Meal Makers

Meal Makers is a subsidiary of the award winning Scottish Charity Food Train. Food Train is an innovative volunteer led grocery shopping delivery service which brings vital fresh food to vulnerable older people in need. Since launching in 1995, Food Train has gone from strength to strength over the years and has expanded into 9 regions in Scotland... and now supports over 1,600 older people with the tremendous help of over 600 volunteers. With the proportion of older people steadily increasing, Food Train has been instrumental in developing vital services beyond the core grocery delivery service to meet the needs brought about by this shift in communities. Food Train introduced Food Train 'EXTRA', which provides regular household and home safety support which operates in Dumfries & Galloway and West Lothian. In order to combat social isolation and loneliness amongst older adults Food Train introduced a befriending service providing telephone contacts, home visiting, trips out and social clubs for local older people. Food Train friends operates in the Food Train areas Dumfries & Galloway and Dundee. Having recognised that mobility issues can be restrictive beyond grocery shopping Food Train have also set up an Outreach Library Service in West Lothian whereby customers can have library books dropped off and returned to their house at no cost. Meal Makers is another example of a project that was initiated by Food Train in response to an unmet need experienced by older adults. Every year Food Train conducts an annual survey to assess the levels of satisfaction with our services, and to identify what services older adults feel are lacking or inaccessible. An issue that was continually being highlighted by our members was issues surrounding cooking and a lack of access to freshly prepared meals. Our customers often tell us that they find cooking more difficult as they get older and become more reliant on prepared meals. Furthermore a number of our customers who live alone, who may well have the ability to cook freshly ...Read More