Housebuilder gives more support to Highland Foodbank charity during coronavirus crisis
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
SUPPORT from the Highlands' biggest housebuilder in the Highlands is helping to counter the social effects of coronavirus across the region.
Tulloch Homes had previously announced that it would be donating £1000 a week for eight weeks to Highland Foodbank.
It has now agreed to continue that support through June, taking the total amount it will give to the charity up to £12,000.
It is also making a “significant” five-figure donation to Marie Curie Care, whose fundraising activities have been stopped by the virus.
Food bank manager Lorna Dempster said: “This is terrific news and we’re overwhelmed with Tulloch’s continued generosity at a time when we’ve doubled the amount of food distributed compared to the same time a year ago.
“The delivery service we launched for urgent cases thanks to their sponsorship is proving extremely busy, with emergency food boxes delivered to Gairloch and Ullapool in the west and Nairn in the east in the past couple of days. It’s a vital help to those who are in financial crisis.
“We’re coming across many more families, particularly in and around Inverness, who have needed our services after finding that 80 per cent furlough wages don’t stretch enough to put meals on the table.”
She added that the housebuilder’s cash was also enabling bulk purchases from wholesalers to ease the growing pressure on the food bank’s normal stocks.
Lorna Cameron, Tulloch Homes’ human resources director, congratulated the food bank team for their efforts when she met Mrs Dempster at The Maples, the company’s development at Ness Side, Inverness.
“We see this as putting something back when the Highlands is enduring such difficult times due to the virus,” she said. “We’re grateful to the food bank for helping the most needy in our communities and we’re delighted to have enabled the introduction of a delivery service which is proving so needed.
“This is a successful outcome for our funding and we’re pleased to extend it for a further month – and we encourage local people and firms to give what they can to help this valuable cause.”
The food bank is appealing for donations of tinned foods as the numbers of referrals to their premises have risen by 35 per cent during the pandemic.
Read more Ross-shire news here.
