The partial return to work and schools from the coronavirus lockdown has created a crisis for the covid-19 mutual aid group operating in Selsdon: they are about to lose the use of the kitchen where they have prepared nearly 6,000 meals for the elderly, the isolated and vulnerable.
Firefighters and kitchen staff have worked together in the kitchens at Croydon High
The Selsdon food project started on the first day of lockdown and has so far helped nearly 400 people in the area, having distributed 400 emergency shopping bags, more than 3,000 weekly “befriending calls”, and each week getting nearly 1,000 chilled ready meals to those in need.
For the past six weeks, the Selsdon Food Hub has been working in partnership with the catering team at Croydon High School and the Fire Brigade. But with some Croydon High pupils returning to school on June 1, the school’s catering facilities will no longer be available.
The Selsdon Food Hub project is asking if there are any other kitchen facilities or catering staff available to, do their bit for the community and provide approximately 160 meals a week.
Andy Stranack, the councillor who manages the neighbourhood care group Selsdon Contact and helps coordinate the food hub, said, “We are so grateful to the catering team at Croydon High School for their amazing work over the last six weeks. The Food Hub project has paid for the cost of the food but the catering team have put hundreds of hours in to prepare the food.
Selsdon firefighters on their food delivery round
“We are very fortunate to have crews from our local fire station who are still willing to deliver the food to residents in need every Friday. We just need some qualified catering staff and some suitable space to continue to prepare the food.”
If you think you can help in any way please contact Andy Stranack at Andy@Selsdoncontact.org.uk or telephone 020 8651 4944 in office hours.
Stranack said, “The public has been generous with donations to our project so we can buy supermarket ready meals for next week, but this is not a sustainable solution in the long term.”
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