Grub's up for £1 in Stockton ... pass it on

And yet, 19-year-old Kyla found herself homeless, spending a night sleeping on the street, and now lives in a hostel in Stockton.

There, but for the grace of God, go any of our children. Homelessness can happen to anyone.

But Kyla, and others living in poverty in Stockton, can look forward to companionship and a nutritious meal at least once a week thanks to the launch of an innovative community café project.

Let’s be honest, Hartington Road isn’t the most appealing of locations. But, to Kyla, it’s become home, and those living in the hostels have become “like a family”.

The family gathers every Wednesday, between 2pm and 3pm in the Heart of Stockton Community Café, where customers are asked to pay £1 for a square meal and donate another quid to buy lunch for someone less fortunate.

“Pay It Forward” is the name given to the initiative, it was launched at the beginning of May, and it has quickly become popular.

“It’s like a second home,” says Kyla, below. “Everyone’s so friendly and welcoming and the food is great. It’s like a haven.”

Born in Leeds, Kyla was in foster care from the age of 12 and, lacking stability in her life, she admits she lost her way. Now, she considers herself to be “one of the lucky ones” because she has a “diamond flat” in the hostel, with a separate bedroom.

“I had one night sleeping on the street – but never again,” she says. “One day, I want to have my own dance studio, be a CEO, have kids, a home and a car. But I won’t go far from Hartington Road because this is where I feel at home and among friends.”

Pay It Forward is a partnership between two community interest companies, Little Sprouts and New Walk, and is sponsored by Jobs Create. Little Sprouts, dedicated to improving lives through cookery, is run by Debbie Fixter, sister of Bolton Wanderers Football Club manager Phil Parkinson.

Phil’s best known as the only manager to take a fourth-tier league club to the final of a major cup competition at Wembley. That was in 2013 when he guided Bradford City to the League Cup Final, losing to Swansea. Two years later, he was at it again as Bradford made Chelsea eat humble pie with a 4-2 victory in the FA Cup at Stamford Bridge.

“He doesn’t know it yet, but he’ll be coming here for a meal once the season’s over,” says mum-of-three Debbie, who grew up with her footballing brother in Hartburn.

Little Sprouts took root when Debbie, who has a degree in nutrition and food science, discovered that local nursery schools were struggling to feed children in their care.

“We saw the opportunity to take the pressure off them by making home-cooked meals and delivering them hot to the nurseries. It just grew from there,” she says.

Father-in-law Maurice Fixter, who’s popped in to the Heart of Stockton café for lunch and a chinwag, was recruited as one of the Little Sprouts delivery drivers.

“To me, Pass It Forward is not just about giving people nutritious food but creating a bond in the community,” says Debbie. “People who are in jobs come here and sit next to someone who’s jobless and they have a conversation. It’s breaking down so many barriers.”

New Walk is based in Stockton and Middlesbrough and uses business skills to work for the public good. There are no profits, but any surplus is ploughed back into projects such as Pay It Forward.

“The response has been fantastic, with up to 30 people coming in during the hour we’re open,” says New Walk Area Manager Tina Clenaghan. “Where else can you get a really good sandwich, a plate of Nachos, a banana and chocolate muffin, and a coffee, all for a pound?”

Where else indeed. I pay my pound (my meal is easily worth six times that) and the £4 left over from my fiver will pay for meals for four people less fortunate than me.

On the wall next to the serving hatch are sticky notes – or vouchers – bearing messages from others who have left donations. “Enjoy your meal,” says one. “Hope you have a nice day,” says another.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Debbie is supervising the cooking, alongside Sara Wadsworth, Aimee Rae and Mark Williams – members of the community who are engaged on a five-week course in cookery and food hygiene. They’ll get a certificate at the end but, much more than that, they’ll have gained self-esteem, and new friendships.

It all strikes me as a brilliant recipe for building bridges in a divided community and is well worth supporting.

As I’m leaving, word reaches the café that there’s been a drive-by shooting not far away in Durham Road. “Shocking,” says one of the customers with a shake of the head. “It’ll be drugs,” mutters another.

Just then, a thin young lad gets up off his seat, approaches the serving hatch with a broad smile, and shouts: “Hey, that’s the best baked spud and cheese I’ve ever had!”