Sheila’s soup helps feed people in need

A great-great-gran from Fife has been making huge vats of soup which can feed 70 people struggling during the coronavirus pandemic – for just £14.

Sheila Clark, 81, of Linktown, Kirkcaldy, has been forced to stay inside due to her age but potters around in her garden to keep busy.

Community-spirited Sheila, who was widowed 33 years ago, was concerned that vulnerable people may be struggling to eat.

So she has been making the enormous vats of lentil soup, which are cheap to make but can feed dozens of people, at a local community centre – the only time she leaves the house.

All that is needed to make the soup is seven packs of lentils, four bags of carrots, a large onion, vegetable stock and salt and pepper.

The generous great-great-granof-two cooks the soup – and then her daughter Lizzy Halstead, 57, distributes it to people in need along with husband

Shane, 59, and son Shane Jr, 39.

Sheila said: “Whenever there is an event on at the community centre I make a big pot of soup, so when I heard that people were struggling I thought ‘why not try to help out’.

“I chose to make lentil soup because it is the cheapest to make, I can feed more people for less money, it only costs about £14 to feed around 70 people.

“When I make it I’m in the kitchen on my own to make sure that I am still sticking to the social-distancing rules.

“The soup pot is so big I need some help to lift it and it has to be taken outside to be cleaned.

“I’ll make the soup as long as the coronavirus is here and people need help.

“It’s good for all the old folk that can’t make it themselves.

“I like making the soup and helping out, it’s a long day in the house on my own so it gives me something to look forward to.

“Since the lockdown started it has been horrible. I can’t go out at all, the only time I have been able to go out is when I go to the community centre to make my soup.

“It really has been terrible, I’m lucky I have a garden as it means that I can get out for some fresh air.”

Picture: SWNS. Sheila Clark has been making big pots of lentil soup to feed more than 70 people.