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Soupagran warms estate’s hearts

Kindhearted older residents on a North Shields housing estate are learning new employability skills and helping vulnerable pensioners by providing food, companionship and a caring eye.

Meadow Well Estate’s community development charity, The Cedarwood Trust encourages people to make a real difference to their lives and to the tight knit community in which they live. Established more than 30 years ago, the charity has carried out a number of pioneering projects to raise confidence and aspiration in the people who live on the estate.

Previous projects have changed lives by instilling skills and hope into the community. Practical gardening skills have led to plots of land being planted with flowers to improve unsightly areas, café and restaurant skills have been used in a community café and sport has played a big part in raising aspirations.

The latest project looks at ways in which more mature, long term unemployed residents can train in skills that can be used to help the estate further.

The “Soup-a-gran” scheme takes its name from the iconic 1980’s children’s TV show Supergran that was filmed in the north east and in particular, nearby Chisletown. (Tynemouth).

Meadow Well’s own Soup-a-gran’s are all over 50 years old, long term unemployed and each will receive training in health and safety, food hygiene, cookery skills and employability. Once fully trained, the small team of Supergran’s will cook food and distribute it to the more vulnerable residents of the estate. In addition, they will spend time with the person to ensure that they are safe and well and to offer a hand of friendship too.

The Trust’s Chief Executive, Phil McGrath was delighted to get the scheme up and running before the cold winter arrives.

“This unique project came about from the results of our healthy eating programme where our older residents said they wanted to develop themselves and support older people in our community too.

“This is about giving people the skills they need to succeed, building confidence and helping others less fortunate than ourselves.”

The oldest volunteer, Meadow Well resident Audrey Jolly, aged 86 agreed.

“It’s a great feeling to be one of the Soup-a-gran’s. I’m really looking forward to putting my new skills to good use. There are a lot of lonely and vulnerable people that we can help and I’m sure that this scheme will make a big difference to everyone involved.”

Soup-a-gran’s aren’t the only super heroes on the estate though. Trust CEO Phil McGrath lives in the North West and commutes hundreds of miles every week to work at Cedarwood Trust.

“I’m not really a hero,” he said. “I’ve just got a real passion and commitment for the people of this estate and they repay my work by doing the very best they can to change their lives and the lives of others on the Meadow Well Estate.”

ENDS. Photo shows: Mr McGrath and Audrey Jolly with the team of Soup-a-grans.

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This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Keith Newman .