£2000 given to feed the community

Community Link Foundation has pledged £2000 to a Southport couple to enable them to make and deliver meals to people during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Louie and Tanya Gaffney started delivering soap and toilet rolls to vulnerable people in March and then by the middle of April they started cooking meals for the elderly, vulnerable and key workers. At first, they were delivering around 40 meals that they’d prepared in the kitchens their business, Playtown children’s centre. But, as word spread about the service they were offering, demand for the meals grew.

They are now delivering more than 200 meals a week and, thanks to the grant from Community Link Foundation (CLF), this will be able to continue in the coming weeks. Previously, the money for the food has come from donations from the public via their social media pages.

They contacted CLF to see if they would be able to offer any financial help so they can continue to meet demand. The grant will be used for all food, packaging and fuel for the deliveries for the next two months.

Enda Rylands, chair of Community Link Foundation, said: “We really wanted to support this grant as it means that meals are being delivered to people who need them in the local area.”

“There is so much good happening within the community at the moment and this is a great example of that. We are delighted that because of the funding that we have been able to give, the making of the meals and their delivery will be able to continue for many more weeks.”

In the last few weeks, Community Link Foundation has given grants of £3000 to Southport Foodbank and £2000 to Home-Start Southport and Formby to help them during the current crisis.

Louie said: “We initiated the feed the community project due to being closed. Southport families are our main target for the project and we also have a lot of single, vulnerable people who we deliver to on a weekly basis. We also have a lot of elderly and disabled people who rely upon the current service as they are not able to get to the shops or they are isolated from their families.”

“We are constantly inundated with messages from families appreciating what we do.”

Grants like this are possible due to the fantastic support from CLF supporters and also members of Southport Community Lottery who pay £5 a month to take part with the chance of winning money each month.

For more information on the lottery, or to find out more about CLF, go to https://clfoundation.co.uk/southport-community-lottery/

Louie and Tanya deliver the meals on a Wednesday and Sunday and if you would like to receive one, or know someone who would, please contact them via their social media pages.