Loose Ends
Serving the homeless and vulnerable in Newbury
**URGENT NOTICE: Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, Loose Ends has ceased regular sessions for now. Instead, we are offering a 'takeaway' service during our normal session times as well as providing meals and necessities, 5 days/week, for Newbury rough sleepers who have been housed in local hotels**
If you wish to make a donation to Loose Ends, we have our 'Amazon Wishlist'. Please click on the link below and choose an item that we are in need of:
Thank you to everyone who continues to support us so generously
Loose Ends is a drop-centre in Newbury serving food to the homeless and vulnerable. We are run by approximately 80 volunteers who serve on average 140 meals a week and give over 6,000 hours a year of their time to helping Loose Ends. The preparation and serving of healthy, hot meals is our main function but we also offer mini food parcels, toiletries and clean clothes to all those in need.
We strive to provide a safe, friendly atmosphere where people can socialise. Our clients are often homeless or ‘sofa surfing’, may have addictions, suffer from a mental illness or are on low incomes.
We are grateful to all our volunteers and to our donors.
We meet at Morton Hall, Newbury Baptist Church, Cheap Street, Newbury, RG14 5DD
Our Opening Times
Monday 12.30 - 13.15pm Soup Kitchen
Tuesday 12.30 - 13.15pm Lunch
Wednesday 09.30 - 10.45am Breakfast
Friday 09.30 - 10.45am Breakfast
Sunday 14.00 - 15.15pm Lunch
Our Objectives
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to assist the homeless and vulnerable in the Newbury area by providing a drop-in centre
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to serve a meal during each session
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to distribute donated or purchased food during sessions
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to distribute donated toileteries, clothing and bedding
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to guide ('signpost') clients to other agencies or charities that may be able to offer other forms of assistance when required.
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to show love and acceptance to all
Loose Ends shows love to those in the Newbury area who are in need through homelessness, addiction dependency and poverty with the aim of enabling them to access a more healthy, balanced and productive life.
As we provide meals, we are required by law to comply with the food hygiene regulations.
During our last inspection we were given a 5* rating.
Our Ethos
Loose Ends is an organisation run entirely by volunteers, serving the homeless and vulnerable in Newbury.
As an organisation, we do not discriminate against anyone on any basis, including race, gender, disability, religion/belief or sexual orientation.
Individuals who use our service and volunteers must be a minimum age of 18 years.
A Brief History
Loose Ends first opened its doors in May 1990 through the vision and hard work of Richard Westall. Richard saw the need to support local, homeless people.
He raised the initial start-up funding and donations and, through the support of Newbury Baptist Church, opened a non-residential drop in centre at Morton Hall for a one year trial period and we're still going strong!
It originally met only on a Sunday for a sandwich lunch. By request, this then became a cooked lunch further down the line. Within a couple of years, Loose Ends was opening on a Wednesday and then Friday, finally adding Monday and Tuesday some years later to now operating five days a week.
