Edinburgh charity providing 100 hot meals to the homeless

Non-profit charity Steps To Hope, alongside an Edinburgh church, are ensuring that the homeless community still have at least one hot meal a week, handing out takeaway dinners at the foot of Edinburgh Castle.

Volunteers spend their Sunday afternoons cooking around 100 hot meals in The Parish Church of St Cuthbert, just off Princes Street.

Usually, the meals would be served at tables inside the church, but social distancing has meant the group had to find a new way to provide meals to those most in need.

Reverend Peter Sutton said: "We still cook the food in the kitchen, but have been handing out the meals in the courtyard at the bottom of Edinburgh Castle.

The Parish Church of St Cuthbert, just off Princes Street, is helping the homeless

"We can make sure people are still fed, and we can still hand out clothing to people, we hang it up on the banisters outside. We're doing around 100 three course meals."

Richard Roncero, founder and operations manager for Steps to Hope, said the charity are delighted with the relationship they have with St Cuthbert's Church.

"They have been a great support to us allowing us to use their hall and kitchen to provide hot meals," he explained.

"STH use the same hall at St Cuthbert's to operate the overnight shelter. This shelter has closed for the time being due to Covid-19 as we don’t want to have gatherings of people.

"However, since this project has closed, St Cuthbert's have installed a shower room - so once this project opens those staying over at the shelter can get access to the shower.

Mr Roncero added: "Since Covid-19, we have increased our services from two days a week to five days a weeks serving over 400 meals.

"We have a catering van which does various different drops throughout Edinburgh providing hot meals to the most vulnerable."

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