THE Port Seton Centre has provided about 1,000 meals to residents across Cockenzie and Port Seton who have been most affected by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The centre is working with Cockenzie and Port Seton Community Council on the initiative, with staff at the centre cooking the meals.

More than 100 volunteers at the local resilience group are helping with packing and deliveries.

As many as 120 families are receiving hot meals or food donations, with deliveries made every day. It is also supporting the work of the local school hub by providing children who would usually receive free school meals with breakfast and lunch packs.

In the past week, 65 breakfast packs and 44 school meals have been issued. They are delivered on a Monday with supplies given to last a week. In recent weeks, the need for the service has gone up. It operates six days a week, with a double service on a Saturday to ensure a full week’s coverage.

Bryan Hickman, chairman of Cockenzie and Port Seton Community Council, estimated that 150 volunteer hours were given to the service every week.

He said: “People are really grateful for it.

“We might continue running it should the need still be there [after lockdown]. We are doing our best to make sure everyone is getting help. I’m worried we are missing people out.”

Donations of food items to the centre have been made by several local businesses, groups and residents to aid in their efforts.

However these are starting to run out and people are being asked to help out and donate what they can.

Emma Brown, connected communities manager for Prestonpans, Cockenzie and Port Seton and Longniddry, said: “At the start, we had a lot of donations which helped bring down the cost of what we are doing.

“Now they have run dry and I am encouraging people if they want to make donations, to do so.”

There is now a box at the centre’s entrance for people to donate items such as breakfast foods, toiletries, tinned food, UHT milk, dried goods and nappies.

Items can be dropped off between 9am and 2pm Monday-Saturday.

Surplus food from Fare Share, a charity that gives excess food from supermarkets to charities and organisations in need, is also being donated to the Port Seton Centre.

This will provide additional support to individuals in need.

 

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