An east London charity supporting thousands of low-income families has been saved from closure and secured new, bigger premises following an urgent fundraiser.
Smile London & Essex, based in Romford, helps provide essentials such as food, clothing, toiletries and homeware to around 2,700 people a year.
It was left scrambling to raise £20,000 in a matter of weeks, after being given notice that it must vacate its North Street premises by May 9.
But the charity announced on Wednesday it is “thrilled” to have secured a new, much larger premises in nearby Romford High Street, after more than doubling its target.
The new site - a vacant unit owned by Havering Council - is three times larger than the charity’s previous hub, meaning it can “expand its services significantly”.
The new premises will feature improved facilities, including a larger charity shop to help it generate more funds, and a drop-in cafe.
Smile London & Essex, founded by chief executive Maria Quaife in 2017, was not charged rent at its previous premises, which it had been allowed to use for four years.
But following the eviction notice, “heartbroken” Ms Quaife feared it would shut forever leaving clients without much-needed support, unless she could find £20,000 to rent the council premises.
“That would just be one year’s rent, then we still have to pay the normal utilities, insurance,” she previously explained. “Our running cost £6-7,000 a month at the moment.”
The charity succeeded in raising more than £40,000, thanks to hundreds of donations from the public, and sizeable contributions from organisations including The Childhood Trust and G-Research.
Ms Quaife said: “We are immensely grateful to the community for their incredible support during this challenging time.
"Their generosity and solidarity have allowed us to not only secure a new home but also to enhance our capacity to serve those in need.”
The charity thanked Kilnbridge Construction for helping refurbish the new premises, and move the charity’s stock to the new site. It also thanked the London Borough of Havering for its support, including offering discounted rent.
Around 60 families a day currently visit Smile to collect vital food supplies, and many more use the charity’s clothing bank.
It also distributes more than 2,000 Christmas presents and Easter eggs to children living in hostels across London and Essex each year.
Ms Quaife explains clients are treated like customers, picking up food and clothing in a shop where they may choose what they take, before paying with vouchers.
Clients also volunteer at the charity, gaining confidence and skills to help them back into work.
“It was only a small project to start with, but the need outweighed the support that was available and it just snowballed from there,” said Ms Quaife.
