South Workington Youth Partnership (SWYP) has delivered 104 homemade meals to people in the community as part of its ‘Big Lunch’ event.

Before the Covid-19 outbreak the partnership had been granted £300 from Workington Town Council to help fund their event, which would have originally invited people into Moorclose Community Centre.

Twelve children from the youth club each made four meals and chose four vulnerable people in the community to give the meals to. Meals were also made in the community centre by manager Angela Good and her team of volunteers.

The youth club children designed their own leaflet, which they distributed to vulnerable people in Workington, which explained about the ‘Big Lunch’ and that a meal would be dropped off for them on a certain date and time. The event worked so well that they are planning to do it again next year.

Meals were made by the children, with the help of Angela and the children’s parents and carers, via Zoom, and included pasta bolognaise and jelly and fruit. One of the children, Katherine, even made a special vegetarian chow mein for one of her chosen people.

Angela said: "Even though Covid-19 put a stop to our original plans, we still wanted to do something to help those people we have been visiting and delivering to throughout the pandemic.

"We had the money from Workington Town Council, and we thought this was a great way to get the children involved. They have not only learnt how to cook meals, but also developed marketing and social skills and have done something good to help other people. I am so proud of them all.

"It worked so well, we are planning on doing the same again next year, with the children making the meals at home and then we can all come together in the Community Centre."