Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Father and son deliver food parcels to needy
A FATHER and son have been spending lockdown delivering much-needed fo o d pa r ce l s ac r oss Dundee.
For the past few months, Simon Simpson and son Ruairidh, 12, have been out every Friday delivering food parcels from Dundee Link-Up.
The pair said they were determined to do their bit to help others during these difficult times.
Simon said: “We go out in the car every Friday and Ruairidh is my sat nav. He tells me what address to go to and then we deliver the bags of shopping to people.
“Food parcels were being handed out before lockdown started but the demand has gone up.
“When we started we were doing about 60 deliveries but at the last count there were 80.
“It is important for us to do anything we can, and we have been getting to see so many different places in Dundee. We have watched the traffic go from being like a ghost town to almost back to normal.
“Ruairidh would have been stuck in the house otherwise and this gives us a bit of a variety.”
Simon and Ruairidh, who attends Dundee High School, normally go on a route around the Fintry area and stick to the rigorous social distancing guidelines.
Simon added: “We have masks to wear and disinfectant and we knock on the doors, leave the bags, stand back and give the folk a wave. “Everyone really appreciates it. “We often get text messages telling us how grateful they are and how appreciated it is.
“Ruairidh has been coping really well during the lockdown – he is taking it in his stride.
“I think young boys at that age are used to socialising on the Xbox and working online, so that is not unusual for them.
“He plays rugby and golf, so playing outdoor sports with his pals are the only thing he is missing.
“A few of his teachers have been in touch with him to say how proud they are of what he is doing.
“I know the feeling helping others gives me, so it is great to hand that down to him.
“The demand for food parcels is still there so we will keep going until it isn’t needed.”