Peckham Soup Kitchen - Up The Path
From "THINC Fund Vote: Large Projects (£25,000-£50,000)"
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At PSK (Peckham Soup Kitchen), football isn’t just a game, it’s a bridge. In a community where many young people face barriers to opportunity, PSK has become a home for those who need connection, confidence, and care. Over the past three years, we’ve built ‘Up The Path’, a pathway that gives young people access to football clubs and equipment, mentorship, and life skills that reach far beyond the pitch.
Our work brings together children and families who are often overlooked, like those living on tight incomes, managing health challenges, adjusting to new countries, or simply needing somewhere to belong. Through our partnerships with local grassroots teams PSK acts as an umbrella for smaller community clubs, helping them access equipment, food provisions, and build safe, inclusive environments for their players. As a result, we are able to host football tournaments and open training sessions bringing these clubs together and creating a bigger community and a network of support that helps young players grow in discipline, teamwork, and self-belief.
A central part of our growth is our ‘Boot Bin’ Initiative, a new way to make football more accessible and sustainable. Across Peckham, we plan to place secure and lockable metal donation bins where residents can drop off outgrown football boots in good condition. These will be cleaned, refurbished, and donated back to local children who can’t afford new pairs giving every young person access to equality when playing. It’s a simple, community-led idea that helps families save money as well as teach children to give back, keeps boots out of landfill, and ensures every child can step onto the pitch with pride.
Alongside football, PSK remains deeply grounded in its roots as a soup kitchen, providing regular food provisions for families facing hardship and ensuring that young people are fuelled and supported. Through our nutrition and sports science workshops, we teach what to eat for energy, performance, and recovery, helping them understand their bodies, build healthy habits, and tackle food insecurity and obesity. We also run fitness and wellbeing sessions exploring how movement, rest, and nourishment connect to mental health and self-confidence. To give young people a voice beyond the pitch, we’re developing the ‘Up The Path Podcast', a youth-led platform where players can share their stories, speak openly about life on and off the field, and inspire others with their journeys. Through food, football, and honest conversation, we create spaces where young people can grow stronger in body, mind, and community
With £50,000 in funding, PSK will expand Up The Path by:
- Introducing the ‘Boot Bin’ network across Peckham.
- Starting up our ‘Up The Path Podcast’.
- Increasing to regular monthly tournaments with free healthy meals.
- Providing more kits, boots, and equipment to youth teams.
- Offering financial literacy and wellbeing workshops.
- Strengthening our mentorship for young players and grassroots coaches.
Our vision is: a stronger, more connected community where every young person has the chance to play, eat well, learn, and thrive.
