Burnside’s Kitchen Delights Delivery helps those in need

Burnside Community Centre’s Kitchen Delights Delivery has helped over 100 local people in need since it was set up 12 weeks ago.

The Middleton community centre is currently closed to the public, but after being closed under government lockdown advice, reopening 12 weeks ago, volunteers established a new project – Kitchen Delights Delivery – to help Langley people in need.

After a huge response to the project, Burnside Community Centre’s volunteers have helped 60 households and over 110 people with food supplies, hot meals and referrals to other agencies where necessary.

Burnside Community Centre has been supported by donations from Fareshare, Food For Life Get Togethers, Action Together and Middleton in Action, allowing volunteers to keep busy creating meals and accompanying recipe cards, as well as delivering the food.

Food parcels are delivered either weekly or fortnightly based on the need, and hot food is delivered weekly.

 

 

Project Development Coordinator Kaireen McDonald said: “Throughout lockdown we knew it was important to keep in contact with our service users, therefore we put time into creating content for our social media.

“We have done both pre-recorded and live streamed cooking tutorials, demonstrations and dance sessions. We’ve seen great engagement and have loved being able to have regular chats with our community, even if it is through a screen.”

Kaireen continued: “Before lockdown we housed a range of sessions to support and enrich the community and we are really looking forward to the time when we can safely open up our doors to the public again.

“We knew it was important to keep working and do whatever we could to help those most in need, and we are very grateful to the agencies that have supported us in this time to carry out this work.”

The initiative has been met with positive response from service users and agency representatives alike:

“Thank you dearly for the way you have looked after us in these mad times, a big well done to all of you.”

“Thank you to every one of you that has been amazing with my mum, the support and the phone call support, we are so thankful.”

 

 

Dale Cranshaw, Head of Food for Life Get Togethers said: "There are so many incredible projects happening right now across the North of England that have been supported by the Food for Life Get Togethers emergency small grants.

"We are delighted to be able to support the fantastic work of local community groups and are looking forward to supporting many more. In these unprecedented times, where unemployment, food poverty, loneliness and mental health problems are on the rise due in part to the pandemic, the value of communities coming together to take action on food that is good for people and planet cannot be underestimated."

A Food For Life representative said: “It really is a heart-warming project to have supported through our Covid-19 emergency funding, it’s clear that they’ve done their absolute best to provide for as many people as possible and they have used their networks to ensure that it’s been possible to sustain for as long as possible.”

If you live in Langley and would like support from Burnside, get in touch by ringing 0161 643 5775 or email: enquiry@burnsidecentre.org.uk