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An Overtown business owner has donated a whole host of food items to NHS staff and the kids of key workers.
Gopi Ageer, who runs the Day Today store in Overtown, managed to hand over scores of goods to staff at University Hospital Wishaw in a bid to boost morale as the coronavirus crisis continues.
Gopi, together with a little help from family members Vasuda, Aditi and Ani, was delighted to bring a smile to more than a few faces down at the hospital.
Gopi said: “It has been tough because I have had to put our staff on furlough but it has been good to see so many smiling faces when I dropped off the food to the key workers.
“Our plan was originally to give goods to the foodbank but because some of the stock is perishable they couldn’t take it.
“I got in touch with Motherwell and Wishaw MP Marion Fellows and she was able to put me in touch with the correct people.
“I was able to get down to the hospital and drop off the food and they were delighted.”
The drop-off at Wishaw hospital was the second big giveaway that Gopi had been part of in the space of a fortnight.
Along with colleagues at Davidson’s Cash and Carry, Gopi delivered a number of Easter eggs to hub schools across North Lanarkshire including just down the road at the Wishaw hub school at Clyde Valley High.
Cleland Primary headteacher Jan Barclay was one of the headteachers at the hub and thanked the cash and carry as well as other businesses and groups who donated.
She said “Thank you to Morrisons Wishaw, Davidson’s Cash and Carry and Overtown Parish Church for providing the children with Easter eggs.
“This is great community spirit and a big thank you to the keyworkers for all their efforts at this difficult time.”
Morrisons is making it easier for people most at risk from coronavirus to get their essential shopping by launching a new doorstep delivery service.
Supermarket bosses decided to start making local deliveries to help “Feed the Nation” and residents in Wishaw and surrounding areas who are at risk, or selfisolating, can now order food and other essential household items from the store in Kirk Road.
A special hotline number has been set up for orders and Morrisons have produced a special shopping list with selected essential items that can be ordered.
Julie Thomson store manager at the Wishaw supermarket, said: “We’re doing daily deliveries and the number is increasing every day.
“It’s a call centre that’s coordinating the delivery service. And it’s not just for people who are vulnerable. It’s also for people who are isolating, who can’t get out and have no one to pick things up for them. We are just asking people to be honest. We’re just asking people to be sensible and not abuse the service. That way the people who need the delivery most will get what they need.”
Next month the company will also start a click and collect service to reduce the number of customers in-store.
“The click and collect service we’re launching will be open to everyone,” said Julie.
“We’re hearing that people are struggling to get online delivery slots from supermarkets so we’ve decided to start the click and collect service.
“We currently don’t provide an online service and are currently working through the logistics of it but it should be up and running in May.”
The delivery and click and collect services are among a number of new “Feeding the Nation” initiatives store bosses have brought in.
The Wishaw store has been donating £1,000 worth of food products each week to a number of food banks.
“Morrisons are giving £10 million to food banks and here at Wishaw we’re giving the food banks £1,000 of stock such as eggs, pasta and sauces.”
And NHS workers now receive a 10 per cent discount on their shopping on production of a valid identification card.
Julie and her staff in Wishaw have been going the extra mile during the coronavirus crisis to ensure people get what they need but their task has been made a bit easier by the attitude of customers.
She said: “We’re generally finding that customers who come in to the store are receptive to the instructions on social distancing and are listening to what the staff are telling them.”
The order hotline number is 0345 611 6111 then select option 5.