Dundee charity ready to relaunch hot meal deliveries after boost

Centre to support elderly people left isolated in city

A Dundee charity which had to temporarily stop delivering hot meals to people who are fearful of leaving home will remobilise after landing more funding.

Dudhope Multicultural Centre launched the service in May but was left in limbo when a three-month grant dried up in August.

The centre’s staff and volunteers say the 28 elderly people relying on the meals – many of whom are from the at-risk BAME community – have been struggling without them for the past month.

Project co-ordinator Rajlakshmi Sohini Mukhopadhyay said the extra £10,164 from the Scottish Government was a “huge relief” for users, particularly those aged over 90.

He said: “We sent off the application quite a long time ago so we have literally just been waiting to hear back since.

“When it got to August and we still hadn’t heard, we had to stop, which was really tough.

“The feeling was we wouldn’t be able to continue it, despite these people relying on us.”

The project is being scaled back because the funding this time around is slightly less than the centre secured previously.

The meals will now go out to 20 people, and there is not enough cash to continue a grocery delivery service, which provided recipients with £5-worth of food such as bread and milk.

“We’ve had to figure out who needs it most,” Sohini added.

“Some of those who are maybe in their 70s are getting out more now than before so it’s the older people we’ve made sure will still get it.

“With everything that’s happening with increasing cases, I know older and vulnerable people are still quite worried about going out to the shops and things.

“Lots of these people used to come into the centre before the pandemic to do yoga and other activities and get a meal.

“I called up all our volunteers at the weekend to make sure they were all ready to go again.

“It’s important we make sure these people are looked after.”

The meal deliveries will kickstart again today and run until the end of November.

The centre has also just published the second edition of a free magazine produced for older people left isolated by the pandemic.

Almost 600 copies of the first edition were distributed around Dundee and Angus and included pieces such as short stories, poems, and recipes sent in by the public.

It’s important we make sure these people are looked after. RAJLAKSHMI SOHINI MUKHOPADHYAY

Picture: Kim Cessford. From left: Jura Karancevas, Vardhini Rajagopal, one of the project co-ordinators, office administrator Ineta Sprukte and Rajlakshmi Sohini Mukhopadhyay.