting to service users about their lives and the positive impact that the charity has on the local community.
More than 60 local volunteers help the Soup Kitchen deliver its services every week, with more members of the OnPath team now signing up to get involved.
Founded in 2019 by CEO Andrea Bell, Sunderland Community Soup Kitchen provides freshly cooked hot meals for up to 100 local people during every shift which are available to anyone in need, whether on a regular basis or just once in a while, for a nominal fee.
It is open from 3-4pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and between noon and 1pm on Sundays.
Sunderland Community Soup Kitchen receives no statutory funding, and relies entirely on support from local people, regional businesses and grant-giving organisations, as well as on its own fundraising efforts.
It recently opened the new TriBeCa community hub, which is being used by a growing number of local businesses, groups and organisations for their events and activities, while it also raises money through the Funky G vintage clothing store on East Cross Street.
Headquartered at Rainton Bridge Business Park, OnPath Energy is one of the UK’s leading onshore renewable energy developers.
Katie Walvin, who was one of the OnPath Energy volunteers, says: “Spending time in the kitchen gave a great insight into the work that the team does and the positive impact that it has on everyone who comes through the door is very clear to see.
“Many of them are facing really challenging situations for a range of different reasons, most especially in light of the cost of living crisis, and there’s a real appreciation of the help and support that’s available at the Soup Kitchen whenever they need it.
“We’re already signed up to come back for more volunteering shifts and have a range of fundraising activities taking place which will help us give as much support as we can to the Soup Kitchen’s invaluable work in our home city in the face of ever-growing demand.”
Ashleigh Richardson, assistant to the CEO at Sunderland Community Soup Kitchen, adds: “The local demand for our services keeps growing, so it’s great for us to get the backing of local businesses like OnPath Energy, not only for the practical and financial support they provide, but also for the access to additional expertise and new networks that can really help us carry out our work more effectively.”
For more information on Sunderland Community Soup Kitchen’s work, visit https://www.facebook.com/sunderlandcommunitysoupkitchen