Seniors in Kirkcaldy enjoy a spot of afternoon tea

Seniors who are shielding in Kirkcaldy enjoyed a surprise afternoon tea last Tuesday as local businesses and volunteers banded together to show them that they are not forgotten about.

Linton Lane Centre organised the surprise afternoon tea picnic boxes for over 65 local pensioners in collaboration with the New York Sandwich Company and Sky.

After being awarded funding from the National Emergencies Trust and Community Response, Recovery and Resilience Fund from Foundation Scotland, the team at the centre hatched the plan to surprise members of some of their seniors groups and other individuals in the area.

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The afternoon tea picnic boxes contained freshly made sandwiches, strawberry tarts, quiche, individual cards and a bouquet of flowers with the food being prepared by the New York Sandwich Company, the picnic boxes made up by volunteers at Linton Lane, and delivered by a team of Sky engineers.

Mandy Henderson, centre manager, said: “We made the picnic boxes for seniors who usually attend our groups here at the centre, we have several senior groups which include the Nifty 50s, the Grey Panthers, members from Newcraigs Church and other individuals in the area that we support.

“We decided to keep it as a surprise as we thought that it would really brighten their day when we showed up at their doorsteps with a box of goodies.

“To us it is just another way of keeping in touch with them as a lot of them are shielding due to the coronavirus, we regularly take meals to the seniors from Greener Kirkcaldy and when we see them they all ask the same question – when can we come back to the centre?

“They are missing the company that they get at the centre and the lack of physical exercise with being cooped up in the house, so any chance we can get to visit them really works wonders for their mental health well-being.

“I can’t thank everyone enough, from our volunteers to Sharon at the New York Sandwich Company and all of the Sky team, they have all been amazing.”

Sharon Munro, who owns the New York Sandwich Company in Kirkcaldy said: “We have been delivering afternoon teas throughout lockdown for people who are stuck at home due to social-distancing or shielding.

“A lot of people have been raising money to provide afternoon teas to NHS workers and other key workers, some people have even burst into tears when we have delivered them – It has been very humbling and it is always nice to see a smile on their faces.”

James Scougall, field operations manager with Sky added: “This has been quite an experience for all of our guys who were involved with helping deliver the picnic boxes, and as always it has been a pleasure for us to provide the logistics and transport to help make this project happen.

“Helping people in the community who are vulnerable can be very humbling and it really drives home awareness on how lucky that we are – it really is an eye opener to actually see for yourself how bad some people have it in the community.

“Sky will hopefully be looking to sponsor an event sometime in the future to further support Linton Lane Centre in Kirkcaldy.”

The New York Sandwich Company will reopen Monday July 6.

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