A NEWPORT community group is aiming to expand their support to the homeless by carrying on their successful drive.

Pride in Pill have been working with local businesses to provide meals for the homeless and have provided thousands of meals to those on the streets since it began in 2018. In 2020 alone, they gave out 5,000 meal tickets to the homeless which allowed them to have a meal from any of the participating businesses in the city.

So far in 2022, they have given out 400 tickets. These tickets are delivered by Pride in Pill volunteers on a Sunday to use at any time in the week.

Currently involved are New Best Kebab, Le Pub, Bella Pasta, The Square Pizza Co, 4 Corners Pizza and Chip Central. Between the businesses, they provide between 20 and 30 meals each week – something that the group are proud and thankful of, but also wish for more to get involved.

Pride in Pill chairman Paul Murphy said: “At first we would go out on a Sunday evening and give them clothes but I said we had to do more than that. So we started to go out and give them hot drinks and food.

“Jason decided to ask some restaurants if they wanted to come on board.

“We have got 20 tickets we give out each week to the homeless, but we want to do more. If you have 20 tickets and see 25 homeless people, its hard. We would love for more businesses to get involved.”

Mr Murphy explained how when the team of volunteers head out with the tickets, they are greeted by the homeless members of the public.

“When we go out, they are really happy to see us because they know we’re helping them,” he said.

He also explained how if they need anything such as sleeping bags, tents etc, the team will head to their lockup to get it for them.

Last Sunday, Pride in Pill were able to provide 20 cooked dinners for the homeless thanks to Robert Steed at Rewind Retro Bar.

Pride in Pill has also been running a toybox appeal in conjunction with the Toybox Project and they collect toys to distribute to children and families in need across South Wales. Over the Christmas period, they took 40 bags of toys to seven different hospitals across South Wales.

Mr Murphy told the Argus of their plans to expand. He said: “For this year’s toy appeal, we are looking to do England and Wales. All new toys will be wrapped by volunteers and put in age groups and will be sent to hospitals around England and Wales.”

For more on the work Pride in Pill do or to get involved, visit https://www.facebook.com/pamurpaol

  • This is one of a series of 'Our City' features looking at Newport and the people who call it home.