"We want to show our kindness"

The evenings are run by the Mission in Hounslow Trust, a Christian organisation run by Colin and Madeleine Windsor, a married couple from Whitton.

As well as eating good home-made food, those attending also have the chance to have a hot shower, receive advice and get some spiritual guidance if they wish.

As Colin sees it, this is all part of creating "a homely atmosphere because it helps them to feel relaxed and to be able to talk to each other".

He goes on to explain the purpose of the mission. "Our passion is to see people happier," he says. "People being happier in a society where people care for each other and where there is love and concern for each other.

"Most people out there, I'd imagine, would like to live in a community that they feel is happy with people smiling. I'm not being unrealistic, but we want to see a borough where people are more open to each other."

Meetings are also held, without a hot meal being provided, every Tuesday evening at the same venue.

After a lifelong interest in charitable work, Colin and Madeleine set up the trust in 1994 in a bid "to go outside the walls of the church, to walk the highways and the byways, and see whether we can relate to people and share the love of Jesus".

The couple had already been involved with the running of Holy Trinity church in Hounslow for 25 years but decided that they could do even more.

Now, they run the organisation full time but do not draw salaries for their work, instead relying on savings for their upkeep.

The trust itself relies on grants and donations from local companies, including recent funds from Plane Handling Ltd in Feltham and the Kingston branch of John Lewis.

For six years, until the lease ran out in 2005, the trust also worked with the Hounslow Council Homeless Persons Unit to run a house that put a roof over the heads of thousands of homeless people.

Located near the Treaty centre in Hounslow, it had around 30 beds and welcomed around 2,000 different people through its doors during its short lifespan.

Despite basing their teachings on Christian beliefs, the trust welcomes people of all faiths to their meetings.

Colin says that their gatherings challenge the stereotypical view that some people have of Christians. "A lot of people think Christianity is very dry," he chuckles. "But Christianity to us is being happy, it's knowing that we're loved. If you belong to another thinking, don't worry about it.

"We're not trying to force our way into people's lives, it is just food for thought. Whatever you want to believe in, you believe in it. We respect you for sitting there listening.

"We have made friends with all sorts of people. We love people from all different backgrounds."

Around 25 people usually turn out on a Saturday night for the gatherings with regulars ranging in ages from their 20s to their 70s.

"Some people travel from the other side of London," Madeleine says.

Homelessness, which often ends up being hidden away from the public eye, is quite a serious problem in Hounslow, according to Colin.

"A lot of people are sleeping rough. People have got bad legs. They walk past you in the high street and you wouldn't know that was their problem.

"We have solicitors and barristers who come along, anyone really. People can easily end up on the streets. It's not us and them. None of us are far removed from these problems.

"You get people who beg on the street who make it obvious that they need help but there are others where you wouldn't even know if they walked past you. They have often got mental health problems or terrible medical problems. A lot of people are dying prematurely in their 30s or 40s."

A check of rough sleepers carried out by Hounslow Council last November registered just three people officially sleeping on the streets of Hounslow. Previous checks have found no more than five people, but it is possible that many people might simply have not been picked up in these studies.

Colin feels that the trust serves an important purpose in talking to dozens of people, but he makes sure not to pry too much. "We don't get specific about people's lives because otherwise you are waving your finger, but taking drugs, taking drink and sexual promiscuity don't bring happiness, they just bring a lot of misery sometimes. These things don't add up to a happy life.

"There is a better way than just pursuing junk and rubbish and nonsense. Some of these avenues that people go down just bring misery."

He goes on to tell the story of a 31-year-old who had visited the Hounslow Mission just three weeks ago. A week later, she died of a medical complaint.

"She was only there on the Saturday before. She had lived a very problematic life and was moving in areas which caused her problems. Wrong relationships and things like that.

"But we felt that, since we have known her in the last few months, her life was changing and that through talking about love and kindness...we could see that she was changing. She was probably thinking that there was a better way and I don't think people quite know that."

The Mission in Hounslow Trust works with many other agencies aimed at assisting needy people, like this woman, to get all the help they can.

"We don't want to feel that we are an organisation who are just doing our own thing," Colin explains. "We like to feel that we are stretching our hand out alongside other people. We want to feel that we are part of what is going on in the borough. Lots of other people in the voluntary sector are working hours and hours and hours helping people.

"We are just part of that. We want to do our bit."

Madeleine, who acts as trust secretary, says: "A lot of people really don't know how to do all sorts of things in their lives. I think it's because we don't have a family community anymore. We give them advice."

Finally Colin adds: "The nuts and bolts of what we do is show these people about love and kindness. We want to say to them, You are precious, you are valued, you are very important people.'"

- The Mission in Hounslow Trust organises meetings at the Salvation Army building on Inwood Road, Hounslow every Tuesday and Saturday night from 6pm to 9pm. All are welcome.

To pledge money to the trust, call Colin and Madeleine Windsor on 020 8744 5333, email office@hounslowmission.org.uk or visit hounslow mission.org.uk