Julie joins meals service

Julie Barker, Chair of The University Caterers Organisation (TUCO), joined Meals on Wheels recently, supporting elderly and vulnerable people in their homes across West Sussex.

Julie, who is also University of Brighton’s Director of Accommodation & Hospitality Services, provided hands-on help throughout the day and ‘applauded’ the work of the County Council commissioned service which serves thousands of nutritious meals to local residents every year.

[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1196","attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter size-medium wp-image-6151","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"300","height":"225","alt":"Julie Barker - Meals on Wheels"}}]]The visit was organised by the Council as part of an ongoing awareness campaign by the National Association of Care Catering (NACC), which showcases the benefits of the Meals on Wheels service and the value of supporting the elderly and vulnerable in their homes.

The Meals on Wheels service enables the elderly and vulnerable to live independently within the community. It helps to keeps them nourished and hydrated with a nutritious daily meal, plus regular interaction and safety and wellbeing checks. It is an essential preventative service that improves the quality of life of many and vastly reduces malnutrition-related admission to hospital, easing the strain on the NHS.

Julie, recently named among the top 20 public sector catering people in the country by Cost Sector Catering magazine – for the fifth year running, spoke to recipients of the meals, which are produced and delivered by apetito.

She said: “We all feel very passionately about the role that Meals on Wheels has in helping and supporting the elderly and vulnerable in enabling them to continue enjoying living independently at home.

“In many cases this is the only hot meal an individual will eat each day. It helps keep people nourished and hydrated and importantly, also contributes to reducing costly malnutrition-related admissions to hospital.

“Meals on Wheels is, however, so much more than just a meal. For many it is a social lifeline that eases the isolation and loneliness many elderly in our society endure. The delivery of a meal brings regular human contact, which for many may be the only interaction with other people they have the opportunity to enjoy. It also provides a ‘wellbeing’ check, offering valuable piece of mind for family and friends that their loved one has answered the door and has eaten a nutritious meal.”

The Council’s Catering Services Manager, John Figgins, said: “We would like to make our residents aware that Meals on Wheels in West Sussex is very much open for business. The Council is working in partnership with apetito to deliver the service, currently delivering around 3000 meals a week to residents. Customers can choose to have meals however many times a week suits their circumstances. We see this service as essential towards supporting some of the most vulnerable residents in the County and were delighted to recently award this contract, securing Meals on Wheels in West Sussex for a minimum of five years. Julie’s expertise in the field of catering and nutrition has been welcomed in helping us drive recognition for the work that the team does in meeting the regional needs across West Sussex.”

Neel Radia, national chair, NACC, added: “The future of the Meals on Wheels service across the UK is at crisis point and we are working hard to protect it for future generations. We would like to thank Julie Barker and West Sussex County Council for its support in raising awareness of this most valuable social service.”