Member Article

MCR Services expands its support for Vegetarian Society food box scheme to Isle of Bute

MCR Services has extended its support for the Vegetarian Society’s food bank scheme by helping pack meal boxes destined for the remote Scottish island of Bute.

This follows the Cramlington-based firm initially supporting the national charity to deliver 7,600 meal boxes to food banks in the North East.

Staff sort and pack the contents before palletising the boxes, which contains ingredients and recipes for two dishes that can be used for eight meals.

The 606 boxes, which are heading to independent foodbanks on Bute, are being distributed through the Pall-Ex network, of which MCR’s parent company, Moody Logistics and Storage, is a member.

The initial Vegetarian Society Food Box scheme, which was funded by Barclays Community Aid package, was designed to ease the fallout from Covid-19 by helping those in need put food on the table and eat more healthily. The scheme’s extension to Bute is being financed by individual donations.

Matthew Fretwell, production supervisor at MCR Services, said:“ The need for this type of help has become even more acute with the emergence of the cost-of-living crisis with those on low and fixed incomes often having to choose between heating or eating.

“Our original support for the Vegetarian Society’s scheme worked very well with us packing, palletising, and delivering boxes to Trussell Trust food banks throughout the North East, including those in Cramlington, Newcastle, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough and Stockton.

“Following on from this success, we now are delighted to be helping the Vegetarian Society expand the scheme to the Isle of Bute, off the west coast of Southern Scotland.

Matthew, who took to the road to help make the North East deliveries, said: “As a family-run company, we are keen to reach out to support the wider community, when we can, by using our expertise in packing and logistics to benefit worthy causes.”

Richard McIlwain, Vegetarian Society chief executive, said: “More and more people are becoming reliant on food banks to survive as financial pressures, caused by soaring energy prices and spiralling inflation, make it impossible for them to make ends meet

“Our food boxes, which were so needed through the pandemic, have taken on an even greater importance as more people struggle to afford even the most basic necessities.

“We are grateful to MCR Services for contributing their knowledge and expertise to ensure the efficient and effective running of the scheme to pack food parcels for the Isle of Bute.”

In April 2020, Barclays announced a £100m Community Aid Package to support charities helping people and communities impacted by Covid-19 and the Vegetarian Society food box scheme was chosen as one of Barclays’ UK Charity beneficiaries.

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