Harrogate chip shop's amazingly kind gesture to help the homeless

The owner of Harrogate Fisheries, Tim Phillips, has donated a free fish and chip supper with mince pies and Christmas crackers to all of the residents at the Harrogate Homeless Project’s hostel and emergency accommodation.

In the long-term, Tim will be dropping off any surplus food from the shop on a weekly basis, starting in January, to support the homeless. The idea was inspired by his 12-year-old son

Harry, who at a young age is already enormously passionate about making a difference, and has previously given out blankets to people living on the streets.

Harry said: “I believe that everybody deserves the same opportunities, no matter what their circumstances. Seeing people living on the streets really upsets me and I wanted to be able to help them in any way possible, especially at Christmas.

“Being able to provide a hot meal for Harrogate Homeless with my mum and dad was really special, and it meant a lot that we could do that for them.”

Proud dad Tim said: “Harry thinks it is incredibly sad that people are homeless, particularly around Christmas time, and we are incredibly proud of him for being so caring. If we can lift people’s spirits for even just a brief moment, and bring a smile to someone’s face by doing this, that would be wonderful. We just want to try and make a difference if we can.

“We are an affluent town in Harrogate, but that doesn’t mean we are immune to homelessness. If I found myself in that situation of being homeless at Christmas, I think it would hit home even more, as it’s a time for giving and sharing, and family time.”

The Harrogate Homeless Project’s hostel services manager, Charlotte Fortune, said: “We are thrilled to have been approached by Harrogate Fisheries to start an ongoing partnership of providing leftover food to our residents. It was lovely that they have not only given the residents an early Christmas treat, but also are thinking about homeless individuals throughout the year.”