Strictly’s Shirley Ballas shows her charitable side as she helps to make and deliver food as part of the Food For London Now appeal
Shirley Ballas has joined forced with a number of UK charities to help distribute food to vulnerable people in London.
The Strictly Come Dancing star, 60, teamed up with The Felix Project, With Compassion and Living Way Ministries for the important cause.
Shirley visited the historic London Scottish House in Westminster as part of the Evening Standard’s Food For London Now appeal as she helped to prepare and deliver meals on Monday.
Good cause: Shirley Ballas has joined forced with a number of UK charities to help distribute food to vulnerable people in London.
The TV star was also joined by her boyfriend Daniel Taylor, 48, as the couple helped to make a chickpea stew.
The initiative is important to professional dancer Shirley who told how she had free school meals as a child.
She said: ‘It touches the heartstrings when you help people get a basic meal. I come from a council estate. I had free school dinners — I find it quite emotional.
‘People have been checking on neighbours and communities and have really come together to help one another. I think the country was missing that.’
Charity: The Strictly Come Dancing star, 60, teamed up with The Felix Project, With Compassion and Living Way Ministries for the important cause.
Couple: Shirley was also joined by her boyfriend Daniel Taylor as the couple helped to make a chickpea stew
Helping hand: Shirley visited the historic London Scottish House in Westminster as part of the Evening Standard’s Food For London Now appea
Her partner Daniel has experienced homelessness in the past and also received free school meals.
He said: ‘When we used to queue up for free dinners you’d feel a little bit inferior. You shouldn’t feel bad about struggling at the end of the day.’
Shirley and Daniel delivered the meals to Living Way Ministries on the Grahame Park Estate in Barnet.
The Strictly head judge first went public with her relationship with Daniel in March, after the couple first met doing panto in November 2018.
Childhood: The initiative is important to professional dancer Shirley who told how she had free school meals as a child
She said: ‘It touches the heartstrings when you help people get a basic meal. I come from a council estate. I had free school dinners — I find it quite emotional’
Shirley added: ‘People have been checking on neighbours and communities and have really come together to help one another. I think the country was missing that’
Daniel said: ‘When we used to queue up for free dinners you’d feel a little bit inferior. You shouldn’t feel bad about struggling at the end of the day’
Shirley celebrated her 60th birthday with Daniel in September as they enjoyed a staycation in London’s Shangri-La Hotel.
The star previously told how she wouldn’t rule out adopting with Daniel, saying she thinks it’s ‘important’ to explore the option of bringing a child into her home.
Appearing on Loose Women, she said: ‘We have talked about that. it’s quite important. It doesn’t matter who has the home. If you can give a home to someone who’s been in care, that’s quite important.’
Shirley is mother to son Mark, 34, with her ex husband Corky Ballas who she was married to from 1985 to 2007.
Appeal: Shirley and Daniel delivered the meals to Living Way Ministries on the Grahame Park Estate in Barnet
Relationship: The Strictly head judge first went public with her relationship with Daniel in March, after the couple first met doing panto in November 2018
Future: The star previously told how she wouldn’t rule out adopting with Daniel, saying she thinks it’s ‘important’ to explore the option of bringing a child into her home