District Council coordinating Urgent Food Deliveries

WORK to distribute food and other essentials to Newark and Sherwood residents isolated by the Coronavirus pandemic is under way.

Newark and Sherwood District Council, through its Humanitarian Assistance Report Team (Hart), has joined forces with a number of partners, including Morrison’s, the British Red Cross, Ikea, Newark Town Council and local shops and market traders to ensure supplies reach those in need.

Nationally, Morrison’s is providing £10million of food to local authorities to distribute to food banks and community kitchens with the chain’s Newark town centre store providing food locally.

This food is being distributed to Newark Food Bank, the Salvation Army and Carriages Café, located at Newark Castle station, which is running a community kitchen to provide meals to residents in need every Wednesday. Non-perishable food supplies are being delivered, stored and packed into emergency food parcels at the District Council-run Palace Theatre, Newark on Appletongate which has temporarily been closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

These food parcels are to be distributed to those who are most in need – these are families and individuals who have identified themselves as needing help with food deliveries and include older people, families with disabilities and families on low income.

Newark Town Council is also assisting with the work and is coordinating with local market traders, to ‘top up the food parcels’ immediately prior to delivery with fresh fruit, vegetables and bread.

The Council is also in contact with a number of other national and local outlets and is hoping to set up additional arrangements with these to provide further emergency food as this pandemic continues.

If you are an isolated resident and need help with the supply of food or medication during the COVID-19 pandemic, then please email the Nottinghamshire County Council community hub on enquiries@nottscc.gov.uk or if you don’t have internet access, then please call 0300 500 8080. All emails and calls will be triaged by the County Council and details passed to the District Council to action. Emergency food parcels are delivered with a supply of food, enough for 3-4 days and information about how to access food in the longer term. Further information is available at www.newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk/hart

Published April 2020