Peckham Soup Kitchen Urgently Needs New Home - But Claims Council Won't Help

Last Updated 23 January 2025

Peckham Soup Kitchen Urgently Needs New Home - But Claims Council Won't Help
People with shopping trolleys full of grocery bags
Peckham Soup Kitchen must leave its Aylesham Centre home on 24 January.

A south London soup kitchen will be homeless within days, as it struggles to find a new location — and claims the local council isn't pulling its finger out.

Peckham Soup Kitchen (PSK) — which has been operating since 2022, and now helps over 400 people a week — will be forced to leave its home in Rye Lane's Aylesham Centre, as its temporary lease ends. PSK is keen to point out that it is grateful to Berkeley Homes, which gave the volunteer-run setup a free home for a year, but that support from Southwark Council has been lacking when it comes to sourcing a new venue. According to Southwark News, which is championing PSK's cause, the council has said, rather bluntly, there are no "suitable properties available".

A PSK spokesperson tells Londonist: "We were disappointed to hear Southwark Council's response when approached by Southwark News. [The council stated] that they had no suitable properties for us to use, in order for us to carry out our work for the community of Southwark. However we have not liaised with them to tell us what kind of space we require, so we are unsure how they are certain they have nothing suitable.

A man with a box of veggies
As well as providing hot meals, Peckham Soup Kitchen runs a community allotment, alongside many other programmes for those struggling in an ongoing cost of living crisis.

"We also have had no support from them in building up Peckham Soup Kitchen yet we are aware they send multiple referrals to people to attend our service. We still support these referrals no questions asked."

As well as serving hundreds of hot meals to locals every week, Peckham Soup Kitchen runs football camps and trial opportunities, boxing and 'be active' programmes. They have a community allotment empowering locals to grow their own food, and host a school uniform drive each September, for families suffering under the continued cost of living crisis.

Young kids at a Fulham training ground
From football camps to boxing programmes, PSK helps keep Peckham's community healthy and active.

The need for all these things has become more acute, even in the few years in which the organisation was set up. Peckham Soup Kitchen tells Londonist: "When we started PSK we saw the majority of homeless/substance abuse and unemployed need for our service. Since moving to Rye Lane and being in a prime location we now see people from all aspects of life — struggling families, single parents, children within the care system, ex-offenders, those with mobility issues, the elderly, those struggling with mental health, working class citizens — even business owners.

"Everyone seems to be affected by the cost of living crisis and we serve anyone that walks through our doors or reaches out to us, no questions asked. If they need it, we will provide all the support we can."

People sorting through bags of food
"We have begun rebuilding our community which we believe is the start of tackling so many negative elements within our borough."

Peckham Soup Kitchen has now launched a petition aiming to spread awareness of what they do. "Most importantly," PSK tells Londonist, "we want to share our story in hopes that someone may come across this and offer us the appropriate space so that we can continue helping the community in the ways that we do. We have hundreds of people that rely on us every week so we cannot stop our service.

"We have begun rebuilding our community which we believe is the start of tackling so many negative elements within our borough."

Southwark Council's Cllr John Batteson, tells Londonist: "We are aware that Peckham Soup Kitchen, a well-loved community organisation, is looking for a new premises.

"The council does not currently have any suitable properties available around Rye Lane that they could look into.

"We are continuing to work proactively with local organisations in Peckham to meet the needs of our most vulnerable residents and we wish Peckham Soup Kitchen every success in finding a suitable premises."