A Benfleet community hub has received a £5,000 boost after a business pledged to fully fund a new kitchen designed to support vulnerable residents.
AEC Estate Consultants presented the donation to H.O.M.E Hub during the organisation's Family Wellbeing and Fun Day, held in South Benfleet on Saturday.
The funding will be used to install a new community kitchen, which organisers say will become a key educational and wellbeing resource for people across Castle Point.
Once operational, the facility will be used as a soup kitchen for people experiencing homelessness and provide warm meals during Christmas and Easter to help combat loneliness among elderly and isolated residents.
The kitchen will also host cooking classes for adults with special educational needs and youth club members, as well as therapeutic culinary sessions for people living with dementia.
Nick Cecil, of AEC Estate Consultants, said: “We’re really pleased to be able to support The H.O.M.E Hub and the work it is doing for people across the local community.
“Places like this make a real difference because they bring people together and provide practical support in a welcoming environment.
“We wanted our fundraising to have a direct local impact, so knowing 100 per cent of these funds will build a permanent community kitchen is fantastic.”
The kitchen is also expected to work alongside the area's food bank, helping transform emergency food provisions into hot and nutritious meals.
H.O.M.E Hub chiefs said the project would have a lasting impact on residents who rely on its services.
James Taylor and Mark Cox, chief executives of the H.O.M.E Hub, added: “This fundraising support acts as the direct catalyst for our new community kitchen project.
“This kitchen will not just be a structural addition; it will serve as a vital lifeline and educational base for vulnerable people across South Benfleet.
“From feeding those in crisis to teaching young people and adults with SEN how to cook healthy meals, this facility will transform lives.”
The donation was celebrated during the hub's Family Wellbeing and Fun Day, which featured entertainment, community stalls, rides and wellbeing activities under the theme "Bringing Unity Back to the Community".
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