A £6,000 donation from Aylesham Parish Council has enabled village charity, Bechange Community Hub, to offer a free home delivery meal service to vulnerable people in the locality during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Using food containers gifted by Aylesham packaging manufacturer Sharpak, the first meals were delivered around the village on Friday (3 April) and many more have been dropped off to households since then.
Bechange has a professional trade kitchen, which it uses for training purposes, at its premises at the Aylesham Workshop Project Trust site in Ackholt Road and its volunteers provide weekly community lunches there.
Bechange manager Angela Doggett said: “For us, it has been a shift in focus from making lunches a couple of times a week to catering every day. Quick decisions and hard work by the parish council, Sharpak and ourselves enabled this project to get off the ground quickly.
“We are extremely grateful to the parish council for its emergency funding. It will be used to buy ingredients to produce nutritious, healthy and balanced meals. Sharpak very kindly donated containers in double quick time so that we could get the first deliveries out last week.
“The meals were taken to people who have been self-isolating, are unwell or find themselves in financial hardship. At the moment, we’re delivering to 74 people who each receive five meals – a main course and a pudding – each week in two visits.
“Bechange continues to look for support, if any local businesses have surplus food or can provide assistance in any way, we would be very pleased to hear from them.”
Cllr Trevor Bartlett, Leader of Dover District Council, said: “It’s fantastic to see communities pulling together to help the most vulnerable at this difficult time by putting a regular hot meal on the table. This is a great example of just how resourceful people can be when faced with adversity.”
If you or someone you know lives in Aylesham and would benefit from the service, please contact Bechange on 07484 221970.
Further help for vulnerable people can be arranged through Kent Together or call 03000 419292. Dover District Council is also running a seven day a week Community Hub contactable by email (Covid19@dover.gov.uk) or by calling 01304 821199 between 9am and 5pm.
Posted on 08 April 2020