Kings Award, Lottery Grant, Di's Kitchen is being recognised for there good work. We join them on a celebratory garden party to find out more about there work.
00:00So there's a special award on this table, the King's Award, and it's yours and the group's.
00:07It's the group's, it's not mine.
00:09Yeah, so it's Jan.
00:10And Kellogg.
00:11So what's the group called then Jan?
00:13Friends of Di's Kitchen.
00:15And what is Di's Kitchen? Now go on, I've been here a couple of times.
00:19Yes you have.
00:20Well it's a charitable organisation and our aim is to provide food for anyone in Wolverhampton in need
00:28once a week on a Thursday.
00:30Yeah.
00:31And that is a meal for any single guests and it's a bag of food to go towards making a meal for all our families.
00:40So how many people, well how long have you been going for?
00:44Just over five years.
00:46Okay and so when you first started, at the end of that first year, how many people were you kind of sending out meals to then and helping?
00:53The first day we started delivering.
00:55Yeah.
00:56Because we've done four weeks in a church hall before Boris lockdown.
00:59Yeah.
01:00We delivered to six people.
01:02Yesterday we delivered to 945.
01:05Yeah.
01:06And we have delivered, over the five years, we've delivered food to 147,000 people.
01:13That's crazy isn't it? Isn't that crazy?
01:16It's not all meals, it's food for them to make more.
01:19Yeah, yeah.
01:20Yeah.
01:21So what's, obviously we're not going to mention specific individuals' names, but what are some of the stories?
01:27What are some of the stories of the people? Why are people needing your support? What's the range of issues?
01:34Range of issues, it's cost of living, it's rents going up, fuel going up, it's basically those three things.
01:48Yeah, yeah, yeah.
01:49Yeah.
01:50So what has it taught you doing this? I bet it's been an eye-opener hasn't it? You know, as to how many people are needing support.
01:57Yes.
01:58We all wish that we didn't have to do it. It would be lovely if it was a society where we didn't have to provide food.
02:04Yeah.
02:05But we've had some lovely feedback from guests. And none feel that they can cope without us now, but then we get referrals from other organisations, referring new people.
02:22Yeah.
02:23So our numbers are staying static about 950 at the moment.
02:26Yeah.
02:27If you're awake.
02:28Yeah.
02:29But then we get guests, people who were guests, that have come back to volunteer. And we have somebody here today who was a guest we fed.
02:41Yeah.
02:42Yeah.
02:43But now he's in a position to support us financially with a donation every month.
02:47That's fantastic.
02:48So, you know, it makes it all worthwhile.
02:50Yeah, yeah.
02:51So what did it, you got the King's Award, was it long ago, wasn't it?
02:55It was November.
02:56Yeah.
02:57So what did it mean to get that?
02:58Oh, it meant everything to the volunteers. It shows that they're valued.
03:01Yeah.
03:02What they do is so important.
03:04Yes.
03:05Because it was a process that took at least 18 months to go through.
03:10Yeah.
03:11And the fact that we were chosen as being an organisation that deserved it.
03:20Yeah, yeah.
03:21And you've had, today's a bit of a celebratory event, isn't it? A garden party.
03:26Yes.
03:27Yes.
03:28What it was, as a result of getting the King's Award, two volunteers were allowed to go to
03:36Buckingham Palace to a garden party.
03:39Yeah.
03:40So what happened was, we put the names of those who wanted to go into a hat and two were drawn
03:45out and they went in May.
03:46Yeah.
03:47And I said I would do a garden party for everybody else.
03:51So you are Queen Jam today?
03:53No.
03:54So, you know, this is my thank you and my family's thank you to them.
03:59Yeah.
04:00Because people, my family have given me money for this event.
04:04Yeah.
04:05And we've invited people, not only volunteers, we've invited people who have supported us.
04:10Yeah.
04:11How many people would you say you've had over those years, kind of behind the scenes, doing
04:15the work?
04:16Well, it's built up from six or seven of us that started it.
04:19Yeah.
04:20We've got over 50 volunteers.
04:21Yeah.
04:22Yeah.
04:23Because we have 17 cars that leave here on a Thursday afternoon delivering food.
04:27Yeah.
04:28And some are couples.
04:29So that's, you know, a number of volunteers.
04:32Then we've got a different group of volunteers that go collecting food on Wednesday nights and
04:37Thursday morning.
04:38We've got people who help prepare vags and things on a Wednesday at different groups on
04:43Thursdays.
04:44Yeah.
04:45Some overlap.
04:46So it's over 50.
04:47And where are you getting the food from?
04:49Yeah.
04:50Well, we raise all our own funds.
04:51Yeah.
04:52That's why we're so grateful for the lottery funding.
04:55And we purchase from supermarkets the food that we make and prepare and the tins that
05:02we give out.
05:03Yeah.
05:04But then we collect surplus food from supermarkets such as Sainsbury's, Tesco, Lidl, Avondie
05:12on a Wednesday night or a Thursday morning.
05:15Right, yeah.
05:16Best before food.
05:17And then that goes to enhance the bags.
05:19And you mentioned the lottery.
05:20Haven't you just had a nice little acknowledgement off them and an extra bonus, a cheque sent your
05:26way?
05:27Yes, yes.
05:28So what's that for then?
05:29How much?
05:30Well, you have to apply for funding to the lottery.
05:31Yeah, yeah.
05:32So I put in a bid last year for £20,000 telling them what we were doing.
05:38Yeah.
05:39And we were granted it in March, but it's today we're using the celebration.
05:44Yeah, yeah.
05:45That's fantastic.
05:46That's fantastic.
05:47I'm curious.
05:48Those 900 odd that you've been helping support.
05:52Yeah.
05:53What percentage of those would you say are, how do I word it, native black country people
05:59and what percentage are migrants that are not being supported properly really?
06:07We don't ask for people's details.
06:11Yeah, yeah.
06:12We don't help, we don't help any information.
06:15If somebody tells us that someone's in need of food or somebody rings us themselves and
06:21said they need food, we trust them.
06:23Yeah, that they'll.
06:24We deliver to most rewards in the city.
06:29Yeah.
06:30And it's quite a mix.
06:33I should imagine people, if they knew, they'd be surprised actually at some of these people
06:42who are struggling.
06:43Sometimes I think we think we're okay, but what is it that's saying?
06:47A lot of us are only one paycheck away from being, you know, out the door and homeless
06:54and, you know, in our situation ourselves.
06:56We had a referral made by an agency last week for a person.
07:00And they said, first, make sure all his things are paid.
07:05Yeah.
07:06And then he's got nothing left to find out.
07:08Yeah, yeah, yeah.
07:09We can only help one day a week.
07:12Yeah.
07:13Well, thank you Jan to you and all the team.
07:16Magnificent work, you know.
07:18And as we said in our little chat, who knows when any of us might need help from someone else.
07:25Yes.
07:26So, thank you Jan.
07:27Well done.
07:28Enjoy your day.
07:29Right.
07:30Okay.
07:31You know, that is so true.
07:32I mean, a couple of people I've spoke to, it started off where they were delivering food,
07:37but then they're then talking to them about other issues.
07:40Yeah.
07:41So it's good for their mental health and so on, helping them with other things.
07:45And it almost becomes the highlight of the week when the delivery is done.
07:49Yeah.
07:50Because they're having that interaction with people.
07:52So, this is something I wanted to present to the charity.
08:02I wanted to you guys just to say thank you.
08:05For helping me when I was homeless for six months after the legal addiction.
08:10And I was referred to you guys by social prescribing.
08:14And, yeah, like it wasn't just the food and the parcels that you were bringing for me while I was homeless.
08:20It was the fact that the drivers would stop and chat to me every week.
08:24And, um, I was suicidal.
08:28No, I'm at least suicidal at some.
08:30And, uh, mental health was really suffering really badly.
08:34And, um, yeah, you guys were like a light.
08:37This is true as well.
08:38Every, every week.
08:39And just gave me joy and hope.
08:41And my future would be different.
08:43And improve.
08:44So I just wanted to, um, present this artwork.
08:47Uh, which is something that I designed when I came out of hospital in 2000.
