As soon as the lockdown was announced the vicar at Great Meols, Rev Gillian Rossiter, gathered a small team together to provide soup and sandwich lunches to local people who are isolated and vulnerable.
With the help of Chris Branch, (pictured below) and other volunteers, Rev Gillian expanded the usual Thursday deliveries to every weekday. It's a lot more work but it means that people can be assured of getting a good meal. In the last week, the team provided 218 lunches for 56 people
The soup is made by volunteers in the community and then decanted it into thermos flasks. The sandwiches are made by Chris using food and bread donated by many people. There is a strict system of collection for the volunteers who deliver the lunches ensuring safe distancing. In some cases our deliverers are also collecting shopping for those unable to venture out; again there are strict rules regarding safe distancing when delivering and picking up used flasks
The church has been fortunate in securing a grant from the Metropolitan Mayor for Merseyside’s Covid -19 Community Fund which has helped to buy additional flasks, and generous personal donations have enabled o buy large saucepans which were essential as demand has grown.
They have been humbled and blessed by the generosity of the local community and friends (many of whom do not attend the church) who are supporting them with donations of food and money to buy food.
