Thurso volunteers rally round to deliver hot meals
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More than 600 calls for assistance have been answered by staff and volunteers at Thurso Community Development Trust (TCDT) as they continue to support vulnerable people in Thurso, Halkirk and Caithness West.
They have now received a financial boost through the Scottish Government's Supporting Communities Fund which is enabling them to provide a hot meals service to the community as well as keeping up the voluntary effort of answering calls, doing shopping and delivering medication.
TCDT development manager Joan Lawrie said: “In the weeks since lockdown was announced we recognised from the calls we were taking that there was a significant need for a meals delivery service.
“We’re very aware that for many members of the community who we are providing for this might be the first time in their lives they have needed assistance, and it can be daunting, but also the highlight of their week is receiving shopping from a volunteer.
"Just that friendly face at the window is enough to give a boost, so why not offer a meal and also enable that little bit of social contact to happen more frequently?
“We’re affectionately calling our meal service ‘Kindness in a Takeaway Box’.”
Meals are being cooked by a team of trained cooks and chefs and include a main meal, soup and a dessert. These are available Monday to Friday with delivery by a team of volunteers.
While the trust can provide these free of charge to those in need, it also recognises that some people may wish to pay for their meals. A suggested donation of £3 is welcomed and all donations will be reinvested back into the community response effort.
Anyone wishing to request a meal or support should call the TCDT helpline on 01847 867050 or email community@thursocdt.co.uk
The trust has also successfully bid for funding from the Foundation Scotland's Community Response, Recovery and Resilience Fund, receiving £3100 which will support the production of a free edition of the Thurso community magazine to be delivered to every home currently being supported by the trust across Thurso, Halkirk and Caithness West.
Trust board member Marion O’Brien described the issue as “jam-packed with lots of helpful tips on working from home, the services we can help with and some fun stuff for the kids too”.
There is also a directory of local businesses that are still operating and ways in which they can be supported. “We hope to raise a smile when it lands in the door so that people in our community feel less alone during these difficult times,” Marion added.
The magazine will be popping through doors in early May. In addition to the magazine, this funding will support the provision of mobile phones and tablet computers for those who need to stay connected to their families.
Trust chairperson Helen Allan said: “We are still a very new organisation with very few staff. While we have seconded staff members into our efforts, they are also working round the clock on our existing projects, such as Thurso Grows, ensuring our community garden is kept running and that the trust as an organisation remains on track.
“The assistance we have had from volunteers in manning this effort has proved invaluable – from those answering calls from the community to those who are out and about doing shopping, collecting prescriptions and now delivering hot meals to the community, we cannot thank them enough.
"There are not enough words to be able to thank them, and each and every one is very much appreciated by both us as a board and staff and by the community who they are assisting.”
The trust now has a bank of more than 130 volunteers and has closed volunteer registrations for the time being. A reserve list may be considered as the situation develops.
For more information check the trust's website, http://www.thursocdt.co.uk
Helen added: “Receiving this financial support is incredible. We knew we would continue to support our community one way or another, but the support from local and national organisations makes a huge difference to the level of support we can offer – and the reach of that support can now be widened.”
