Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Charity forced off the road
A CHARITY which supplies people in emergency housing with essential items has been forced off the road after its van broke down.
Volunteers at Lochee Community Group are appealing for help to find a replacement vehicle so they can resume their service.
The group normally uses the van to collect unwanted household items from donors in Dundee, before they are stored and repaired at their warehouse, the former Levi factory, on Dunsinane Avenue.
Volunteer Alison Walker said: “We were caught offguard because the van had been regularly serviced and we had just paid £350 for welding for it to pass its MOT.
“We were in the process of collecting items from a donor, had loaded up the van and it just wouldn’t start.”
Working in partnership with statutory services, the group normally receives city-wide referrals for essential household items and uses the van to deliver them to people moving into emergency or crisis housing.
Volunteer Lorraine Kidd said the cost of running the service was previously covered through sales at a shop on Lochee Road, which sells second-hand, refurbished items at low prices.
But lockdown and Covid-19 restrictions forced the shop to close last year, leaving the charity struggling to meet the costs of running the warehouse and pay repair bills for the van.
Lorraine said: “Our group is one of Dundee’s best kept secrets – we support so many people who have to be rehoused through no fault of their own.
“But when we had to close the shop our income vanished overnight and without a van we’re unable to provide our service.”
The group is appealing to anyone who might be able to donate a van to the charity to enable services to resume, or even loan one and the charity will cover the cost of insurance.
Alison said: “It would mean we could resume our service and we could apply for funding.
“We can’t get funding if our services are not running – it’s a catch-22 situation.”
She added that although the van has been well looked after, it is 13 years old and had been used by another charity for several years before it was donated to them three years ago.
Lochee councillor Alan Ross said: “These volunteers are doing great work for the community which has been invaluable through the pandemic.
“People would be surprised to see how much this service is needed but with something as simple as no access to a van it has been brought to a halt.
“Now that we’re back in lockdown, maybe someone has a fleet which they’re no longer using and could loan a van to the group – it would be greatly appreciated.”
Anyone who might be able to help is asked to contact locheecommunitygroup@ outlook.com or visit the group’s Facebook page.