A SOUP kitchen that supports homeless people is raising thousands of pounds to build a new shelter.

One Love Soup Kitchen is planning on the new log cabin style shelter at its site in Great Eastern Avenue, Southend.

The Aspirations day program will use this venue to launch their pilot day program specially working with those in an abstinence-based recovery process.

Homeless people visit One Love Soup Kitchen in the evenings for a meal, shower and change of clothes, but this is in sheltered outdoor areas.

Organisation bosses say this building will provide a warm place to discuss their current situation and share sensitive personal information and experiences in a safe environment with both professionals and volunteers.

The site that the building is being built on is provided by Hollybrook Homes, a construction company that invests in helping the community and offers the grounds at no rental cost to charities.

The new shelter will be used by rough sleepers and people in recovery to receive mental heath support and take part in workshops to address their issues, addictions and learn skills to make positive life changes.

Zoey Smith, one of the founders of the soup kitchen said all the support means so much.

She said: “We have been given permission to do this on site.

“Please read the online funding page and help if you can.

“We have more than 6,000 people in our Facebook group, and so a £1 donation from just half of our members will cover the cost of this to help this project.

“One Love is now committed to being more than just a soup kitchen.

“We don’t want to put plasters on the homeless problem.

“We want to help the homeless get to root of their problems and change. This is why we are working in partnership with Marie Edmonds and The Aspirations day program which can now run their pilot program due to this being their venue.

“Thank you for reading and all donations are welcome.”

The charity has already collected more then £1,430 of its £2,000 target.

Residents are in support of the new shelter for people in need in the town.

Danny Thomas, 34, of Southend said: “I think we need more shelters like this, and the issue of homelessness is not just in Southend.

“We are facing this across the south of the county and it’s getting worse.

“I can’t imagine what these people go through.

“I have donated and hope more people do so.”

To donate to the new shelter see www.justgiving.com and search marie edmonds