Mayor joins volunteers in Tameside kitchen to support the homeless

Tameside’s Mayor, Councillor Shibley Alam, and her consort rolled up their sleeves this week to join the dedicated volunteers of Tameside Meals SEVA Group in preparing more than 200 hot meals for those most in need.

The Mayor joined around ten volunteers in the community kitchen, chopping, stirring and packing portions that would later be distributed to a local church, Power of Resilience CIC in Stalybridge, and other groups supporting the homeless and vulnerable.

On the menu were hearty and nutritious dishes, including halal diced chicken stew with rice, breaded chicken with parsnips and sugar snap peas, and a rich cannellini bean stew. Nothing went to waste, with leftover peelings and scraps composted as part of the group’s commitment to sustainability.

The SEVA project - SEVA meaning “selfless service” - has been quietly but powerfully operating in Tameside since August 2021. It began as a six-month pilot funded to help people living with long COVID but, through the dedication of volunteers and careful use of resources, has grown into a lifeline for families, homeless people and those in need across the borough.

Organiser Kala Madviwala explained how the project evolved: “We actually started towards the end of COVID, thanks to some funding aimed at supporting people with long COVID. It was only supposed to last six months, but with a fantastic group of volunteers and careful budgeting, we stretched it to 18 months. Since then, it’s grown into something much bigger - helping people who are struggling, linking up with charities, and giving volunteers a real sense of purpose.

Every Tuesday, the team receives ingredients from Fairshare, plans recipes on the spot, and cooks from scratch. Meals are portioned into containers ready to be handed out by local partners, including Power of Resilience CIC, and a local church supporting elderly residents.

For many of the volunteers, the kitchen has become as much about community as it is about food. Kala said: “It’s not just about the meals. For the volunteers too, it’s become a lifeline, mentally and physically. Some of our helpers are asylum seekers and refugees, and they’ve found real joy and purpose here.”

The Mayor praised the group’s dedication, thanking all the volunteers for their incredible and selfless work to support those most in need in Tameside.

Now a fully constituted community organisation, Tameside Meals SEVA Group relies on small grants and donations to continue its work. A recent contribution from the Tameside Rotary Club has helped keep the project running, but with demand still rising, funding remains crucial.

Kala reflected on the journey so far: “We’ve been going for nearly four years now, and I think it’s a real team achievement. As long as the funding keeps coming in - and sadly, the need is still very much there - we’ll keep going.”