One Council van is helping to feed vulnerable people in the area after being loaned to a local Cyrenians branch.
On loan from Falkirk Council’s Dalgrain depot, the Iveco Daily van usually ships office and industrial supplies between Council buildings. It’s now supplying food and basic necessities to people in need across the local area.
Trips to the Cyrenians’ FareShare Edinburgh depot to pick up produce and other foods, from which the charity’s team makes nutritious meals and food parcels, have been a regular journey for the van.
Helping Falkirk's vulnerable
The Cyrenians team, based in Dollar Park’s Arnotdale House, set up a food production base in their cafe kitchen to help feed the area’s vulnerable and socially excluded people during the COVID-19 pandemic.
They’re now distributing around 280 meals and 120 food bags every week in Falkirk and central Scotland - and also delivering food to community groups with the help of the Iveco van.
Carl Bullough, Head of Environmental Services at Falkirk Council said:
“When we got the call from the Cyrenians about the loan of one of our vehicles we were happy to help.
“We knew of the great work being done by their team in the local community and we’re happy to help them help others.
“It’s a small gesture, but we’re delighted to be helping such an important cause in the local communities we serve.”
Scott Millar, Social Enterprise General Manager at Cyrenians, said:
“We knew that there would be people in the Falkirk area struggling to access food given the circumstances, and we wanted to do what we could to support the community around us.
“I contacted a couple of local hire firms to see if they would be willing to offer a van for free but no one really got back to me. After contacting Councillor Meiklejohn, a Council van had been found for us within a day.
“The support we’ve received from communities and organisations has been brilliant but without the loan of the van from Falkirk Council we wouldn’t be able to run our project. It’s as simple as that.
“We’ve been humbled by the real sense of community spirit in the area. Life has been turned upside down since March and we just want to make sure that we can help where we can.”
Community Action Fund
The Cyrenians Falkirk team also benefited from the Falkirk Council Community Action Fund, receiving a grant to support the running of the project.
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