Schooldeliverypraise

It’s now been two weeks since we delivered the final free school meal food boxes to eligible children across South Ayrshire, following pupils’ full time return to school on Monday, August 17.

We want to say a special thank you to everyone who made these deliveries possible during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Production hubs were quickly established at seven schools in South Ayrshire, where employee volunteers packed and co-ordinated the delivery of free school meal boxes to families every week.

The boxes contained a range of items, including bread; milk; cereal; fresh fruit and vegetables to make a week’s worth of breakfasts and lunches for children.

Employees from a range of Council services united to go the extra mile, and worked tirelessly over 20 weeks to make sure everything ran smoothly.

The service was extended through the Easter and summer holiday periods, and in total, 52,668 boxes were delivered to children in South Ayrshire – an average of over 3000 per week!

The Scottish Government praised our approach, and we have been inundated with support from families and the community as a whole, with local groups assisting with delivery. The contents of the boxes really made a difference to local families, and staff were regularly met with notes and cards to say thank you for their efforts.

The items contained in these food boxes really did make a difference to many families across South Ayrshire during a very difficult time. It was wonderful to see such a fantastic response and appreciation from those who received them.

I’m extremely proud of both our employee and community volunteers who came together to ensure this essential service could be delivered to those who needed it most in our communities. Peter Henderson, leader of South Ayrshire Council