Open day at new Walsall hub highlights the community work of Louisa and her team

The team at Lou's The Homeless Angels (THA) Community Hub in Birch Street, Birchills held the event which also highlighted the work of Louisa Langford and her team of volunteers who have moved to the new premises.

Louisa has run the Homeless Angels outreach since 2015, with her work including handing out food parcels, hygiene packs, clothing and furniture, providing advice and support and much more. The organisation became a charity in 2019.

In March this year she received £19,700 of lottery funding to find expanded premises next door to her salon and Lou's THA Community Hub was born, with the work they are doing with 12 volunteers highlighted at the open event.

Plans include everything from opening a tea room with homemade healthier food, expanding the food bank and help services, providing advice and support and holding meditation evenings and other therapy sessions, one to ones, book clubs and bingo sessions.

Louisa said: "The work is ongoing and without our service and others like it people have been left on the streets for days weeks and months in awful weather and conditions.

"Sometimes they have to leave the area they have are from because there is not enough or suitable accommodation and this only adds more turmoil in their troubled lives.

"The expanded food bank and community hub aims to tackle these issues and provide a variety of services and outreach projects to help people who need it.

"We thank everyone who continues to help those less fortunate then ourselves because love and positivity can save lives."

Birchills and Leamore councillor Gazanfar Ali said Louisa was doing an amazing job and making a big difference to people's lives.

He said: "Me and my colleague Councillor Amo Hussain have been supporting the group for a year with food parcels and we hope to continue supporting them.

"We are proud to supporting the hub and residents will be able to arrange an appointment to meet us their for advice and support, which they always receive from Louisa and the staff as well."