Pl84U Al-Suffa helps 500 local families every week but must quickly find new premises as its Leytonstone base undergoes a major upgrade, reports Sebastian Mann, Local Democracy Reporter

One of the biggest foodbanks in Waltham Forest is appealing for help finding a new premises after being served an eviction notice.

Pl84U Al-Suffa (pronounced ‘plate for you’) has been ordered to vacate its home at the Epicentre in Leytonstone by 8th June.

The foodbank is open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Sundays and sees around 500 users come through its doors each week. It was launched in March 2020 and moved into the Epicentre that October.

The World Shirdi Sai Baba Organisation, which took over the building in November, is planning a major refurbishment project and asked its tenants to leave earlier this month so work can take place.

For the past twelve years, it had been in the hands of a liquidator and “deteriorated significantly,” leading to “major” infrastructure problems, the charity said.

Saira Begum Mir, who runs Pl84U Al-Suffa, said the foodbank’s potential closure meant “thousands of people could lose access to the meals, groceries, and essential support they rely on every week”.

She said she was “very concerned” about the foodbank potentially becoming homeless but wanted to “think positively”.

The owners have not specified whether Pl84U Al-Suffa could return to the premises once the repairs have been completed, she added.

A GoFundMe has been launched to help the foodbank find a new base, with a target of £6,000.

Saira said the move would incur “significant costs” including a hefty deposit for a new commercial space and the price of fitting it out with fridges, storage, and seating.

A spokesperson for the landlord said all tenants were told about the upcoming refurbishments last year, before giving them two months’ formal notice.

They said: “It is not an eviction notice. We have already indicated in the past that there will be refurbishment in the future and we have given enough notice for these absolutely important repairs.”

The charity has faced “numerous challenges” since taking over the Epicentre five months ago. The lifts have failed four times since November and will cost £25,000 to repair, the World Shirdi Sai Baba Organisation spokesperson said, while the “blocked” toilets will require immediate repairs and the flooring needs “urgent attention” after “years of neglect”.

Additionally, the “obsolete” heating system needs repairing so the Epicentre can open during winter.

“Even now, people are complaining it’s cold in there,” the spokesperson continued.

“This decision is based on essential health, safety, and security requirements, as well as the urgent need to upgrade core infrastructure, including heating systems, electrical, and hot water services, which are now over 26 years old.

“This project is not cosmetic. It is a vital investment to transform the Epicentre into a modern, green, energy-efficient, and environmentally sustainable facility that will better serve the community for years to come.”

Waltham Forest Council says it “wants to do all it can” to help the foodbank keep operating.

Vicky Ashworth, cabinet member for stronger communities, said: “We really appreciate the excellent work that Pl84U Al-Suffa does in our borough providing essential support for some of our most vulnerable residents.

“We are working with them to see how we may be able to assist in their search for a new premises after the landlord of the Epicentre served notice. We want to do all we can to help Pl84U continue its important work which is hugely valued in the community.”

Pl84U Al-Suffa is among several busy foodbanks in the borough.

Others include Eat or Heat in Walthamstow, which the council says serves “hundreds of thousands” of meals a year, as well as the Rukhsana Khan Foundation and Highams Park Food Aid.

Saira added: “Our ‘guests’ [at Pl84U] are often the people you pass on the street, travel with on the bus, or meet at the school gates. Today, many families and individuals need help just to survive week to week.”

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