Dunloe Centre assistance in Hackney and Tower Hamlets

The Dunloe Centre is a resource for people that are homeless or living in poverty. The centre is only open a few days per week. When possible, those who are eligible for help from the charity can receive free food as well as household items, such as bedding. More complicated needs are signposted to other agencies in London.

Volunteers will serve hot meals to the homeless. Some of them will be free, but that will only be for small items such as a cup of tea or biscuit. More extensive meals, such as for breakfast or a lunch, may be served as well but those will come with a small cost. If someone is willing to pay a small fee they can get a healthy meal served to them from the centre. This service is only for people that are local to Hackney or Tower Hamlets.

If someone from the borough is on a low income and is facing food poverty, then staff from the Dunloe Centre can provide a voucher for a box of groceries. This will need to be used at a local Trussell Trust food bank in the borough.

The assistance given to the person with the voucher will be in the form of a parcel with up to three days worth of groceries. However this will be solely at the discretion of the staff at a foodbank, The voucher can be provided up to 3 times per year at most.

The Dunloe Centre provides advice to the homeless as well. This will be in the form of connecting people to shelters or temporary accommodations in the city. There are council schemes across Hackney and Tower Hamlets that help address this need. Staff from Dunloe can signpost people to these different services that can help them find a new home.

The Dunloe drop-in centre offers various forms of practical support. This type of aid will depend on what has been donated to the organisation. So people that stop in at the centre should expect to receive different types of goods, but anything passed out is at their discretion.

The clothes store can have everything from toiletries to bedding for someone who was homeless and is now in their own home. There are also small domestic items, such as appliances, for them as well. The clothing store is only open Tuesday 10.30am to 12 noon.

The advice is provided by specialists from other statutory agencies that drop in a few times per month. An an example, staff from Citizens Advice will partner with the team from Dunloe to offer advice on applying for welfare or benefits. They can help with forms or answer questions that people have. They also provide information on budgeting or dealing with debts and much more.

Anyone who wants to use the services needs to be local to Tower Hamlets and Hackney boroughs. The Dunloe Centre is located at St Saviours Priory, 18 Queensbridge Road, London, E2 8NS, and the phone number is 020 7739 9976.