Local charity pulls out all the stops to bring ‘Big Lunch’ to those in need

South Workington Youth Partnership (SWYP) delivered one hundred and four, homemade meals to people in the community on 21st June 2020, as part of their ‘Big Lunch’ event.

Prior to COVID-19, Workington Town Council approved a request from South Workington Youth Partnership for £300 to help fund their ‘Big Lunch’ event. Originally the idea was to welcome people into Moorclose Community Centre for the event, but COVID-19 scuppered those plans.

SWYP tasked twelve children from their youth club to make four meals each and choose four vulnerable people in the community who they would like to give the meal to. The rest of the meals were made in the community centre by, Manager, Angela Good, and her trusty team of volunteers.

The youth club children also designed their own leaflet, which they distributed to vulnerable people in Workington. The leaflet explained all about the ‘Big Lunch’ and that a meal would be dropped off for them on a certain date and time.

The 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 commented, ‘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.’

South Workington Youth Partnership (SWYP) is a youth, disability, and community charity (1149969). They work with children, young people, disabled people, and the local communities to provide activities, support and learning to enable them to improve their own lives and develop the local community.