Kind youngsters step in to deliver free meals to OAPs stranded in show shutdown

Dec 16 2010 by Chris Clements, Hamilton Advertiser

A BLANTYRE hotel have praised the efforts of young volunteers who battled the snow last week to deliver pub grub to the elderly.

Now in its second year, the Parkville Hotel’s ‘Helping Hands’ project aims to deliver free warm meals to elderly and disabled residents in Blantyre and Burnbank who find it difficult to get out during bad weather.

The scheme is backed by people and businesses in the Blantyre community, as well as nearby taxi firms Mac Cars and Hastie Cabs, who vowed to deliver the meals free of charge.

However, after the heavy snowfall last week, the taxis were unable to reach many of the stranded pensioners.

But help was at hand after a plea for volunteers on social networking site Facebook.

Director of the Glasgow Road hotel Siobhan Edwards posted a comment asking for people to help deliver the meals on foot last Tuesday.

Within hours, 11 young volunteers came forward to help.

Siobhan said this week: “It was a wonderful effort. We started the scheme last week but because of the snowy weather it was a nightmare.

“The taxis who were going to deliver for us couldn’t get out and we only got 15 or 16 meals out by people passing through.

“So I put a message out on Facebook asking for people to help out delivering food on foot.

“Eleven volunteers - all of them young people - came forward right away and, within an hour and a half, they were ready to go.

“On Tuesday, we had a full complement of meals delivered, thanks to their efforts.

“It really is a testament to the community spirit of the younger generation, who came forward to help out.”

The ‘Helping Hands’ scheme will continue next week, with Siobhan saying they will help elderly and disabled Blantyre residents with free hot meals until the cold snap ends.

To contact Helping Hands, telephone 01698 822861.