Fairwood Helpers Thank Burpham’s Cook Shop For Donating Meals During Pandemic

Published on: 20 Mar, 2022
Updated on: 22 Mar, 2022

By Hugh Coakley

The Cook shop in Burpham has donated more than 4,000 meals to those in need in the Worplesdon area since lockdown in 2020, taking the figure to a staggering 275,000 meals nationally.

It has continued to provide around 40 meals each week through the Cook Kindness Fund for Fairwood Helpers, the good neighbour and driver scheme, to distribute.

The Mayor of Guildford, Marsha Moseley, thanked Cook for donating the meals and the volunteers at Fairwood Helpers for distributing them to those in need.

For this wonderful act of giving, Sue Harris, who chairs Fairwood Helpers, decided Cook needed to be thanked and appreciated.

Sue said: “I wanted to acknowledge the generosity of Cook for all they have done. I invited the mayor to meet the staff there and to say thank you on behalf of Guildford and from those receiving the meals for all they are doing.”

Managers of the Cook shop in Burpham, Tracey and Carla, meeting with the Guildford Mayor, Cllr Marsha Moseley.

Managers of the Burpham branch of Cook, Tracey and Carla, said: “We are delighted to be able to help the community in this way.”

Sue said the ready-made meals were given out to their regular clients and to others they hear about who are in need. She said the meals were “hugely appreciated”.

“People ring us about someone in need, for instance, maybe a person who has come out of hospital. Having a few really tasty home-cooked meals in the freezer takes away a lot of worry for people and their relatives.”

This generosity is being experienced nationally as well. What started as random kind acts at the start of the pandemic by Cook shops around the country putting aside free meals for those in need, has now been made a permanent part of the Cook chain’s Kindness Fund.

Fairwood Helpers, that received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2018, help mainly elderly clients by being good neighbours and driving them to appointments or other visits which they may otherwise have difficulty getting to.

The Cook shop in Burpham has donated more than 4,000 meals since lockdowns started in 2020. Cook make ready meals “using the same ingredients and techniques a good cook would use at home”.