Meals service under threat

Fiona Howard • Published 14 Jan 2010 14:40 0 Comments

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HELENSBURGH'S Meals on Wheels Service is under threat because of a lack of volunteer help.

The service, run through the WRVS, delivers meals to the elderly and housebound throughout the Helensburgh and Lomond area four days a week.

Each delivery is made by a driver and a volunteer and each of the four days, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, requires two teams.

They collect hot food from the kitchen at John Logie Baird Primary School at about 11.15am and deliver it to people throughout the area from Cardross to Cove and Kilcreggan.

The whole operation is co-ordinated at present by Sue Croft the meals on Wheels Project Manager for Argyll and Bute from her office in far away Isle of Seil.

Sue said: "The delivery rotas are made up in four month batches so we are alright for January but we are really struggling with the next rota starting in February.

"We have lost a number of volunteers through illness and we have also lost our volunteers team leader.

The team leader would normally take charge of doing the rota, seeking new volunteers and publicising the work.

Sue said: "Ideally I would love to find 10 new volunteers to boost the numbers and of course a new volunteer leader would be fantastic."

One of the existing team Fran Scott of Helensburgh said: "I have been doing this since I came to Helensburgh three years ago and I heard about it through the Advertiser so I hope this appeal works too.

"I get an immense amount of enjoyment and pleasure out of it. You are dealing with people who are often stuck in the house and sometimes you can be the onoly person they see in a day.

"You can get to know them quite well and you become a friendly face they can talk to so you can make sure they are alright and sometimes help out in other ways like bring them their medicines."

She added: "It is a very important service which is very much appreciated by the recipients even though it is not free and they have to pay a certain amount for the meals."

The service has a team of about 30 volunteers at present but needs about 40 to run smoothly and able to cope with absences and holidays.

Volunteers would meet Sue for an informal chat before being accepted and would then undergo Disclosure checking before being allowed to join the delivery teams.

The volunteers can do as many or as few days as they wish, some only do one every six weeks other do three every week.

And volunteers do not have to be able to drive. Each team is a driver with a car and a volunteer to deliver the food and Sue said that most drivers are happy to pick up carless volunteers on the way to collect the day's meals.

Each delivery session takes about one and a half hours.

The meals are prepared by the dinner ladies at John Logie Baird Primary.

Sue said: "If we don't find some new volunteers I really don't know how we are going to manage."

Anyone who would be interested in joining the Meals on Wheels team should contact Sue on 01852 300152 or email her at argyllbutemowmgr@wrvs.org.uk

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