We have been trying to stay in touch with all our members since the lockdown started late March. Many of us had already started shielding or isolating as a serious precaution from Covid 19. Many of us were frightend, and unsure how we would cope.
We decided to send an information newsletter to everyone detailing schemes and businesses that were out there delivering food. Information of local services that you could register for food parcels.
Our first delivery was an amazing box of fruit and veg with kitchen cupboard staples such as eggs, bread, pasta, jam. We provided toilet roll, hand sanitiser and some mindfullness crafts.
The next delivery was over the theme movie night. We all chipped together and came up with a wonderful list of TV must watch and film recommendations. In our goody bag was a heavenly mix of treats to settle down in front of the TV with. Cheese and biscuits, popcorn, crisps, sweets, chocolates, biscuits, hot chocolate, soft drinks.
We also included in this delivery a plant pot, some compost and 7 sunflower seeds. We all started a sunflower growing competition. We all share our sunflower photos on Whatsapp, Facebook and Zoom.
Delivery Number 3 was a fantastic Afternoon Tea. In the Tea box was sandwiches, scone, 3 types of cakes, crisps, salad and strawberries. DELICIOUS!! We also included a newsletter a pack of playing cards and game suggestions and a mindfullness puzzle book. The delivery wouldn’t have been complete without a mix of teas, coffees, hot chocolate and cold drinks. Perfect on a sunny afternoon.
We really had to put our thinking caps on for the next delivery. What could we do that was different from all the others?? Then we found the perfect solution…Sunday Lunch from The Colliers Arms in Pontrhydyfen. The choice was Lamb, Beef, Turkey or Nut Roast. All dinners came with Roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, buttered swede, carrrots, cabbage, yorkshire and stuffing. The best bit was the meat gravy, it was stunning. This time we enrolled lots of group members as delivery drivers. 11 of us convoyed from Swansea to Pontrhydyfen armed with goody bags, newsletters, quiz and treats. We also supplied many different types of vegetable seeds, cress, rocket, spring onion, radish. We hope everyone got planting and have seen some good results.
Our next delivery was scheduled to coincide with the last week of shielding for the most vulnerable of our community. Our members had 3 choices for this delivery. A Picnic box which had a stunning buffet with cakes or a Ploughmans box with various cheese, pate, meats and olives or a veggie buffet box. In the goody bags were a bread mix and ingredients for everyone to make a trifle. The usual newsletter and quiz were also included.
The last delivery of 2020 was what we think was the best of all….A Christmas hamper!!.
We delivered it at the end of November so we could save our members shopping during lockdown for Christmas items. There was over 36 items per hamper for 77 individual members. It took a small army of Neath Port Talbot Stroke Group elves to get this done.
Memory Lane kindly donated us 77 Yule Logs and they were delicious.
2020 has been an unprecedented year and we hope our deliveries have cheered everyone up and most importantly let you know that we are always thinking of you.
