Autumn, Winter and Christmas is an important time for us at SSJ – as we start thinking about the colder nights, rain, snow and other elements that may affect people during the darker nights.

It’s also at this time that we start planning for the launch of our Christmas Campaign (October 15th) which follows directly on from World Homeless Day on October 10th.

We have many stories we want to tell during these winter months – and once again we will be committing to raise money for our Christmas Meal Campaign, as we have done every year.

How you can help?

We are looking for community groups, businesses and anybody who wants to support us this Christmas to get in touch and let us know they want to support our Christmas Meal Campaign. The appeal will be going live on October 15th – and we want to give you the heads of as to what to expect, how much we need to raise and what will be happening during the winter months.

If you’re looking for a challenge this winter, please think about committing your support to our Christmas Campaign and help provide a more positive future for people affected by homelessness.

If you want to support us, email Dennis.Jones@SSJ.org.uk – we’d be happy to give you a call for a chat. We’re planning a Zoom meeting before the launch to talk about our Christmas plans, if that interests you email Comms@SSJ.org.uk (Headline: Christmas Talk) and we will add you to the list and let you know the details.

Ideas: Winter runs, fundraising evening, concerts, quizzes, staff events & more.

There is something incredibly special and warming about a curry – and vulnerable adults across Southampton have been able to enjoy this feeling thanks to support from local Sikh Sewa Society.

Lovingly prepared by volunteers from the Gurdwara Guru Tegh Bahadar Sahib in Southampton, the delicious curries were delivered to our homeless hostels, specialist hostels and care homes across the south.

Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, putting smiles on the faces of some of the most vulnerable adults in Hampshire.

Thank you to everybody involved.

You might know that it is based in Victoria Park, Portsmouth. You might also know that it is one of our social enterprises and that it has become a popular go-to place for people in Portsmouth to enjoy a spot of lunch.

Something else which makes the café unique in Portsmouth is the Pay It Forward scheme, which was launched in July 2019 with support from our partner, Southern Co-op. In case you aren’t aware, Pay It Forward gives customers the chance to buy a voucher when they visit the Café in the Park, which provides a person affected by homelessness with a hot meal or drink. You can also donate online.

The menu has something for everybody – including vegans and vegetarians. I’ve visited numerous times and have always found something which suits my plant based diet – leaving me feeling very satisfied.

Let me introduce you to some of the delightful items you can enjoy when you visit the café.

Why not start your day within the beauty of the park and enjoy a ‘Full English’ breakfast, including sausage, bacon, fried egg, baked beans and a slice of toast – and wash it down with a cup of tea as you plan your day ahead. There is even a delicious Vegan alternative for people like me.

If you are visiting the café during the day, why not enjoy one of the tasty paninis or toasties. You can even tuck into one of our loaded spuds which can come topped with a selection of mouth-watering toppings such as bacon and brie, tuna mayo, cheese, as well as many other options.

You can also choose between a selection of sandwiches and even the soup of the day – which comes highly recommended as the perfect choice for a light lunch.

If you’re heading to the café with children, don’t fret! The café has a children’s menu with the children’s pick and mix box, children’s breakfast and half loaded spuds enough to keep hunger at bay. In the centre of the park is an area containing an aviary with peacocks, parrots and other exotic birds, in addition to another area with rabbits and guinea pigs that children can feed. There is also an adventurous play area for children. The main shopping area is just a few minutes away too – so the Cafe in the Park is great to have a lunch-break when shopping becomes tiring.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a café if it didn’t serve a selection of drinks, and there are plenty to choose from. You can sit back and relax with a cup of tea in hand, sample one of our flavoured milkshakes, and of course, for those who love coffee like me – choose from one of our hot coffee drinks like a latte, Americano, or a flat white – amongst others.

There are so many more options to enjoy, and every time you visit, you are helping support one of our social enterprises, which helps give opportunities to those who have been affected by homelessness. As well as this, you can even choose to pay it forward when you visit, so people who are affected by homelessness can also enjoy a hot meal or drink.

So what do you know about the Café in the Park? You know that the next time you are in the area you should pop in for a drink or something to eat.

Don’t forget to leave a review on the Café in the Park Facebook page.