Thurso virtual lunch club to help reduce social isolation
A VIRTUAL lunch club has been set up in Thurso as part of continuing efforts to reduce social isolation in the community.
It follows on from the Covid-19 community support efforts led in Thurso, Halkirk and Caithness West Community Council areas by Thurso Community Development Trust (TCDT) which included a daily meals delivery service.
From April to September the trust delivered more than 7500 healthy, home-cooked meals to local residents, including working in collaboration with Castletown Resilience Group to supply meals in its area.
The daily meals finished at the end of last month but the new monthly lunch club will seek to keep up the connection with those who benefited from the service.
The meal deliveries were supported by the Scottish Government's Supporting Communities Fund, administered by Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
TCDT chairperson Helen Allan said: “We couldn’t have been more grateful for the funding received to enable us, without terribly much red tape, to launch the meals service.
"The feedback from members of the community in receipt of meals has been overwhelmingly positive. While the daily meals service ended on September 30 with the downgrading of our community support efforts, we have identified and evidenced need for a meals service in the community and are working and learning from established similar organisations in the Highlands on how we can do this on a permanent basis.”
TCDT development manager Joan Lawrie said: “During the lockdown period we were successful in being awarded funding by the Caithness and North Sutherland Fund and the Robertson Trust to deliver our Together Thurso project.
"Together Thurso over the next two to three years will see us launch and deliver a range of different groups and services, all aimed at reducing social isolation. One of those initiatives has been to hold a regular lunch club for older people.
"It is has been long-standing ambition of the trust to put this together. Due to the current restrictions, it is not possible to bring people together for lunches – but we thought why not combine what we had been doing with the meals service and hold a virtual lunch club?
"We have quite a few booked in already and the plan has been very warmly received. Although not as good as meeting in person, we know folk will enjoy seeing the volunteer delivering their meal again and it brings a treat away from the normal routine.”
Lunch club bookings are being accepted for a three-course harvest meal on Friday, October 30, and a St Andrew's Day meal on Friday, November 27. The meal will be delivered to the door and will also include a quiz, themed activity and a newsletter with information on where to find support if needed due to Covid-19, while there is also the option for those who are digitally connected to take part in a video chat and quiz.
The lunch club is aimed at older people or those with long-term health conditions living in the Thurso area and is supplied at a cost of £4 per person. Those wishing to book should get in touch with community@thursocdt.co.uk or 01847 867050 for a booking form.
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