All aboard ... for birthday bash
Food Train celebrates five years of helping OAPs
Jack Thomson
Sport Localcraig.ritchie@Democracytrinitymirror.Reportercom jack.thomson@reachplc.com
Advertising Sport craig.ritchie@reachplc.com Advertising lynsey.gair@trinitymirror.com 07393 762401
lynsey.gair@reachplc.com kirsteen.brown@trinitymirror.com 0141 309 4312 A charity celebrated its fifth anniversary with a lunch for volunteers.
Food Train Renfrewshire supports older people in the area by delivering their groceries very week.
And it relies on the volunteers to do the shopping and deliver it all over the county.
Food Train Regional Manager Stephen McGinty said: “We’re a national charity.
“Food Train’s been around 23 years but the branch in Renfrewshire was established five years ago with part funding from the Health and Social Care Partnership.
“It’s about trying to keep older people at home as long as we can, prevent hospital admissions, and not having to go into care settings, and part of that is getting shopping to them.
“Anything that the supermarket does, we shop for them.”
There are currently 35 to 40 volunteers on Food Train Renfrewshire’s books. And they come from all walks of life. “We’ve got a couple of 16-year-old school students who come in to help out when they’re off on holiday,” Mr McGinty said.
“We’ve got a placement from Mary Russell School who comes in for us, right through to someone aged around aged 75, who is our oldest volunteer, and who still drives for us.”
He added: “When volunteers are out, it’s not just about making the deliveries, it’s also about having a chat and getting to know people and being extra eyes and ears.
“We don’t provide a care service but they might notice something is not right with the person.”
One of Food Train Renfrewshire’s volunteers is John Craig, from Paisley.
The 56-year-old got involved with the charity through the JobCentre.
“I was on the sick and it gives me something to do,” he said.
“I enjoy it, and I’ve been here for two and a bit years.”
Mr Craig had never previously heard of Food Train Renfrewshire, but since becoming a part of it he has gained an insight into people’s lives.
“It has opened my eyes because you go into people’s houses, and you are seeing some of the conditions some of the people are [in],” he said.
“And we might be the only people they see on a day to day basis.
“It can take me from Paisley into Johnstone or Elderslie or down to Lochwinnoch and we do Erskine as well.
“I enjoy meeting people like the elderly. It opens your eyes up to what’s out there.”
Pamela Lewis, 72, also from Paisley, is both a volunteer for Food Train Renfrewshire and a recipient of its services.
She became interested in it through a friend, and has been a volunteer from the start five years ago.
“I worked on past retiral age because I needed something to do, but I got to the stage when I had to give up work,” she said.
“And so many volunteer jobs that are available want you to work specific fourhour shifts and I couldn’t guarantee that.
“And I liked what they were doing here and I was actually their first volunteer.”
Ms Lewis feels Food Train is very worthwhile.
“It’s fulfilling a need and I’m actually in the position now that I’m still volunteering but only on a Monday afternoon in here in the office.
“And I actually get a delivery on a Wednesday from the Food Train as well. “I’m seeing it from both angles. “I think it is brilliant because you can give as little or as much time as you want.
“It’s very satisfying, and what I also liked about it was, when you are going into the shop in the mornings and doing the shoppings and getting everything organised you were done by 11 o’clock and you had the rest of the day to yourself.”
The guest of honour at the anniversary lunch was Provost Lorraine Cameron,.
She was very impressed by the work done by Food Train Renfrewshire.
She said: “I’ve come here today to celebrate the volunteers that help the Food Train to operate.
“It’s very, very valuable for our community because it helps older people to manage, to be able to cope with living in their own homes and help them to remain independent.
“These days people are relying more and more to keep services to keep going, and I think this is one service we need to keep going. “It is very, very important. “The emphasis is now all on keeping older people in their own homes, allowing them to remain independent and not put them into care homes like we have done in the past.”
Mrs Cameron congratulated Food Train Renfrewshire on its anniversary. “Happy birthday!” she said. Food Train Renfrewshire is based at Renfrewshire Carers’ Centre, Abbey Mill Business Centre.
To volunteer or enquire about using its services call 0141 887 2557 or email renfrewshire@thefoodtrain.co.uk