Arments Pie and Mash has handed over two much-needed cheques to the homeless veterans charity Homes 4 Heroes, and to the Royal Hospital Chelsea.
The century-old shop in Walworth pledged to donate ten per cent of online sales made over the Christmas period, and on Saturday a presentation was held.
Jimmy Jukes MBE, the Pearly King of Bermondsey, and Michelle Thorpe, the Pearly Queen of Rotherhithe, accepted the cheque of £175.58 for Homes 4 Heroes – founded by Jimmy.
Chelsea Pensioners received the same amount, and the presentation was attended by: John Gallagher, 68, formerly of Royal Army Ordinance Core; Alan Thubrone, 78, Army Catering Core; Dewi Treharne, 82, Royal Core of Signals; and June Low, 74, of the Women’s Royal Army Core.
Cheryl Arment, who co-owns the shop with her husband Roy, thanked their customers for their help with the fundraising, and the staff for their hard work.
Jimmy, 61, told the News: “Homes 4 Heroes will be in its seventh year by April. We’re the only charity that helps homeless veterans on the streets with food and clothing. We will help them with getting a deposit, or maybe a month’s rent if they’re struggling.
“We have outreach vehicles that go all over the place, to Brighton, Dorset, Kent, Northampton, and the west Midlands.
“I would say in Southwark there are about fifteen veterans we have helped. And they are all different ages, but a lot are youngsters.”
Asked where his pie and mash loyalties lay, Jimmy said: “It’s always been Arments for me”.