YMCA North Tyneside appealing for corporate sponsors to keep Community Meals initiative alive

The fortnightly programme has served over 800 meals since it was launched in January and is expecting a bump in demand this winter.

However, the charity only has enough sponsorship to keep the scheme running until the end of the year, and the support will have to be withdrawn if new backers do not come forward.

Cat Morton, fundraising coordinator at YMCA North Tyneside, said: “Donations from local businesses have been instrumental in the delivery of our hot meals, helping ensure that we can continue to support the most vulnerable members of our community.

“I see firsthand the reliance that the local community has on these meals. For many of our regular attendees they provide their only source of hot food.

“Our fortnightly meals currently feed around 100 people per month and when they become available weekly, we expect this number to double.

“This illustrates just how essential our support is to so many families from across the North East.

“We need to ensure that this service is not lost, like so many others in our area have been.”

Many of the ingredients used in the charity’s hot meals are grown in its North Shields allotment, which helps provide vital activities in the community and was created with the help of the charity’s existing corporate partners.

Paul Hart, managing director of existing corporate partner Cargo Creative, said: “It is genuinely heartwarming to see the huge impact that this organisation has on our community.

“This is a space where vulnerable people, gardening enthusiasts, parents, children, and so many others, come together to seek advice or even just a listening ear.

“We are incredibly proud to contribute to YMCA North Tyneside’s outstanding work and hope that other businesses and organisations from across the region will join us in supporting this indispensable community hub.”