Inverness community group ends food aid
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The couple behind a group set up to help those in need during the Covid crisis has said it will no longer be providing food parcels.
Acts of Kindness Inverness and Highland founders Shelley and Dominic Gill said they had decided to close down the food parcel section of its work, due to other charities being better placed to respond quickly to those in the long term.
The couple said they were “gutted” to have come to the end of the food parcel support it offered, but that it had been an incredible nine months.
Mr and Mrs Gill set up the group after initially buying toilet rolls and small amounts of food to provide for those in danger of going short as panic buying hit supermarket stocks in the early day of lockdown.
Thanks to a group of dedicated volunteers, the Facebook group went from strength-to-strength working out of The Shack on Raigmore Estate.
At the height of its work it was delivering upwards of 20 food parcels a day, supporting more than 5000 people in total.
They were awarded a Points of Light certificate by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in recognition of their efforts.
Mr Gill said: “Shelley and I have unfortunately come to the decision that Acts of Kindness will no longer be providing food packs.
“Since the end of August, Acts of Kindness supplies have been funded solely by Shelley and I, and any donations we have received. Whilst the generosity of our local community has been unbelievable throughout this time, we feel that the time has come to take a step back. We are so proud of everything Acts of Kindness has achieved and without the administration and volunteers who have supported us throughout the height of lockdown, we would never have been able to cope.
“So we would like to say thank you to the team and thank you to our community.”
The group remains happy to hear from anybody who needs help and will post a list of other organisations who can offer assistance on their Facebook page.
Mrs Gill added: “All our left over food will be passed to other charities providing food parcels.”
