Food project tackling social isolation reaches out to older Fifers

The charity is a local neighbourhood food-sharing project that connects people who love to cook, with an older neighbour in a effort to tackle social-isolation.

The initiative is a part of the award-winning Scottish charity Food Train that aims to support older people to eat well, age well and live well.

Anyone over the age of 55 can take part and become a diner.

They will be paired with a local cook and start receiving delicious homemade meals from a friendly neighbour.

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Normally, the cook makes an extra portion of food for the diner and they share a meal together with the diner, but due to the ongoing pandemic, they have been dropping meals off and connected over the phone.

Carol Simmons, development officer with Meal Makers said: “At the start of the first lockdown last year all of our normal services stopped and everything came to a halt.

"Meal Makers adjusted the service delivered to diners and switched to phoning them instead of home visits to adhere to Covid restrictions.

"In total over 1900 check in calls were made by 1031 volunteers with 13,075 cooked meals shared in 2020 throughout Scotland – what a huge achievement!”

Jean Greenaway, a Meal Makers diner from Dalgety Bay, said: “It’s been wonderful to look forward each week to a lovely home cooked meal and the cook’s company. It’s been the best thing I’ve ever signed up for.”

For more information please visit: https://www.mealmakers.org.uk/

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