WINCHESTER Family Church is cooking up a ‘souper’ idea to help the homeless.

It is starting a soup kitchen on Thursday evenings on a three-month trial basis.

Church elder, Dave Lockyer, said it was designed to complement the soup kitchens already operating in the city, such as at The Vineyard Church in Bar End on Fridays.

He said: “Particularly with the frost and icy weather at the moment, we thought it would be something that rough sleepers might find helpful.”

The new kitchen will be run at the Middle Brook Centre in Middle Brook Street from 8 to 9.30pm. It will offer soup, bread and hot drinks.

Church volunteers, led by Tom Foster, will be serving the food, and the cost is being met by church funds.

It is due to operate until early April when the elders will decide whether it should be extended.