Donations in cash and kind had enabled Luton Soup Kitchen to help feed the needy to operate and have a balance in hand, the committee responsible was told.

Paying tribute to the ladies who had operated the kitchen and the men who had kept the equipment operating, the committee heard that more than 2,000 soup tickets had been printed for distribution by town councillors and headmistresses.

Gifts to the soup kitchen in money amounted to £17 8s, sale of dripping and fat realised £49 0s 1½d and sale of bones fetched £20 5s 6d. On the expenditure side, utensils cost £10 2s 11d, fittings etc £2 19s 5d, ingredients for soup £16 5s and wages £34 13s 8½d. Gross income amounted to £94 6s 9d and gross expenditure to £75 5s 10d, leaving a balance in hand of £19 0s 11d.

Owing to the withdrawal of many troops, however, the supply of meat from their quarters would be much reduced, if not altogether wanting. As a consequence, the committee was told, the sale of bones and fat would be diminished and meat would have to be bought with the result that the balance in hand would be reduced, if not entirely exhausted.

In August it was reported that two bullocks a day were being killed at the Modern School to meet the demands of the troops quartered there. Only the meat was taken, and a quantity of very nourishing matter remained for use in soup.

One example of a gift of vegetables to the soup kitchen was that of Lady Wernher, of Luton Hoo, on November 17th. She provided 1 cwt of onions, 1 cwt of turnips, 1 cwt of carrots, 28 heads of rough celery, 4 large bunches of leeks and three dozen cabbages.

It was therefore hoped the work being carried on by the soup kitchen would appeal to the goodwill and practical sympathy of Lutonians who had it in their power to do good.

[The Luton News, December 10th, 1914]