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.'

This week saw the launch of our service in the new area of Penrith! The Herald and the Penrith Town Council newsletter covered the story.  You can see the article below, on the Herald Website or on the PTC newsletter page here. 

The Council has awarded a grant of £2,500 to Meals on Wheels Cumbria to establish a new service in Penrith.
The Meals on Wheels Cumbria service provides hearty, nutritious food to people who struggle to make meals for themselves. Presently, they deliver to Carlisle, Wigton, Brampton and Longtown and now Penrith!
A video has been produced in which Penrith Town Council Chair and Penrith Mayor, Doug Lawson explains a little more about the Council's involvement and the Meals on Wheels Service.
Doug Lawson, Penrith Town Council Chair & Penrith Mayor went on further to say:
"Unfortunately, so often nowadays you hear on the news about areas losing certain crucial services – so it's a breath of fresh air to see a new service coming to Penrith - Meals on Wheels!
"I am so proud to see the Council being able to financially support the establishment of the Meals on Wheels service to Penrith - as that's what our grant scheme is all about - supporting initiatives and projects that matter to local people.
“Their service is available to anyone who is unable or struggling to cook for themselves – whether that be due to illness or any other reason.
“Their service also offers many hot food classics – such as one of my personal favourites: Toad in the Hole! So, if you are interested in signing up, please get in contact with Meals on Wheels Cumbria directly."
Meals on Wheels are now delivering in Penrith. If you struggle to cook for yourself or know someone who would benefit from the service, then please get in touch by visiting the Meals on Wheels website or by calling 01768 877 977.
If you are interested in volunteering to transport meals from Carlisle to Penrith on a Monday and a Friday, please contact 01768 877 977.
If your organisation has a project you would like us to support over the course of 2024 and into 2025, please call 01768 899 773, email: [email protected] or visit the Penrith Town Council website.

The Cumberland News featured us in early December. It's been great to see feedback from loads of people. Some have contacted us asking for meals, others have
offered to help. We ALWAYS need more volunteers, but we also need to get the word out about how good this service is. Our goal is to see more people get our meals, because we know so many are in need. The Cumberland News has helped us in this, so a big thank-you to them. As the report mentions, eventually, we would like to see our work expanded out into other towns in the region. It's quite an ambition, something given time we hope will fall into place. For now, it's about building the service in Carlisle and looking for new opportunities to serve.


www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/17280796.successful-carlisle-meals-on-wheels-scheme-could-expand/