Health and Social Care

Meal Makers – connecting local communities through food

September 24, 2014 by Linda White No Comments | Category Uncategorized

Meal Makers is a pilot project which was launched in Dundee on August 6 2014 to help reduce food poverty and malnutrition among older people, improve their diets and combat social isolation by helping to break down the barriers that lead to loneliness.

It is a free, local neighbourhood food-sharing project that connects volunteers of any age who have a passion for cooking and want to be active in their communities (Cooks), with older neighbours (Diners) who would appreciate a home cooked meal. Once a cook and diner have been matched, the cook will prepare an extra meal and deliver it to their diner at a time agreed by both parties. This can be as often as the cook and diner would like, whether that’s weekly, fortnightly or just now and again.

This is an exciting, rewarding project  bringing people from different ages, backgrounds and cultures together. The Meal Makers team are delighted with the number of volunteers who have signed up to cook so far, which include a mixture of local community members and UK and international students attending Dundee University.

Meal Makers hope that the project will  help to strengthen connections within communities and provide a flexible way for people to volunteer their time and skills locally in a way which suits them.

Local businesses and community outlets have been extremely supportive of this worthwhile initiative, placing posters and leaflets in public places to help raise awareness.

The project is currently only available in Dundee, however plans are in place to roll it out nationwide. If you choose to sign up now as either a cook or diner, you will be informed when it becomes available in your area.

If you would like to sign up as a cook and do something great with an extra plate, please register via www.mealmakers.org.uk, email hello@mealmakers.co.uk  or call 0800 783 7770.

If you would like to sign up as a diner or know someone who would appreciate some home cooked food, please call Meal Makers on 0800 783 7770.

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