ST ALBANS PENSIONERS CELEBRATE NATIONAL COMMUNITY MEALS WEEK WITH TERRY WAITE

 

Terry Waite CBE joined St Albans residents at the Jubilee Centre for a special lunch to kick off a week-long celebration of the Community Meals service's millionth meal and National Community Meals Week.

 

The Jubilee Centre is home to the Hertfordshire Community Meals service for St Albans, which is served by apetito, the leading national supplier of Meals on Wheels to local authorities throughout the UK.

 

Organised by The National Association of Care Catering (NACC), National Community Meals Week (3-7 October 2011) aims to raise awareness of this vital service, which enables many elderly, disabled or vulnerable people to remain in their own homes long after they would otherwise have been hospitalised or taken into residential care. 

 

A keen supporter of community meals, Terry said:

 

"Meals in the community are really important to keep people healthy, nourished and in their own homes.  But it goes further than the food itself – socialisation is a very important aspect and many of the people receiving community meals have no other point of personal contact.  It's hard to imagine how isolated those individuals can sometimes feel and the service being delivered is outstanding and reaches to people in need".

 

Ian Stone, business development director at apetito, commented:  "We were delighted to have Terry's support for this event, which we hope will raise awareness of a service that is a lifeline for so many elderly people in the UK. The residents thoroughly enjoyed meeting their special lunch guest and the session made a great start to our National Community Meals Week celebrations."

Sarah Wren, Hertfordshire Community Meals chief executive, added: "It's common sense that with an ageing and increasing population we take a pro-active approach in helping to ensure that we can keep people fit and healthy and in their own homes for as long as possible."