The people of Meir and surrounding areas came together with Brighter Futures at the Broadway Methodist Church on Friday 15 October to have a takeaway lunch and reduce social isolation in the community.
The event began shortly after noon with a bespoke buffet available to all. Other activities and a marketplace with local organisations were also on hand to provide information to people.
All food was provided by Brighter Futures’ own Catering Network, a social enterprise focused on delivering fresh, local, and homemade catering. Everything is freshly prepared by their staff and volunteers, which operates on a not-for-profit basis.
The funding for the meal was given to Brighter Futures as part of the National Lottery’s 25th birthday celebration in 2020,
Sharon Fone, Clubhouse Network Manager at Brighter Futures says: “It was great to see so many people come up and support this. A lot of people worked hard behind the scenes to make it happen – and we couldn’t have asked for much more.
“Our Clubhouse Network holds a mental health support group here in Meir and we well know of some of the issues surrounding social isolation locally. That group is free, and we hope some of the great people we’ve met today will come along again.
“There was a fantastic mix of all ages, and we were well supported by our partner organisations. They came out to support us and we hope they found it useful to network with people. If just one person went away with a more positive outlook than they did earlier then we’ll consider it a success!
The Brighter Futures Clubhouse Network offers support to anyone who would like to improve their wellbeing, providing social and leisure opportunities in a safe and welcoming environment. For more information – visit www.brighter-futures.org.uk/clubhouse-network/.