During the pandemic this page has kindly been given completely free of charge by Metropolitan Grand Lodge & Chapter to help a charitable organisation feature their urgent message.

Today we feature THE PASSAGE – a charity providing homeless people with support to transform their own lives and support to potential and confirmed victims of modern slavery and human trafficking.

Our story – The Passage opened its doors for the first time in October 1980 in response to the growing number of people sleeping rough on the streets of Westminster. Over the past 40 years, we have worked in partnership with many agencies to help thousands of people off the streets into safe, secure accommodation and employment. We now run the largest Resource Centre in the UK, helping around 3,000 homeless people annually, as well as three innovative accommodation projects, homelessness prevention services, employment and training support, street outreach and an award-winning Modern Slavery project. We also run a project in Brighton and Hove connecting local services with the aim of reducing rough sleeping. 

The idea – Since the beginning of the Covid-19 outbreak, The Passage has been a vital lifeline for hundreds of rough sleepers. We rapidly support people off the streets and into emergency accommodation where they can stay safe and self-isolate. To ensure that no one goes hungry, we are running a special food service, delivering daily food parcels and hot meals to our clients in emergency accommodation and residents in our accommodation projects. As well as providing nutritious meals, our frontline teams have been carrying out welfare checks and health assessments, and employment and move on support for individuals ready to enter the job market or permanent accommodation. It has been the most challenging time in our 40-year history and our services have never been needed more. 

Getting involved – Our vital food service is run by The Passage’s Head Chef, Claudette, and her army of volunteers. Together they prepare vital food parcels to be delivered to homeless people, seven days a week, in their emergency accommodation. Can you support Claudette and her team who need your help to ensure London’s homeless do not go hungry during the third national lockdown? It costs just £10 to provide a food parcel for one person for one day.  

Making Donations
£10 – pays for a food parcel for a homeless person today
£30 – pays for daily food parcels for the next few days
£70 – pays for daily food parcels for the next week
£140 – pays for daily food parcels for the next two weeks
£300 – pays for daily food parcels for the next month

Please donate online at passage.org.uk/dinner OR call 020 7592 1856 
For more info, email fundraising@passage.org.uk

Registered Charity Number 1079764

This article is part of the Arena Magazine, Issue 44 April 2021 edition.
Arena Magazine is the official magazine of the London Freemasons – Metropolitan Grand Lodge and Metropolitan Grand Chapter of London.

Read more articles in the Arena Issue 44.