Volunteers prepare to help struggling Melton people this Christmas

The team who are collecting food and supporting isolated and struggling people in Melton this Christmas

The town’s Brownlow Primary School will once again be the hub for collections of festive food ready for it to be distributed to those who need it the most.

A network of organisations are involved, including Mowbray Education Trust, Melton Helping The Isolated, Melton Learning Hub, the Melton Mowbray Debt Advisory Centre, The Hope Centre’s Breathing Space service, Morrisons supermarket and the firefighters’ Trumpton Christmas tour.

Sharon Brown, of Melton Helping The Isolated, said: “We started it a year ago and it is hard to think many families will be going without this Christmas as a result of what we do.

Rob Morrish, community champion at Melton's Morrisons store

“We buy 100 turkeys, vegetable, gravy, stuffing , Christmas puddings and mince pies to give out to people who can’t afford it.“We are looking for donations of dry food items – not vegetables or turkeys – and we also collect Morrisons vouchers if people want to give us those to buy food with.”Local school pupils and teachers have been organising food collections towards the appeal and there are also plans to distribute Christmas food hampers again for those who are struggling to pay their bills in the ongoing cost of living crisis.

The network organises a weekly coffee morning at Brownlow School’s wellbeing hub for isolated people, from 8.45am until 10am, with hot drinks and cakes given out to attendees.

Organisers would like to hear about families who are struggling so they can offer support – [email protected] with all details kept private.

The town’s Morrisons supermarket is continuing its work to support vulnerable people in the Melton community.

Rob Morrish, the store’s community champion, said: “We work with the town foodbank, Storehouse, to supply food and other products which are close to their ‘best before, dates, such as fruit, vegetables and bread.

“Plus we have pick-up packs that customers can buy which include products needed by Storehouse that they can donate in store.”

Rob also works with the town’s mental health support service, Pepper’s – A Safe Place, supplying tea, coffee and biscuits for those who attend.