We recently received a lovely card from a family whose father had used our Meals on Wheels service.  An anonymised version of the card is below.  We'd like to say thank you for your kind words and we're so pleased that the meals made such a difference.

"all the volunteers at Meals on Wheels Cumbria,
We just wanted to say a HUGE THANK YOU for all you have done for Dad over the last year.  It is so kind of you all to give your time and energy to provide this service which has definitely enabled Dad to stay in his own home for longer than he would have been able.  Dad loved the meals - he kept telling us how good they were! - and with us living away from him it was reassuring to know he had eaten a good, hot dinner each day.  I hope Dad enjoys the meals as much in his new care home! Many thanks to you all, our kindness makes an enormous difference."  

We are very pleased to say that we've been support by the Randal Charitable Foundation. The grant of £5,670 from the Randal Foundation will support us in delivering our meals. 

Currently we help 200 people with weekday food provision and in an average month, our volunteers will deliver 4,200 hot meals to those who need them. This grant from The Randal Foundation will fund two months’ worth of deliveries, allowing 12,600 miles to be covered by our volunteers as they make 8,400 visits.   We are pleased to cover mileage for our volunteers, who generously donate their time.

These visits will support those in our community who struggle to cook for themselves iwth a hot, wholesome meal and a friendly point-of-contact every weekday - looking after the health and well-being of those we serve.  

Thank you to the Randal Foundation for their support and to our wonderful volunteers.  Thank you!

We recently received a visit from local MP Julie Minns here at Meals on Wheels Cumbria.  Thanks to Julie for visiting us and encouraging members of the community to volunteer on her facebook page. 

Thank you to the Cumberland and Westmorland Herald for featuring an article this week about our Meals on Wheels Cumbria service to Penrith.

'In the 18 months since Meals on Wheels Cumbria launched its service in Penrith, more than 5,000 meals have been delivered across the town.  The service is available to anyone who struggles to make meals for themselves through age or ill-health.  A dedicated team of local volunteers deliver freshly cooked meals from the distribution hub at The Church in the Barn.

CEO David Price said that bringing the service to Penrith was “something that we’ve wanted to do for quite a few years – for some time Meals on Wheels Cumbria has operated in Carlisle, Wigton, Brampton and Longtown but finally, after many requests, we were able to bring the service to Penrith.  We’d like to extend a massive thank you to the local volunteers and organisations that have made the last 18 months possible”. 
 
A key aspect of launching the service has been the local volunteer team who provide a friendly hello with the meals they deliver.  Many of the team make deliveries once a week like Pauline, who has been volunteering since the start of the Penrith service. She feels that ‘it’s a real privilege to be able to help the local community this way.  I really enjoy meeting the clients, and as some of them are vulnerable then I’m sure it is also reassuring to their family that we are checking on them during the day. So many of the clients comment on how they enjoy the freshly cooked meals, which arrive at their home hot and ready to eat”. 
 
Meals on Wheels Cumbria currently have availability for people to join the service.  If you, or anyone you know, would benefit from a hot meal delivered each weekday or you’d like to join the volunteer team, you can get in touch with the Meals on Wheels Cumbria team on their website www.mealsonwheelscumbria.org or by calling 01768 877977.'

We care deeply about the food we prepare and so we feel it should be standard that our kitchens are rated ‘Very Good’ by the Food Standards Agency.  We are pleased to say that we are rated ‘Very Good’ across all areas.  From food handling, the cleanliness of the facilities to our management of food, we want you to have the best.

We'd like to thank you the Pappagallino Fund for their recent generosity in granting £2,500 to our service, specifically for the Penrith distribution runs. Their support will make it possible for meals to be delivered in Penrith by our wonderful team of volunteer drivers - offering both nutrition and a daily visit from a friendly face.  The grant will help us to continue to offer our service in Penrith.  

Thank you to all at Cumbria Community Foundation for partnering with us again as we provide this service!