Birmingham Food Drive volunteer Vimal Korpal with BBC Doctors actors Bharti Patel (second left) and Lorna Laidlaw (right) (Photo: Nikhara Korpal)
The annual Birmingham Food Drive was held over the weekend, bringing together several of the city’s homeless outreach groups to provide the vulnerable with food, clothes, advice and free haircuts.
Held at Carrs Lane Church in the city centre, the event brought together volunteers, community groups and charities; all of whom had donated items and services to ensure the city’s homeless had enough provisions during the cold winter months.
Professional barber Shahram Ali giving free haircuts to the homeless at the Birmingham Food Drive (Photo: Nikhara Korpal)
Hundreds of homeless and vulnerable individuals and families were offered hot and cold food and drink, clothes, winter warmers, toiletries and essential items from noon on Saturday 5th December, along with professional advice on housing, benefits, health and sexual health, drugs and shelter.
The Birmingham Food Drive – which began in 2012 as a means of assisting rough sleepers in the city – aims to offer warmth, good company and provisions to all who may need it.
Food Items donated for the vulnerable at the Birmingham Food Drive (Photo: Paul Wheeler)
Clothes and shoes to be distributed at the Birmingham Food Drive (Photo: Paul Wheeler)
Co-organised by the Amirah Foundation and Let’s Can Hunger UK, the gathering was sponsored by Islamic Relief UK.
Working with organisations including Socks and Chocs, Who Is Hussain?, The Albert Street Project, As-Suffa Homeless Outreach, St Basils and Birmingham Homeless Outreach; the open-to-all event acts as an umbrella initiative for the many groups who regularly carry our street feeds and soup kitchens.
Cllr Waseem Zaffar (Lab) with Birmingham Food Drive founder Adam Yosef (Photo: Nikhara Korpal)
Rik James (left) of Birmingham Homeless Outreach at the Birmingham Food Drive (Photo: Paul Wheeler)
Volunteers at the Birmingham Food Drive with food packs prepared for the homeless (Photo: Paul Wheeler)
Amirah Foundation CEO and event co-organiser Shaz Manir (left) at the Birmingham Food Drive (Photograph: Nikhara Korpal)
Joining in this year were Lorna Laidlaw and Bharti Patel, actors from popular BBC TV drama Doctors, alongside Labour councillor for the Lozells & East Handsworth ward, Waseem Zaffar MBE.
Musicians also entertained guests with Kirenjit Kaur playing the sitar and rapper Leo Golden Child sharing his spoken word skills with the audience. A special blank canvas was also set up for attendees to share their messages of goodwill.
Group photo of organisers, volunteers and guests at the Birmingham Food Drive (Photo: Paul Stringer)
Birmingham Homeless Outreach organiser Ranjit Dhillon chats to Birmingham Food Drive founder Adam Yosef (Photograph: Nikhara Korpal)
Adam Yosef, founder of the Birmingham Food Drive, said:
“We’re working with a number of homeless outreach workers and organisations because we want to eliminate homelessness, food banks and poverty for families across Birmingham in the long-term. However, in the meantime, we cannot allow our brothers and sisters to freeze, starve or be abandoned because the State has failed in its responsibility to social welfare.
“We live in a country where there are 635,000 empty properties in England, including 607 council homes in Birmingham, and yet we have a homelessness epidemic, which has risen by 25% since 2009. We’ve also had an increase of food banks from just over 50 to over 400 since the Tories came to power in 2010. This is unacceptable.
“We will continue to work with charities and organisations to do what we can and ensure more and more people don’t end up on the streets, and those who do have somewhere to go for help. We want to make sure there’s at least regular hot food for those living and sleeping on the streets this Christmas.”
Volunteer Dan Parks and Katie Cruickshank at the Birmingham Food Drive (Photograph: Paul Wheeler)
Sitar player Kirenjit Kaur performs at the Birmingham Food Drive (Photograph: Nikhara Korpal)
The Birmingham Food Drive was sponsored by charity Islamic Relief (Photograph: Paul Stringer)
Birmingham Food Drive co-organiser Ozzy Karim (right) , who also heads Let’s Can Hunger UK (Photograph: Nikhara Korpal)
Volunteers with food packs ready at the Birmingham Food Drive (Photograph: Paul Wheeler)
Speaking about her organisation Let’s Can Hunger UK, Ozzy Karim said:
“We regularly work with the PCSO’s at Erdington Police Station and the Pastor at Bethany Pentecostal church to provide support for families identified as in need.
“We have just teamed up with the Amirah Foundation, The Albert Street Project other agencies for the Birmingham Food Drive, which sees us all host a day to feed, clothe and provide other help and support to the Birmingham homeless and vulnerable. We are hoping to provide a holistic day where people can come, have some food, maybe have a haircut and get involved with agencies that can support them long term.”
Volunteer Cameron Moon reads messages of support left by guests at the Birmingham Food Drive (Photograph: Paul Wheeler)
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The next Birmingham Food Drive will be taking place on Saturday 9th January at Carrs Lane Church, from 12pm – 5pm. Anyone wishing to volunteer, donate, or find out more, can visit: www.facebook.com/BrumFoodDrive.
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