Service users from The Salvation Army's social service centres hosted a reverse soup kitchen for MPs and Peers at Westminster. The MPs and Peers braved the rain to show their support for Soup Kitchen Challenge Day, a new date in the charity fundraising calendar from New Covent Garden Food Co. and The Salvation Army which asks people to host a soup lunch for their family, friends and work colleagues in return for a small or (large!) donation towards The Salvation Army.
	The event at Westminster's Victoria Gardens, Millbank, was attended by: John Bercow Speaker of the House of Commons; MPs David Amess (Con, Southend West), Alistair Burt (Con, North Bedfordshire), Jim Dobbin (Labour Heywood & Middleton), Simon Hughes (Lib Dem, North Southwark and Bermondsey) John Leech (Lib Dem, Manchester Withington), Lembit Öpik (Lib Dem, Montgomeryshire), Adrian Sanders (Lib Dem, Torbay), Andrew Selous (Con, South West Bedfordshire), Andrew Stunell (Lib Dem, Hazel Grove) and Stephen Timms (Lab, Financial Secretary to the Treasury and MP for East Ham); as well as Peers Lord Corbett, Lord Foster and Lord Livsey.
The Rt Hon John Bercow Speaker of the House of Commons gave his support to the campaign saying: "The Salvation Army is a fantastic organisation which embodies all that is best in the human spirit. Any opportunity to support it is an opportunity to be taken if at all possible. At all times, but particularly at Christmas those of us who are fortunate to have food and shelter and more besides have a responsibility to think about people who, for whatever reason, haven't got that physical or material security or the peace of mind that it brings."
During the event, formerly homeless service users from the charity's Hostel Plus+ Centres, offered MPs, Peers and senior officers from Metropolitan Police and London Fire Brigade an early tasting of New Covent Garden Food Co.'s limited edition December Soup of the Month, a warming Chicken, Vegetable and Pearl Barley recipe which has been specially created in support of The Salvation Army, with every carton sold helping to raise funds for homeless and community work.	Alistair Burt MP (pictured above with his wife Eve) said ‘This is a ‘souper' initiative from The Salvation Army and New Covent Garden Food Co., which combines an awareness of their work with a neighbourly gesture. We should value our neighbours more, and what better than a cup of soup and a chat together. I hope it's a great success.'

Lembit Opik MP said: "I hope millions of people around the country will eat soup and salute an Army which is really making a difference. There aren't many votes in homelessness but there are an awful lot of hopes with organisations such as The Salvation Army."

Andrew Selous MP said: "The Salvation Army does a fantastic job in Leighton Buzzard and Dunstable. If any of my constituents fall through the welfare safety net, I know The Salvation Army will be there for them with food and other help."

All pictures have been kindly provided by Graham Jarvis and by Major Nigel Bovey of The War Cry.

Merrilees Parker  hosts reverse soup kitchen to launch the Soup Kitchen Challenge

Celebrity chef Merrilees Parker and service users from Salvation Army social services centres were 'in the soup' on London's busiest shopping street to launch Soup Kitchen Challenge Day!

Clients from Salvation Army centres in London helped Merrilees Parker to host a 'reverse soup kitchen' and served up free New Covent Garden Food Co. soup to hungry shoppers on Oxford Street, while encouraging people to take part in Soup Kitchen Challenge Day on Friday 27 November.

Merrilees Parker also gave a soup masterclass, cooking two delicious recipes gorgeous Field Mushroom Soup with Crispy Bacon, Shropshire Blue & Parsley Crumbs and Carrot and Ginger Soup, which you can try for your own Soup Kitchen Challenge event.

Watch the youtube clip of Merrilees demonstrating the Carrot and Ginger Soup.

About the Soup Kitchen Challenge

Get your spoons and mugs ready for the Soup Kitchen Challenge and help The Salvation Army improve the lives of homeless and vulnerable people across the country. 

Whatever your culinary abilities it couldn't be easier to get involved in this tasty new community fundraising event from New Covent Garden Food Co. and The Salvation Army.

On Soup Kitchen Challenge Day, Friday 27 November 2009, we invite you to share some fresh soup with family, friends, neighbours or colleagues, in return for a small (or large!) donation that will be used by The Salvation Army to support homeless and vulnerable people using its social centres and community welfare programmes.

Whatever the size of your Soup Kitchen Challenge event or your donation, every penny really does count in The Salvation Army's work to help people in practical ways via its social service centres and community welfare programmes.

Support for the Soup Kitchen Challenge

With the Soup Kitchen Challenge now in its second year The Salvation Army is thrilled New Covent Garden Food Co. is once again providing delicious soup recipes and resources to help you host a Soup Kitchen Challenge event.

We're also delighted to have some household favourites to endorse our appeal: fitness and healthy eating guru Rosemary Conley CBE, actor and author Sheila Hancock OBE, celebrity TV chefs Ainsley Harriott, Kevin Woodford, and the peter pan of pop Sir Cliff Richard.

Recipes

If you can, we'd love you to make your own fresh soup and there's a wealth of fresh, locally sourced ingredients to choose from. Soup is easier to make than you think, and a good-value and nutritious meal. Whatever your cooking abilities, there's a range of recipes to suit everyone's tastes and abilities.

With the Soup Kitchen Challenge now in its second year The Salvation Army is thrilled New Covent Garden Food Co. is once again providing delicious soup recipes and resources to help you host a Soup Kitchen Challenge event.

Why not  try one of the following:

Ainsley Harriott's Fresh tomato and smoked bacon soup 

Kevin Woodford's Roasted Pumpkin and Coriander Soup

Sir Cliff Richard's Spicy Parsnip Soup

Commissioners John and Betty Matear share a classic Parsnip, Potato and Apple Soup recipe

To download our FREE Soup Kitchen Challenge Recipes booklet, please click here.

Why we're running this campaign

We hope as many people as possible take up the challenge and help The Salvation Army in our work to improve the lives of homeless and vulnerable people across the country. Whatever the size of your Soup Kitchen Challenge event or your donation, every penny really does count in enabling this life changing work to continue.

The Salvation Army is one of the largest providers of support and accommodation for homeless men, women and families across the UK and the Republic or Ireland, with close to 60 Salvation Army centres, which offer a hand up and not a hand out through practical support and the provision of life-changing skills to help people back on their feet.

More than just providing a roof over someone's head The Salvation Army's centres or ‘hostels' aim to be places of change delivering people-focused and life changing services that dramatically boost the self-esteem, health and employability of participants to enable them ultimately to move into a place of their own or supported housing project.

Sharing simple but nutritious food is often the start of a conversation with someone sleeping rough on the streets or using our community welfare services. For those in our Hostel Plus+ centres learning to cook and understanding the importance of fresh food and a healthy diet are some of the activities offered to build self-esteem, learn new skills, encourage positive relationships, and a sense of purpose.

Relationship breakdown and a lack of purpose are the biggest causes for homelessness, but we're determined to help people fight back by offering the practical, social and spiritual support they need to realise their potential and recover their personal dignity. We're seeing first-hand the transformative effects with people who are re-housed, reuniting with family and getting back to work.

 Meet the Sandwich People Social enterprise

Register for the Challenge

Visit the New Covent Garden Food Co. website to download a resource pack.

Schools can also download the special challenge pack.

Donate to the Soup Kitchen Challenge

Please pay all donations online here or send a cheque by Freepost, with the address:

NCG CHRISTMAS SOUP OF THE MONTH,
3^RD FLOOR, THE SALVATION ARMY,
FREEPOST KE3466,
LONDON  SE1 6BP

December Soup of the Month and our partnership with New Covent Garden Food Co.

For the second year we are thrilled that New Covent Garden Food Co. is generously dedicating its limited-edition December soup of the month to The Salvation Army. A portion of every carton sold will benefit our work to support our social service centres and related community welfare programmes. The Chicken Vegetable and Pearl Barley soup, with the distinctive Salvation Army red shield on the carton, will be on sale in major supermarkets and independent retailers throughout the UK in December priced from £1.99

Special resources for Schools

The Soup Kitchen Challenge is an event for all the ages, and particularly one that children can enjoy. Calling all schools! We've prepared a special resources pack to use in schools to help you host your own Soup Kitchen Challenge with posters, lesson plans, and special kid-friendly recipes.