Hereford food hub: 'It's a chance to get a hot meal'

Over his plate of sausage and chips Steven Micallef explains: "A hot meal in your belly means more to you than you really realise."

It is a guaranteed dinner for him made possible by Lee's Place, a hot food hub near Maylord Orchards shopping centre, in Hereford, where anyone can enjoy a meal, warmth or just company of others.

Christine Price set up the organisation and says Herefordshire Council let her use the then empty unit for free.

She said: "We were really lucky, Herefordshire Council have covered the rent and utilities on the unit for us as their contribution to making this happen."

She said the hub was set up because her and a friend felt there was a lack of resource for homeless people during the winter.

"It's a long day when you're cold, homeless and walking around trying to fill your time," she said.

Mr Micallef knows all too well what it is like to deal with the realities of homelessness after moving to the town to escape gang-related violence.

"It's a chance for me to eat, get off the streets and just be normal for a while," he said.

"I've slept in a tent in a graveyard and was living in a truck before it got stolen.

"It's very important to have something like this because there's nowhere else to go except walk the streets during the daytime," he said.

Lee's Place is open every evening 18:00 GMT to 20:00 GMT.

"Having PTSD, it's hard to come into places where there's lots of people, but they're very accepting," Mr Micallef added.

"They make a good effort in trying to make you feel welcome."

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