WHY? For the last year I've had the privilege of volunteering at The Long Table on a Friday night - cooking and serving up free meals for our local homeless, newcomer and student populations.

A great team creates amazing meals out of a pretty terrible kitchen.

GOAL: is to completely refurbish and install a new, professional-grade kitchen to support all the activities that happen in the 101 community space on Donegall Street in Belfast.

What is The Long Table?

Each Friday evening (6-7pm) we serve a free nutritious meal in the heart of Belfast City Centre. Our goal is to create a welcoming, safe space for everyone on the streets of Belfast and in our neighbouring communities. A small team of volunteers prepares the meal (both vegan/meat options available) and any surplus food is available for anyone who wants to take it home. As a team we prepare the food and then eat together with our guests and build relationships and community along two long tables. On a Friday night we usually have around 40 people (and a few dogs).

We have rails of clothes and practical goods and we try to respond to people's needs where we can.

During the week the Anaka Women's collective - a charity supporting and advocating for women and children navigating the asylum system use the kitchen to create food to share together. Here's Masha from Anaka speaking at Stormont this week.

*** Over 300 other people use the building each week.

Together our shared vision is to create a safe, welcoming and inclusive place that feels like home, where people know they matter and they belong.

£££: So far we have raised £34k from our target total of £45k but we still have a way to go.

SWIM SWIM SWIM! As a middle-aged walking cliché (my teenagers' words not mine) I have fallen back in love with the sea over the past few years. During October I am swimming every day (usually at 6.30am!) to raise money for this new kitchen and trying to motivate as many others to do it with me as I can.

- Some of us are doing a dip a day.

- Some are swimming once a week.

- Some are joining on Sunday morning the 27th October for a dawn celebration swim (on Fall Back extra hour day...)

Anything you could give would be greatly appreciated.

It means I could maybe wash dishes in warm water ;)

Thank you

Kirsten xx