One headteacher was so concerned about children on free school meals not having a hot meal while schools are closed, he turned to a local church for help, writes DOUGLAS McARTHUR.

And that was the start of a growing operation which so far has produced and delivered more than 6000 hot meals so far to people in need.

The Gateway Church, Abergavenny has a full community programme which includes a drop-in café with a fully operational kitchen, so when Minister Chris Vaz was asked if his volunteers could produce a daily hot meal for children who would probably go without, he immediately said yes. But the logistical challenges were enormous. Especially for the eight or so volunteers.

“I wasn’t sure how we were going to provide the service every day,” he said. “But we definitely had the faith to try. We were told that about 100 children were in need, but that first day we catered for 50, then the news got out and very quickly the numbers ramped up.”

Then he heard that the night staff at Nevill Hall Hospital needed a hot meal, so at a stroke that doubled the number of meals provided.

Eight weeks in to the pandemic the church volunteers are cooking, packaging and delivering between 11–1,200 cooked meals each week – 6-700 to people in the community and 500 to NHS staff at Nevill Hall.

“Our constant challenge is with getting supplies of food produce for such large numbers,” said Minister Chris. “As a church, our income depends on the freewill donations of our members, and despite the lockdown and not being able to come to us because of social distancing, they have given the best they can, and we have also been blessed by the business community of Abergavenny who stepped forward to donate.”

Abergavenny Rotary donated £500 for a new freezer which helped increase the kitchen’s output because more food could be stored ready for use.  

“The food has to be prepared and cooked, packaged and labelled, taking into account special needs and allergies, and then delivered. Everything we do is 100 per cent voluntary, every donation goes to providing the service.

“Gateway Church serves the community and we try and help people who have fallen on hard times to find their feet.

‘‘We are tied in with agencies who we work with and we try to support people by way of training, upskilling, certifications, work experience, confidence-building, self-esteem, rehabilitation where needed, befriending, meals, personal upkeep, housing, advocacy and anything else we can do to make a difference, and help people turn their lives around, and eventually give back to the community.”

For the moment though, the focus is on the current project. Numbers continue to be added each week.

For example, the church recently received an email from a worried mum oversees, who wasn’t sure who to turn to, and so got in touch with Gateway, asking if they could help her daughter, based in Abergavenny, and her three young children, who are in a desperate situation at this time. As Chris, the Minister said: “We couldn’t say no”. And so, the work continues, indefinitely, week after week, till this crisis passes.

If you would like to support Gateway Church in this incredible project, you can send in donations by getting in touch with them via [email protected]s or leaving them a message on 01873853126.