The Extra Guest, Stoke-on-Trent (2026)

In 2009, Moyra Irving wrote a story in which a group of people come together to enjoy a sociable meal. During the course of the dinner, a small child holding an empty bowl appears and sits at the spare place setting. As the diners start to notice and greet the little stranger, the child smiles and slowly the bowl begins to fill with golden coins. Everyone realises that something quite special is h

appening. It was this image that inspired us to develop the idea of The Extra Guest - a chance for all of us to recognise those in need and to offer the hand of true friendship. By donating a very small amount we can share our good fortune and make a very big difference. By supporting this project, your meal leaves a lasting and positive legacy. This is how we can enjoy the experience of 'ethical dining'.

09/04/2026

BREAKING NEWS! A BIG WELCOME TO OUR NEW REFLEXOLOGY THERAPIST THIS MONTH! **BOOKING NOW!l** for SATURDAY 2nd. May 2026 (2.00-4.00pm)
ALL ARE WELCOME to our monthly Healing Clinic at ST. WULSTAN'S COMMUNITY CENTRE, WOLSTANTON, NEWCASTLE, ST5 0EG. (SEE MAP BELOW)
Choose from our list of professionally trained healers/therapists and call Janet Wright on 07769964453 to secure your appointment:
Deb Shaw: Reflexology
Lyn Harvey: Reiki healing
Lynn Gail: Access Bars healing, Indian Head Massage, Reiki healing
Helen Reboul: Reiki healing
Dunn Denise: Reiki healing

Our Clinic runs solely on
your kind donations and supports The Extra Guest end-hunger charity.
Refreshments are available throughout, and there's plenty of parking onsite. Please share widely. We're always happy to make new friends 💖

11/11/2025

In France, where bread is both a daily staple and cultural symbol, a thoughtful solution is turning unsold loaves into shared nourishment. Community bread vaults—refrigerated lockers placed beside bakeries—are now being installed across cities and towns to rescue fresh bread from waste and offer it freely to those in need. Stocked each evening with surplus baguettes, boules, and brioche, the vaults operate on a simple, respectful system: open access, no questions, no forms.

Each vault is temperature-controlled to keep the bread fresh overnight and accessible until morning. Locals, students, unhoused individuals, or anyone simply in a tough spot can take a loaf anonymously, while knowing it comes from the hands of a caring community. The bread is often placed in paper sleeves with labels noting the bakery and date, reinforcing dignity and trust.

Bakery staff deposit the leftovers directly after closing, and municipal workers or volunteers clean the vaults daily. Some vaults even include small shelves for donated jam, fruit, or water bottles—extending the idea beyond bread alone. Signage encourages people to “share what you can, take what you need,” fostering mutual aid in everyday life.

France’s bread vaults are a blend of tradition, design, and humanity—proof that in a country where bread matters deeply, even the leftovers can rise into something meaningful.

03/11/2025

On Saturday 15th November, 90-year-old activist and founder of local asylum seeker charity ASHA, Angela Glendenning will take on her greatest and surely most courageous challenge ever:
An astonishing leap from the sky over Whitchurch. Her goal is to raise £10,000 (please see donation details below). This will:
• Give refugee children and their families a joyful Christmas.
• Support Furniture Mine’s ‘Beds for Kids’ campaign
She’s also calling on FOUR brave volunteers to join her to amplify the message and the mission.

“I’ve spent my life standing up for those who’ve been pushed to the margins, “Angela says. “Now I’m jumping out of a plane to make sure they feel seen, supported, heard, and celebrated.
C
How You Can Help:
• Donate: Every pound brings us closer to the £10,000 to be shared by the two charities.
• Join the jump: Angela is looking for volunteers to skydive alongside her.
• Asha North Staffordshire has long been a lifeline for men, women and children seeking asylum, The charity offers solace, community, and all manner of practical support and advice to those escaping persecution in their home countries due to their race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group.

• Furniture Mine’s ‘Beds for Kids’ campaign tirelessly to provide beds for children who don’t have one to call their own. Local charities estimate this number to be around 9000.

YOU MAY DONATE on: https://www.justgiving.com/charity/asha-uk
or
Online at www.asha-uk.org or by Cheque payable to Asha North Staffordshire, Hanley Business Park, Cooper Street, Stoke-on-Trent ST1 4DW.
For further information email: [email protected] THANK YOU.

22/09/2025

Our thanks to Veerji Hasyananda and the beautiful Shambala Community Space for their kind donations to The Extra Guest end-hunger charity. It was a joy to spend International Peace Day with you all and to receive such a warm welcome, not to mention a wonderful Big Lunch! May Peace Prevail on Earth 🙏🕊❤️

21/08/2025

EXCITING NEWS ~ AND COMING VERY SOON... PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE BIG LUNCH ON INTERNATIONAL PEACE DAY, **SUNDAY 21st. SEPTEMBER** (12.00 - 3.30pm) at Shambala Community Space, Earl Street, Leek ST13 6JT ~
We at The Extra Guest are so excited about this beautiful event and extend our heartfelt thanks to Karen McCabe, Veerji Hasyananda, and Jazzalina Garcia for creating it.
The Big Lunch is an invitation to share the wonderful space of Shambala with shared food and friendship.

Observed on Sunday, September 21, 2025, the International Day of Peace commemorates the founding ideals of the United Nations: to promote peace, end conflict, and foster global cooperation.

"With so much conflict in the world Shambala, in association with The Extra Guest charity, wish to offer you an invitation to join us at the above date and time. We invite you to bring veggie/vegan food to share, if you wish, and make a donation, 50% of which will be shared with The Extra Guest.
ALL WELCOME"

For more information about Shambala and The Extra Guest:
www.shambala.org.uk
https://theextraguest.com/

23/07/2025

The Final Solution: the most devastating crisis since we began our work in 2010.
We are witnessing the demise of a whole population, actively encouraged by our own government, the USA, and other Western powers. As if the destruction of lives and infrastructure weren't enough, food has now been denied. It was always rationed by the Occupation, along with other human rights. Gaza is now in famine, not caused by climate but by the deliberate actions of a malevolent state.
This "conflict" did NOT begin in October 2023. The Palestinian people have lived under occupation for decades; initially thrown out of their homeland in 1948, the first Nakba or Catastrophe (a fate determined by British involvement). Tragically, this decision ended a time when Jews, Muslims, and Christians lived together as brothers and sisters. What we see now is a direct result 💔

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Stoke-on-Trent

Website

http://www.theextraguest.com/

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