Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Tasty plan to feed elderly
A FAMILY-RUN Dundee business has embarked on a new scheme to help feed the city’s older residents after the runaway success of a lockdown community initiative.
The Selkie cafe and tapas bar on Exchange Street set themselves a mission to deliver 1,000 meals within six weeks to those in need in Dundee.
They smashed their target nearly three weeks early and have now teamed up with Dundee’s Hope (Helping Older People Engage) project to provide weekly community meals for older residents.
Over the next few weeks, the project will deliver meals to older Dundonians identified by Hope as feeling isolated or in need of a fresh home-cooked meal during lockdown.
Dawn Balfour, a Hope community engagement worker at Caledonia Housing Association, said: “Throughout lockdown Hope have kept in regular contact with the over-55s in Dundee, continuing to provide advice and support.
“For a lot of people the biggest hardship is missing regular contact with family, and the home-cooked meals they would provide.
“The meals from the Selkie will provide a real sense of being part of a caring community.”
The partnership project is due to run until March 17.
Donations to the Selkie Community Meals project can be made by contacting 01382 698210 or emailing hello@ theselkie.scot
Meanwhile, a food charity operating in Dundee is calling for the creation of a government-funded national shopping service to end the postcode lottery of support for older people across Scotland.
Food Train is pressing political parties for election manifesto commitments to improve food security and tackle malnutrition and social isolation among over-65s by helping them to eat well and live well in their own homes.
The coronavirus crisis saw demand for the charity’s shopping services rise 70% on the previous year.
The Food Train model currently operates in nine areas, including Dundee, and its number of shopping deliveries is currently 50% higher than at this point in 2020.
Its Meal Makers service is also seeing 45% more meals being provided to older people each month than this time last year.
Food Train estimates that up to 30% of older people living in Scotland are at risk of malnutrition.
“People from regions where we don’t have a local branch tell us of the need they have for region-wide supported food access, such as a Food Train-style service,” said charity chief executive Michelle Carruthers.
“Sustained high numbers in our current branch areas demonstrate that.”
The charity currently has around 1,500 volunteers.