Rapid Relief Team charity delivers 1,332 meals to Swindon people

By Barrie Hudson - 16 January 2025

CharityVolunteering

A charity made up of volunteers from the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church has been delivering vital help to Swindon people facing hardship.

The Rapid Relief Team (RRT) handed over 111 food boxes, equivalent to 1,332 meals. 

Over the course of December and early January, the RRT have led a campaign which has seen the charity partner with key community groups and organisations in Swindon to deliver food boxes which have been curated with care and compassion by the charity’s local volunteers. 

This has included the delivery of 40 food boxes to Alternative Angels and Threshold Housing, two key homelessness charities dedicated to providing valuable support to families and individuals across the borough. 

Meanwhile, 21 food boxes were also donated to in-need patients and households connected to the Great Western Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. In the north east of the borough, Stratton Parish Council also received 50 food boxes to help support its community kitchen and youth support work which serves vulnerable residents of the parish. 

This donation represents merely the latest example of the RRT’s support delivered in the area, with the charity and its team of local volunteers dedicating a huge amount of time to supporting charities, emergency services, and other organisations in the region over the course of the last 12 months. 

This has included the donation of £5,000 towards the funding of new equipment at the Great Western Hospital’s Emergency Department and serving of hundreds of meals to key workers at several events, as well as helping in local parishes including in Blunsdon, where local volunteers helped raise £2,083 for their community benefit organisation, Blunsdon Community Shop. 

The RRT is dedicated to putting compassion into action and offers practical support those in need across the UK and internationally. 

A Threshold Housing spokesperson said: “On behalf of Threshold Housing & our residents, thank you RRT for the generous donation of the food boxes. 

"They were gratefully received, and the food cupboard staples are a valuable resource to our residents.”

Laurie Pomeroy, Local Team Leader for the Rapid Relief Team UK, said: “We were delighted to deliver 111 Food Boxes to several key charity groups and community organisations in Swindon. The winter period can be a challenging time for many, and this year has been no exception with cost-of-living pressures continuing to place financial strain on many families and individuals. 

“Our food boxes, which were curated by our local volunteers in the area, provide non-perishable goods which we hope will make a meaningful difference to those struggling to afford food. Through the invaluable work of our partners, these food boxes will also reach those most in need across Swindon. 

“This donation is an excellent way to not only round off an impactful year in the region, but kickstart our efforts for 2025. 

"As a voluntary team, we have been pleased to work together with countless inspirational people at emergency services, charities, and other organisations who share our passion for delivering meaningful and impactful support to our local communities."

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