AN INSPIRATIONAL Heswall woman has been awarded with a British Empire Medal in the Queen's birthday honours.

Kay Penkethman, 53, has been recognised for her services to the homeless in Liverpool.

Every Sunday from 5.30pm to 9pm, Kay runs a soup kitchen in Liverpool feeding between 100 to 150 of the city's homeless each week under her own charity Helping Hands.

In order to do this, she relies on donations and community support and since beginning Helping Hands has helped feed more than 20,000 homeless people.

Although the kitchen is open for just three and a half hours, Kay spends up to 25 hours per week preparing the service while being in full time employment.

She co-ordinates volunteers to ensure each person receives a hearty and nutritious meal and firmly believes anyone who visits the kitchen will be treated with respect, dignity and given support.

Wirral Globe: Prince Harry and Meghan arrive at Number Seven in Birkenhead with Kay (right) (Picture: Mandy Jones)

Kay also packs meals into a trolley and walks around the city, feeding people who are unable to attend the soup kitchen and sources items such as toiletries, sleeping bags, clothes and shoes to hand out.

Along with food, Kay also enlists the help of a hairdresser each month to help the homeless community.

Along with all of this, Kay was recently on secondment to help assist in the launch of Feeding Birkenhead's community supermarket and café Number Seven.

Set up with the backing of Birkenhead MP Frank Field, the supermarket is available to people on low incomes and the café offers a range of nutritious dishes at low costs - all made from surplus food.

At Number Seven, people can also access a range of support services.