The Jenner Centre – DD9 Connections Issue No. 8

£5 Food Vouchers
Over the winter months, and working with Brechin Soup Initiative (The Diocese of Brechin) and Brechin Community Football Trust, Brechin Healthcare Group had secured funding from Angus Council to be able to offer £5 food vouchers to anyone within the DD9 area. The Soup Initiative had, and continues to, deliver soup weekly to over 100 households but our aim was to encourage people to come out and reconnect with the community after the isolation of lockdown and perhaps meet others to eat together.

We had approached local shops to ask if they would like to participate and a number were happy to do so. Folk were able to exchange the vouchers at Dennis’s, Keptie Bakery, Bread & Butter, Little Poland and latterly The Bridgend in Brechin. In Edzell The Spar, The Tuck Inn and Bel’s Butchers also accepted the vouchers. No alcohol, tobacco or vape products were able to be purchased with the voucher.

Although the Soup Initiative offered vouchers to those receiving soup, we issued many more vouchers to anyone who came to the various distribution points in Brechin and Edzell. One voucher was issued each week for each member of the household up to a maximum of 4. There were a few hiccups along the way but we believe that the main aim of helping people in these financially testing times was achieved and feedback suggested that they were much appreciated.

One of the more significant outcomes was the communal meal held at Southport. There, a few of the residents put their vouchers together, two of the ladies cooked and they all got together to eat and blether.

The shops were delighted to take part and in some cases saw new customers or increased footfall and would be happy to be involved again if something similar was planned. A big thank you to those shops and businesses which helped us achieve our aim.

The only criterion for receiving vouchers was that folk lived within the DD9 area and we only noted postcodes which helped to show the areas where most of the vouchers were going. There was a mix of those living on their own and those in households of 4 and over. The majority of those using the vouchers were over 65 and in single person households.

One other interesting point which emerged was that the vast majority of those coming to collect the vouchers had heard about the scheme through word of mouth rather than social media. One up for the non-digital brigade!

Moira Robertson

Trustee, BHG