Inverness Foodstuff recognised in Scottish parliament
Published on 1 September 2020
Ness Bank Church's Inverness Foodstuff, which provides meals to those who are homeless, vulnerable or financially disadvantaged, has been recognised in the Scottish Parliament for its service to the community during the COVID-19 pandemic – serving over 10,000 meals locally.
The drop-in café quickly adapted and evolved during the pandemic in order to provide food distribution six days a week – including a delivery option for those unable to leave their homes.
David Stewart MSP thanked Inverness Foodstuff in a motion laid down in Holyrood last week, specifically commending the more than 80 volunteers and two paid members of staff who have provided "a staggering 10,000 nutritious meals to people in need during the COVID-19 lockdown."
The MSP further congratulated the team for "addressing the problem of homelessness, food poverty, social isolation and food waste" whilst relying on donations of fruit and vegetables from supermarkets, grocers and individuals in order to do so.
The motion has been supported by a cross-parliamentary selection of MSPs including Bill Kidd, Elaine Smith, David Torrance, Ruth Maguire, Richard Lyle, Kenneth Gibson, Jeremy Balfour, Fulton MacGregor, Stuart McMillan and Sarah Boyack.
‘We are over the moon'
Rev Fiona Smith, the minister at Ness Bank Church and chair of Inverness Foodstuff, was delighted to welcome David Stewart's motion.
"We are over the moon that our MSP David Stewart has proposed this motion," said Fiona.
"Our volunteers are utterly phenomenal and many of them have been with us since we started Inverness Foodstuff five years ago.
"Without the commitment and dedication of our volunteers we could not have achieved the higher output of meals over the past few months. Going forward we sadly know that demand for our service will continue to be so needed and so we are thankful that the very real issue of food poverty in our city will be raised in the Scottish Parliament."
Thanking the volunteers directly, David Stewart MSP added:
"These volunteers have always been passionate about making a positive difference to our society but they have now proved not even a pandemic can stand in their way.
"I wanted to say thank you to them on behalf of my constituency and to show them some support as they continue to tackle hunger and food waste across our city.
"They have pulled together to get people through this crisis and I know the demand for their service will only rise as the economic impact of COVID-19 hits."