An organisation operating a weekly mobile soup kitchen in Keighley is seeking to expand the scheme.

The InTouch Foundation, which also runs the project in Bradford and Shipley, is looking to extend into three other cities.

The non-profit group – run by community volunteers in the district – will open new sites in London, Manchester and Liverpool after a successful first year.

The Keighley soup kitchen, held at Church Green every Wednesday evening, served about 40 people when it was launched in April, but now caters for about 80.

Osman Gondal, founder and a board member of the InTouch Foundation, said: “It’s been an absolutely brilliant first year, and the response we’ve received has been so positive.

“When we started this I knew there was a problem, but I didn’t realise how much of a problem there was with families living on the poverty line and the homeless. I was taken aback for the first couple of months.

“It’s been great to highlight the problem and make a difference.”

Mr Gondal said an average of ten people a week had been offering to help the charity, which supports people whatever the weather.

“What we do is a very basic thing – we offer hot meals and the opportunity for people to talk,” he added.

“We’ve been very lucky to have great media coverage, which has helped raise our profile, and we don’t hide ourselves away. We run in very central locations, which has helped word to spread.

“We want to highlight the plight of the homeless, and it seems to be going very well. More and more people are coming down, and we are finding more want to volunteer.

“It has been a great year, and hopefully 2014 will be even better.”

Visit intouch-foundation.co.uk for further information.