WRVS tells stories of its Meals on Wheels staff getting through despite the snow
[UKPRwire, Thu Feb 19 2009] Following the severe weather conditions that gripped the country at the end of last week and over the weekend, messages of thanks to our volunteers have been published in local media, and even sent in to WRVS from our staff and people who use our services.
A summary of some of the stories and letters we received are included below.
Worcester News
Workers battle snow to ensure business as usual.
Lauren Rogers writes: ...as snow blanketed the region causing considerable chaos, teams of volunteers from WRVS managed to deliver Meals on Wheels to 641 Worcestershire homes. Read the full story.
In the comment section of the same paper it was commented that:
Voluntary organisations such as the WRVS have ensured that the vulnerable people they provide with hot meals have got their food no matter what. Read the full story.
The Argus, Brighton
A regular receiver of Meals on Wheels wrote in the say:
I live alone and have relied on the WRVS Meals on Wheels service for my daily hot meal for the last two years after sustaining a broken pelvis and wrist in a fall.
In that time I have never gone without a hot meal but with the heavy snowfall on Monday I had not expected a delivery.
No one else braved the deep snow and icy conditions, neither the milk, post or newspapers were delivered. So I resigned myself to having a tin of soup and a cheese sandwich for lunch.
However, to my astonishment and delight my valiant Meals on Wheels deliverer rang my doorbell at the usual time with a hot and very welcomed meal and a big smile. It made my day.
So thank you all at Meals on Wheels for your superb organisation and dedicated staff.
Sidmouth Herald, Devon
Winter efforts praised by council and business leaders.
Shadow leader John Hart added his thanks to WRVS emergency services in the area. Read the full story.
And the heroics of have not gone unnoticed. Our media team have been taking calls from local radio and local and national TV wanting to hear our stories.
Messages of thanks were also extended from our own staff.
“Well done in this crisis time, a brilliant effort by all involved, can you pass my thanks to all staff at the Worcestershire group of projects and let’s hope things get easier over the weekend.” Peter Dicker, WRVS operations manager.
Nicola Wright who co-ordinates Meals on Wheels for WRVS added: “The Newport Meals on Wheels scheme has been beating the snow with myself and a local authority worker keeping an eye on the weather. Volunteers have still been going out every day in the bad weather delivering the meals and where the snow has been bad the local authority has provided each volunteer with a chauffeur driven 4x4, where we have picked them up at their homes, done their rounds and dropped them back to their doors. The weather has been a bit of a worry but on a whole we have all worked closely together to ensure that the meals have still got out to the service users.”
It was not only our Meals on Wheels services that continued to run. Difficultly getting around and the lack of public transport made it an extra effort for volunteers to get into hospitals where they run many shops and cafés.
Margaret Lawson, operations manager for the South East said: “I would like to applaud all the project managers in my retail team. They have all tried to get in if at all possible and if they couldn't they have rung around to make sure that any member of staff who could walk to the project would take over the responsibility. They have gone the extra mile (many have walked it!). They have had to manage our brilliant stoic volunteers to make sure they are not putting themselves in any danger as we have 80 year olds who try to get in! We have had very few closures and those were mainly the evening shifts.”
Another operations manager, Stephen Rennie said: “I am looking after the maternity café in Aberdeen and on Thursday there was a very large snow storm but two of my volunteers battled through to help me out and ensure the project was open.”
WRVS trustee and volunteer, Valerie Seddon contacted us to say: “Well done to all our volunteers out in this weather - my brother's Meals on Wheels got to him this week, apart from on Monday, but he did get a phone call making sure he was OK.”
And a final thank you from executive director Robert Longley-Cook who said: “It’s been fantastic to be able to showcase the excellence of our volunteers and staff in this way. On behalf of all the executive team, I’d like to thank everybody who is working hard to keep our services going.”
Attention now turns from the snow to a potential flood crisis with WRVS emergency teams on standby to assist.
About WRVS
WRVS (http://www.wrvs.org.uk) volunteers and employees work together to support people in need who might otherwise feel lonely and isolated, whether at home, in hospital, or in times of crisis. For further information, please call 01235 442949.
WRVS is one of Britain’s leading volunteering charities with over 55,000 volunteers working to help older people in your communities to get more out of life. If you are over the age of 14, we have volunteering opportunities in communities, in hospitals and in emergency situations.
Find out how you could become a WRVS volunteer, call 0845 601 4670 today (all calls charged at local rate) or register to volunteer online and someone will contact you to let you know about local opportunities. Or help make a difference by making a secure online charity donation to WRVS.
If you are a member of the press and have a media enquiry or would like to speak with a WRVS representative, please contact Saadia Usmani, media development and relations manager on 07714 898556. For all other enquiries please contact us.
