Pimlico Angels CIC

Pimlico Angels is a grassroots organisation that is committed to developing programmes and developing physical space to support the needs of Pimlico/ South Westminster communities. This includes homeless outreach and tailored guidance to reintegrate into secure housing and employment (in the borough with the highest homelessness rates in the UK), providing resources such as school uniforms and food parcels to assist with those heavily impacted due to high cost of living, and running community programmes and holiday events to tackle social isolation and enhance community building. We have developed a reputation for being dependable, effective. and delivering. In doing so we have retained an extensive multi-generational and cross-socioeconomic network in the area and have been able to progressively build capacity. Coupled with our vision to support secure programmes and work alongside delivery partners, we have been successful in winning a bid for a prospective community space. Winter Warm Hub: Our team carried out a five-month weekly community meal as part of Westminster Council’s Winter in the City Programme. These took place on Tuesday evenings in Grosvenor Hall and were open and free for everyone to attend. Weekly attendance was typically between 40-55 and ages ranged from 7 to 65+. Typical sessions would involve a hot meal, snacks and refreshments as well as some group and self-care activities. These activities included group Bingo, arts and crafts, and movies. Many of these sessions coincided with festive times or holidays and we were able to incorporate this into themed sessions. This included a Christmas meal, a NYE celebration, a Chinese/Lunar New Year’s celebration, Mardi Gras/Pancake Day, St Patrick’s and St David’s meals and a community Iftar at the end of Ramadan. During these celebrations we would provide thematic foods, games, movies and tokens. Lunches for Homeless: The area around Victoria has extreme levels of homelessness, something that was strongly campaigned on by Cllr Gillian Arrindell. Upon her unfortunate passing, Pimlico Angels facilitated the delivery of her Lunches for Homeless Project which ran alongside the evening meals we historically provided in the area. This programme entailed three weekly sessions where we would provide meals, refreshments and personal hygiene essentials. Many of the individuals experiencing homelessness in the area are also impacted by complex mental health and substance abuse issues. To properly support those we encountered we underwent drug awareness, first aid and mental first aid training. This programme was funded by Westminster Council’s Community Priorities Programme. Interim Youth Club Provision: Our interactions in council-led discussions about youth services lead to a request for us to step in as interim youth service providers in the closing months of 2024 at a local youth club during a lapse in service provision. We worked alongside staff from Sport Westminster to carry out three evening sessions a week in the youth club of a housing estate. Community Events and Pimlico Youth Planning Committee: We carried out a series of free cross cultural community events with the aims of promoting community cohesion and providing opportunities to participate where financial hardship might otherwise be an issue. These events included a music and gallery focused Black History Month event, a Halloween Trick or Treating Trail, a Guy Fawkes Firework Safety Event, a Christmas Grotto, a Scottish Burns Brunch, a World Book Day Event, a Mother’s Day stall, an Easter Egg Hunt and Picnic, and a post-Eid Barakah Nights Event. We invited youth participation in the planning and executing of these events, eventually forming the Pimlico Youth Planning Committee which aims to empower young people to make a positive local impact and to gain professional development. Uniform Drive: We received funding to distribute school uniform items to families across four wards in the south Westminster area to help alleviate the financial pressure of preparing kids for school amidst a cost-of-living crisis. Most items were distributed at the start of the academic year with top-ups intermittently throughout the year.