Food parcel service for elderly in Huddersfield set to continue

In the kitchen making hot parcels of Caribbean food are (from left): Mary Fox of Community Plus, Rachel Thompson, Robert Thompson of RDT Catering and Nicole Hadfield.
In the kitchen making hot parcels of Caribbean food are (from left): Mary Fox of Community Plus, Rachel Thompson, Robert Thompson of RDT Catering and Nicole Hadfield. Credit: LDR

Parcels of Caribbean food will continue to be delivered to the elderly in Huddersfield during the coronavirus pandemic following an injection of extra cash.

Local volunteers have cooked and distributed the hot meals over the last couple of months.

And grateful people within the African Caribbean community have responded so enthusiastically that the project, originally set to end on August 10, is to be extended.

Run by Oasis Care Support in Birkby and with food provided by Fartown-based RDT Catering, the service has provided meals for 52 people twice a week since June 8.

That's the best part of 1,000 parcels, which are delivered in thermal bags to keep the food hot.

The initiative grew out of weekly zoom meetings led by Annette Armstrong-Sam, Oasis's business care manager, who recognised that many elderly BAME people were under-represented in other support schemes.

Once the hot meal service had been agreed it was up and running in just three weeks.

But by the third week of operation it had become over-subscribed, which organisers said exposed the extent of need in the locality.

Financing came from Kirklees' Community Plus department, which also offered staff support and volunteers.

New funding means the delivery scheme is now set to continue.