Harrogate hospitality staff lend helping hand by delivering meals to elderly during Volunteers Week

Harrogate Neighbours is celebrating its army of 75 selfless volunteers during National Volunteers’ Week (1 till 7 June) and calling out for more volunteers in the community.

The organisation, which supports older and vulnerable people living in the Harrogate district runs a number of vital services, including “meals on wheels”, known as Food Angels.

Food Angels prepares over 150 hot and nutritious meals every day which are delivered by a team of volunteers.

Harrogate Neighbours’ team of volunteers delivers on average 33,000 meals a year and has been running the service for over ten years, with over 250,000 hot meals delivered to date.

Like so many areas of the social care sector, meals on wheels requires greater government funding to support older and vulnerable people living within the community, who without the dedicated volunteers who run the service would not receive a nutritionally balanced, hot daily meal.

Simon Cotton, Managing Director of the HRH Group, said: “We try to do what we can when we can to support local charities and Harrogate Neighbours is a wonderful charity which does so much for people locally.

“Working in hospitality, we know the stresses of a busy kitchen, so for the Food Angels chefs and volunteers to cook daily hot meals from scratch and deliver the meals in time for a lunch is truly admirable and we are delighted to be part of it during National Volunteers’ Week.”

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Jessica Mackaness, Rudding Park ‘Giving Something Back’ Co-ordinator, commented: “It has been a real eye opener for us and fits perfectly with our ethos and mission as an organisation to give something back to the local community.”

Simon and Judi Mackaness, owners of Rudding Park, added: “It is so important for our team to help with local charities.

"We encourage all our employees to support local charities through various initiatives; including a match giving scheme for taking part in fundraising events and a volunteering scheme where all employees receive a paid days’ leave each year to volunteer with a charity of their choice.”

Marie Baker has volunteered with the Food Angels for eight years and encourages anyone who can help to get involved.

“I am blessed to have the time to volunteer and over the years I have forged such wonderful friendships.

“Being part of Food Angels is so much more than just delivering a hot meal – some of the people I deliver to won’t see a single other person that day, so to be able to provide that extra care solidified by decision to volunteer.”

Speaking on behalf of Harrogate Neighbours, CEO Sue Cawthray, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to the wonderful, long-standing volunteers who so selflessly give their time to the Food Angels every day.

“We’d also like to thank Simon, Jessica and their teams for joining our volunteers out on the road – we really value the support from local businesses and hearing their thoughts on our service is wonderful.

“We would love to spread our wings into other areas where we know our service is needed, but without the volunteers this isn’t possible.

"Supporting Food Angels by joining the team for just one hour a week, could make such a difference to so many older and vulnerable people in the region.”

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