A BOROUGH-based award-winning and highly-respected charity is calling for a change in the way organisations that carry out good work are helped, not hindered by local councils.

The Friends of Essex and London Homeless (FOELH) was formed in 2016 by Purfleet couple Cheryl and Steven Stuart and has gone on to offer a decade of help to people in need..

FOELH, a volunteer-led organisation, provides hot food, clothing, and essential supplies to those living on the streets, with regular outreach sessions in Grays and surrounding areas, including London.

Last month Steven and Cheryl Stuart were honoured with a nomination to the King's Award for Voluntary Service

It has been an established and regular helping hand for people in London through its food kitchen near Charing Cross Station. But lately the organisation has found a lot of its time fighting issues with Westminster City Council, who allege the charity is not operating within its statutes and is leaving waste and litter on the city streets.

Nothing could be further from the truth, says Mr Stuart, who says the charity is fastidious after its visits and always cleans up and leaves no waste.

Earlier this monty the council issued the charity with an order that it has d to obtain a waste transfer licence – which the charity says is over-bureaucratic and an unnecessary waste of time and resourced.

Mr Stuart told Thurrock Nub News: "We have today received formal correspondence from Westminster City Council regarding waste transfer documentation linked to our Wednesday Charing Cross outreach sessions.

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"We would like to reassure our supporters, volunteers and the wider public that we take pride in operating as responsibly as possible each and every week.

"At the end of every outreach session our volunteers Litter pick the surrounding area, remove rubbish from the site, Provide additional bin bags/bins during the outreach and take recycling and waste away personally for disposal

"The only waste directly created from our outreach is generally paper cups, wooden cutlery and foil food containers used to provide hot meals and drinks to those in need.

"As a volunteer-led charity, not a commercial business, we had genuinely believed we were disposing of waste responsibly and appropriately whilst continuing to support some of the most vulnerable people within our communities."

The food kitchen in Charing Cross has been a lifeline for many homeless people.

Mr Stuart acknowledges that some other charities and organisation that operate in the district do not act responsibly – but he says it is unfair to target everyone with the same brush.

He added: "If we are honest, sometimes situations like this make us question why we do what we do when we dedicate so much time and effort trying to support vulnerable people whilst also ensuring we operate responsibly and respectfully.

"One thing we have always been extremely proud of as a charity is how we run our outreach sessions, and that includes making every effort to dispose of any litter and rubbish created by service users and members of the public attending the outreach.

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"We remain fully willing to work collaboratively and positively with Westminster City Council and all relevant stakeholders to ensure our outreachs continue to operate safely, respectfully and responsibly for everybody involved.

"Our focus, as always, remains the same: Feeding the hungry, supporting the vulnerable, treating people with dignity and leaving the area as clean and respectful as possible

"Thank you to everybody who continues to stand beside us, volunteer with us and support what we do week in week out. Without you, none of this would be possible.

"Sadly, this is now the reality facing many grassroots charities and outreach groups trying to support vulnerable people on the streets of London."

In a bid to try and find a solution, Mr Stuart says he would be more than happy to operate on a permit system from the council, which laid down its rules and guidelines. "If we then breach them," we lose the permit. Which seems a reasonable thing and would improve the quality of help available to those in need.

"It doesn't need to go to the lengths of obtaining things like waste transfer licences – that's just too bureaucratic and is unnecessary."

The charity has now launched an online parliamentary petition, calling on the government and councils to Introduce permit system for organisations delivering homeless outreach services.

Mr Stuart adds: "We think a permit system overseen by local authorities could ensure a better regulated provision and ensure service standards, preventing the delivery of such services being banned due to poor practice of some services.

"We believe without a permit system, some local authorities may instead move to restrict the access to homeless outreach services which we believe risks removing vital support. We recognise concerns around safety and disruption caused by poor practices of some services, but we think banning services will only displace the issue.

"A permit system could enable better regulation, coordination, and accountability of services, while ensuring vulnerable people can still access essential support."

He is calling on Thurrock residents and those wider afield to support the petition so it will be considered by the government.

The FOELH soup kitchen in Grays,

It would apply equally to the Friday food kitchens the charity operates in Grays and other pop-ups it occasionally runs.

To sign the petition click here. Introduce local authority run permit system for homeless outreach services - Petitions