With 1 in 3 people over the age of 65 suffering with or at risk of malnutrition, cuts to public services and the rising costs of food

Unfortunately due to austerity cuts, since 2014 there has been no provision of Meals on Wheels by Devon County Council and in that time over 500 people have been admitted to hospital with malnutrition

‘Meals on Wheels’ is a great British institution. Originally set up in 1943 to deliver meals to individuals at home unable to purchase or prepare their own, many of us won’t remember a time when it didn’t exist.
Today, the service is as vital and valid as ever. It enables the vulnerable and elderly to live independently in their own homes for longer, keeping them nourished and hydrated with a delicious daily meal (in many cases the only one they will have each day),
It is, however, so much more than just a meal. It is, for many, a social life line. The delivery of a meal brings regular human contact that eases the devastating isolation and loneliness many elderly endure. It also provides much-needed wellbeing and safety checks, crucial for those that may not see anyone else during the day.

The team at the Dartmoor Community Kitchen Hub, a new local not for profit company based at the St Andrews care home in Ashburton, are passionate about healthy eating and supporting the elderly and vulnerable residents in our communities.

After a successful pilot, providing hot nutritional meals to the residents of the care home, in September they are now extending their service to provide their own version of meals on wheels by providing cost affordable, nutritious freshly cooked hot meals for the elderly residents of the communities of Dartmoor