Clapton Community Drop In is a grass roots project that offers real and immediate help to people in our community who are struggling to navigate the systems that they need to maintain or regain a safe and secure life.

It runs on Sundays alongside the Urban Table soup kitchen and on Wednesdays in our main hall and offers a friendly and non-judgemental service where every person who drops in will be listened to and offered help and signposting to give them the support they need.

The support offered is varied and responds to the individual needs of each person and is often related to huge rent increases, benefit caps and the housing crisis. Examples of the type of support regularly offered includes:

Explaining the content of formal letters from government agencies

Enabling access to food banks

Helping access temporary accommodation and make homeless applications

Helping to access legal help and solicitors

Helping to secure suitable private sector properties

GP registration

Support in processing benefits claims and challenge negative benefit decisions

Helping people to access IT to be able to apply for jobs

Getting household items for people in need

We have supported over 250 people in the last two years and the number of people seeking help is increasing (as are the national statistics on homelessness).

If you would like to volunteer we are looking for people who can commit to at least one session per month. You would receive training and support and in turn you will be able to offer support to those who use the service, particularly in relation to housing, benefits, community care and other areas. 

For more information about the project and how to volunteer, please email oliver@theroundchapel.org.uk

We fund the work of this project through a combination of donations from the local community, by hiring out our building and with grants from London Borough of Hackney, Hackney Parochial Charities and John Dorsett Trust.