The steaming plates of sausage and mash looked appetising as they were dished up to Wrexham’s homeless at the town’s established soup kitchen.

But while a dedicated team of staff and volunteers provide a warm and welcome meal as well as seasonal goodwill at the Soup Dragon, CAIS, the charity that runs it, has much more to offer them on their plates.

Despite its name, soup is very seldom served from the canteen of the King Street-based kitchen.

While cook Stephanie Brickwood and her team of 10 volunteers are busy feeding those in need, more is being done to help their plight behind the scenes.

The Soup Dragon is a focal point for the Homelessness Prevention Project providing a link to other services, such as help finding a tenancy and vital therapy to help with coming off drugs or to tackle the health problems that make life worse for those forced to shelter in doorways and camp out in tents.

So effective has the kitchen been in encouraging rough sleepers to tackle their issues and move them on into more stable lives that CAIS is extending its service in the New Year from four nights a week to five.

Last month 104 homeless people attended for a meal at the Soup Dragon at least once with an average of 33 at each session.

“Most we serve are rough sleepers who access the night shelter at Ty Nos,” reports Sarah Roberts, acting project manager. “A lot have used the service for quite a long time and we have been up and running for 12 years.

“It is open access on a basis of who needs the service in Wrexham. We’ve not been open on Thursday evenings so we are extending it from January 4.”

While the hot fare is welcome to those forced to sleep rough, preventing people from becoming homeless in the future is a key aim of the scheme and CAIS director of community services Leon Marsh says: “Soup Dragon is a bit misleading. People see homelessness and think of people queueing up with a cup to have soup poured into it.

“But tonight we’ve got homemade sausages, mash and peas and we will have a huge pork roast dinner on Friday with Christmas crackers. The aim is to find a solution for people who are suffering from homelessness or who are threatened by it.

“We are able to discuss that over food, so the Soup Dragon is a great way of making contact. People are invited to the drop-in service at CAIS to tackle issues such as substance misuse or mental health.

“We also work with other agencies providing support across Wrexham like Ty Croeso and the Wallich’s
St John’s House.”

Shaun, 19, was a regular at the Soup Dragon and endured problems with his mental health and drug use before he was referred on for help.

Now he has a room to stay at St John’s House and is learning to invaluable life skills.

“I used to sleep rough up in Minera and sofa surf but CAIS helped me and directed me towards accommodation and support. Now I get help with budgeting so I can pay my rent,” he outlines.

“When I used to come in here I even picked up cooking tips from Steph. I am in touch with my family now and I am going to spend Christmas with my mother this year for the first time in a while.”

Helping people stand up on their own two feet is the goal of the Homelessness Prevention Project – a partnership between CAIS and Shelter Cymru – which has helped to support more than 200 people in the art of budgeting, seeking benefits and maintaining a tenancy over the last six months.

By intervening before lifestyles deteriorate CAIS says it has prevented 78 people from becoming homeless and found new accommodation for 36 people over the same time period.

Yet over the years news of the Soup Dragon’s work has spread and its popularity has meant staff have had to tailor their approach as people became more reliant on the service.

“The danger when you have open access is people just show up. We are pleased to help but they have to undergo an assessment of need to address their other issues. The food is the catalyst for that to happen,” explains Leon.

“For those long-term homeless there is not going to be an instant solution, but it is about target intervention and our standpoint is very much about prevention. There’s a distinction between homelessness and rooflessness. You have your archetypal street person who is homeless in the street in Wrexham, but there is a large percentage of people who have got very unstable tenancies and are literally waking up thinking “where am I going to sleep tonight?”.

“They might attain a friend’s sofa, but they could ultimately become homeless. It is about preventing street homelessness.”

Back in the kitchen things are hotting up and the growing queue out on King Street means there will be several servings tonight. But for Soup Dragon’s staff it is not just about putting a meal on the table, but also showing people how to cook it so they can take charge of their own lives.

“We show them how we cook and they are often meals that can be put together fairly easily by our service users,” says Sarah. “The menu changes daily and we get a number of donations from different companies like Marks and Spencers and Morrisons.

“One of the staff goes out and collects surplus food coming up to due date or any fresh food or veg and we also have a delivery from FairShare as well like fresh meat and yoghurt.”

“We’re doing a Christmas lunch and we give out a shelter pack which helps people when they get a roof over their heads and includes items like a kettle, plates and a duvet.”

Sarah’s team of busy volunteers tonight include Angela Evans, 71, Erin Rowell, 31, and Casey Evans, 19. Angela, 71, of Gwersyllt, said: “I started helping out three weeks ago. I wanted to help people who are worse off and I know it is not easy for them at this time of year.”