Toast to tireless work of volunteers

Residents have hundreds of reasons to drink a toast to the tireless work of a caring community project.

Volunteers from the Youth Almighty Project, based in Silks worth, Sunderland, have prepared and delivered afternoon teas to give to care homes, bungalows and extra care facilities which accommodate older people.

Care homes in Bank View, Haddington Vale, Knightswood, Beckwith Mews and Marquis Court all received their afternoon teas on VE Day courtesy of the project.

Members of the community also played their part by donating scones, cakes and other food items to help make the teas. As part of the impressive effort, a total of 740 teas went out, smashing the initial target of 500.

But the hard work didn’t stop there as volunteers, keen not to leave the younger generation out, delivered flavoured popcorn to children in the area.

The deliveries, described as “a military operation”, finally concluded at 8pm on Friday evening.

Vulnerable residents in the Silksworth area will continue to benefit from the project as Youth Almighty lead worker Phil Tye said: “It’s like a military operation, making more than 700 afternoon teas for the elderly and vulnerable residents in the local area.

“We have been delivering free sandwiches and fruit and veg to every bungalow and vulnerable resident in Silksworth every day.

“We are also delivering food parcels, doing food shops, collecting prescriptions and many more.

“We are averaging about 75 old people each day, also supplying 200 food parcels.”