Forest Lottery supports local cause in feeding residents
With the help of Forest Lottery supporters, Forest Mobile Meals has raised nearly £1500 in the past 12 months to assist with the delivery of warm and nutritious meals to local residents who are unable to cook for themselves, or have nobody to depend on for support.
Cabinet Member for Finance, Cllr Richard Leppington said:
“The work that is provided to the community by Forest Mobile Meals is extraordinary. Not only are the team helping local residents who may not otherwise eat a hot meal, they are also a source of support to both those residents and their families.
“Their work delivering meals to households during the pandemic meant that many people still felt connected to their community, helping to ensure that many elderly and vulnerable people did not become isolated.
“Forest Mobile Meals are another example of the great work that your lottery ticket contributes to and we’d encourage everyone to get involved with the Forest Lottery. If anyone would like to put forward a local cause, please do so and begin to secure vital funding.”
Forest Mobile Meals is a Cinderford based charity set-up in early 2020. The work and reassurance that they provide means that many elderly, sick, or vulnerable people can remain living in their own homes knowing they will receive a hot meal on a daily basis, reducing the need for care assistance and helping to keep residents feeling secure in their own home.
Freshly prepared hot meals are provided to residents five days a week and produced with locally sourced ingredients, as well as the delivery of chilled meals on a Friday should they be required for the weekend. There are no specific requirements for those wanting a home delivery and these are delivered over the lunch period by a team of volunteers.
For some residents the volunteer drivers who attend the home may be the only person they see all day, or even all week. Several times in the past two years this has helped to save the life of a resident when the driver has found them collapsed, sick, or in difficulty. With the database of next of kin, aid can be swiftly called.
Melvyn Wilkins (a member of the core team) at Forest Mobile Meals said:
“We have grown a lot since first starting in 2020 and we’re looking to keep growing in 2022 to help as many people as possible.
“Our service has been further enhanced by a new takeaway menu and lunch clubs, day care centres and primary schools can also benefit from either a takeaway or delivered meals. Several local businesses have taken this further by having the charity provide buffet lunches for meetings, which further helps to offset the cost of running Forest Mobile Meals.
“Being a not for profit organisation means every donation we receive goes back into Forest Mobile Meals to help the people in our local area. That is why we’re so grateful for every person who supports us with the purchase of a Forest Lottery ticket and helps us to continue to provide the service that we do.
“It is nearly 12 months since we joined the Forest Lottery and I am amazed how many people promptly supported us. We always need more to take up the lottery and are pleased to say we have so far had more than 60 winners!”
For those looking for more information on how Forest Mobile Meals can help, please search Forest Mobile Meals on Facebook and Google, or visit: https://forestmobilemeals.org/read-more-about/services-we-provide