New Services, New Partnerships

New Services, New Partnerships

Over 750 food parcels have now been delivered by Age UK Sheffield during the month of April, to older people isolating at home in the city.

But whilst the local charity has co-ordinated the fundraising and delivery of these lifeline parcels, they have relied on numerous local partners, old and new, to enable the operation to take place.

St Mary’s Church and Community Centre, on Bramall Lane, is at the heart of the food delivery service. Staff and volunteers from the church are sourcing all the food supplies and packing each parcel. Deliveries now include hot dinners which are freshly cooked and frozen at St Mary’s and packed up with heating instructions.

Rev. Karen Cribb was among those packing bags for Thursday’s delivery to 88 people throughout Sheffield. She said it is hard work but rewarding when recipients comment on the vital lifeline being provided: “Speaking to some of the ladies we know who usually come to lunch clubs, they just really appreciate it. They appreciate a friendly face delivering the bags. It’s finding a new way of serving the community in these odd times.”

This week’s parcels have each included an edition of that day’s Sheffield Star, a new addition through a partnership between Age UK Sheffield and The Star. Rev. Cribb added: “I was speaking to a lady who got a bag on Tuesday and she said: “It was lovely to have The Star in the bag. I used to read it and haven’t seen it for years. It was lovely to have something extra I wasn’t expecting.’ I could tell from her voice it just made her day.”

Age UK Sheffield Chief Executive, Steve Chu, said: “We are so grateful to St Mary’s and a whole range of other partners who have contributed to our £50,000 fundraising appeal, or provided free products or staff time. Without them we could not have delivered this new emergency service.”

Among the organisations who have supported the effort are:

• Sheffield Church Burgesses Trust
• Sheffield Town Trust
• Westfield Health
• Sheffield Area Kidney Association
• Sheffield Wednesday Football Club
• Age UK
• Zoo Digital
• Rainforest Foods
• A huge number of other generous donors
• John Lewis
• TK Maxx
• St Mary's Church, Sheffield
• SYFR
• Morrison’s
• Our Amazing volunteers

Rev. Karen Cribb helps the team prepare food parcels

Supplies for the food parcels

Whiteboard Helping Volunteers to Coordinate the products for the food parcels

Milk and toilet rolls lined up ready to be packed