THE FLORENCE PARK COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION 

We provide a free hot, nutritious, 2 course meal (cooked mostly from food donated to the Oxford Food Bank and collected from the Oxford City farm - helping to combat food waste) & a space for ....more

We provide a free hot, nutritious, 2 course meal (cooked mostly from food donated to the Oxford Food Bank and collected from the Oxford City farm - helping to combat food waste) & a space for interaction and company to members of our community who are over 60yrs. We also translate this to delivered meals if COVID fluctuations mean that we need to close the face to face Friday lunch and successfully delivered to over 40 individuals and families each Friday for the time between March 2020 - Sept 2021 (and then again over Jan/Feb of 2022). Our reach at these times was and is expanded to all ages and families, not just those over 60yrs. After fluctuations between in person (lunch club at the community centre) and delivered meals during the last 2 years we are re-establishing a safe space for them to meet and helping the members (and encourage new members) to reengage with their community and build up their confidence in being back. Access to a well-cooked and balanced meal is essential for all but especially to those older and less financially stable members of our community. We have also found that the Lunch Club has been essential in keeping the older members of our area connected to their community, this makes a massive difference to their mental well-being and feeling connected to their community. Combating loneliness and isolation as well as food security. The group will also continue to be sign posted to any essential services they may otherwise miss (info on vaccines, financial advice etc) During times when we can't meet face to face but move to food deliveries to people's homes, our Group Lead also arranges a phone network so that everyone has someone to check in on them each week via the phone - and any issues can be passed along to the Lead who can then arrange for a solution or connect them with other appropriate organisations (ie dog walkers, shopping volunteers, meal deliveries on other days). Essentially the funding would be used to pay for this Lead Lunch Club coordinator/cook. She works 4.75 hours a week at £12 an hour (for this she plans and executes the menu, looks after the volunteers who help with the face to face group, or with deliveries when COVID implementations mean deliveries, coordinates any activities, advice or events for the club, keeps in touch with all the members). We are looking for 6 months wages cover. (Which would equate to £1.90 per person supported, per week as we support roughly 30 people each week). To support this we also run a Monthly Community Cafe - the proceeds of which go toward the budget for running of this group and previously we have also had support from the Councillors Ward budgets , we would look at doing this again in 2023.

Food provision - meal provision to elderly and deprived residents.