Newcastle City Council is working with supermarkets, food banks and local suppliers to improve the food provided to clinically vulnerable residents during the coronavirus lockdown.
Residents instructed to shield are receiving government food parcels if they cannot obtain supplies in another way. Where possible, the council and its partners are supplementing these parcels with additional fresh and nutritious produce.
People who are unable to leave their homes need more than a basic emergency package. They require reliable access to balanced food that supports their health throughout what may be an extended period of isolation.
The council is coordinating with organisations across Newcastle to identify available supplies and ensure help reaches residents safely.
Citylife Line provides a route for people who cannot rely on relatives, friends or neighbours to obtain food, prescriptions and other essential items.
Food banks, community organisations, supermarkets, suppliers and volunteers are all playing an essential part in the response. Council employees redeployed from other services are helping coordinate and deliver supplies.
Labour councillors are sharing information about the available support and raising cases where residents are struggling to receive what they need.
The lockdown is exposing and deepening existing inequalities. Some households were already finding it difficult to afford nutritious food, while others now face reduced income or practical barriers to shopping.
Our immediate responsibility is to prevent vulnerable residents from going without. We will also continue pressing the government to address gaps in the national arrangements and provide councils with the resources needed to respond.
Newcastle Labour Leader, Cllr Nick Forbes said:
“Residents who cannot shop for themselves need reliable access to fresh and nutritious food throughout the lockdown. The council, food banks, supermarkets, suppliers and volunteers are working together to improve the support reaching vulnerable people across Newcastle.”